Will A Roof Rack Basket Fit Your Car? Measure First

Before you order a roof rack basket, go out to the car with a tape measure. The listing may say “universal,” but the basket still has to work with your crossbars and leave the hatch and sunroof room to move.

Start with the distance between your crossbars, then measure each bar's width and thickness. You'll also need room for the clamps, enough clearance around the basket, and a load your roof can carry. Don't forget the height of the car once it's packed.

Table of Contents

• Start With Your Existing Roof Setup
• Measure The Crossbars Where The Basket Will Mount
• Leave Room For The Hatch, Sunroof, And Garage
• Work Out How Much Weight You Can Carry
• Compare GARVEE Basket Sizes And Bag Options
• Get The Missing Fit Details Before You Order
• Roof Rack Basket Fit FAQs

Start With Your Existing Roof Setup

Crossbars run from one side of the vehicle to the other. Side rails run from front to back. If your SUV has side rails but nothing connecting them across the roof, you're missing the bars these GARVEE baskets attach to.

These baskets attach with U-bolts. Picture a bolt bent into a U: it goes around the crossbar and connects to the basket's hardware. You'll need suitable crossbars already in place.

Nothing on the roof yet? Choose a crossbar system approved for your car's year, make, model, and roof style first. A panoramic roof or rails that sit close to the roof can affect that choice, so use the vehicle and rack makers' instructions to find the right system.

Measure The Crossbars Where The Basket Will Mount

Write down your measurements as you go. A few clear photos of the rack will help if you need to ask about a particular basket.

Measure Front To Back

Put the tape at the center of the front crossbar and measure back to the center of the rear one. That's your bar spread. Compare it with the spacing the basket's mounting points allow.

Don't use the basket's length as a shortcut here. A 64-inch basket doesn't call for bars 64 inches apart; its clamps sit beneath the frame. If your bars can move, stay within the positions allowed by the vehicle and rack instructions.

Check Bar Width, Thickness, And Shape

Next, measure how wide each bar is and how thick it is from top to bottom. A U-bolt might fit across a wide bar but run out of room around a thick one. You need both numbers.

For the 51 × 36-inch basket with bag, GARVEE's mounting drawing gives these limits: square bars up to 4.60 inches wide and 1.38 inches thick, or round bars up to 1.38 inches in diameter. That's the drawing for PAU_0L2U8AGH. If you have oval or wing-shaped bars, or you're buying a different basket, get the matching fit details rather than using these numbers.

Look below the bars, too. Is there space for the ends of the U-bolts and the lower clamps, or is the roof or glass close underneath? The clamps must also clear the rack's feet and end caps and sit where the basket instructions show.

Leave Room For The Hatch, Sunroof, And Garage

Check The Hatch Through Its Opening Path

The closed hatch can be misleading. As it opens, the hatch or spoiler may swing up toward the back of the basket. With the roof unloaded, watch the whole opening path and take a side photo that includes the rear crossbar.

Compare that space with the basket's mounting drawing: how far does the frame extend behind its approved rear mounting point? Check the antenna as well. Don't shift the bars or basket outside approved positions to make it fit.

After installation, check the hatch again carefully. Take particular care with a powered liftgate before letting it open all the way.

Keep Hardware Away From Moving Glass

Does any part of your sunroof rise above the roof as it opens? Check your vehicle's rules for roof accessories and sunroof use. If you're unsure whether the glass will clear a clamp or the basket, leave it closed.

Measure The Height You'll Actually Drive With

Your crossbars already add height to the car. Measure from level ground to their top surface, then find out how much higher the installed basket will sit. Allow for bags that stick up above its top rail, too.

Don't just add the basket's listed height. That figure may leave out the mounting hardware. Without its installed height above the bars, you don't yet have enough information to decide whether it'll clear the garage.

Once the basket is fitted and packed, measure again from level ground to the highest point. Compare that with the actual clearance at your garage and other low entrances, allowing for uneven approaches. Write the loaded height on a note the driver can easily see.

Work Out How Much Weight You Can Carry

That 200-pound basket rating can be easy to misread. It's a limit for the basket, not an extra 200 pounds your car is allowed to carry on the roof. Your vehicle, crossbars, and basket all have to stay within their own limits.

Look up your vehicle's limit for driving, not a rating for a parked car. Read what it includes: the rack, basket, empty bag, and luggage may all count toward it. Check the rack's instructions too, since its weight allowance may count accessories differently.

Say a vehicle allows 165 pounds on its roof. If the rack, basket, and empty bag weigh 55 pounds together, there's 110 pounds left for luggage under that vehicle limit. You may have to carry less if the rack or basket has a lower allowance. These are example weights, not specs for any GARVEE model.

Ford's roof-loading guidance calls for a low, evenly spread load and checks along the way to make sure it's still secure. For the actual weight limit, use the manual for your own vehicle.

Compare GARVEE Basket Sizes And Bag Options

Before choosing a size, put the bags or bins you actually want to carry on the floor. How much room do they take up together? Compare that with the basket's inside space; the published outside dimensions include the frame.

Already have storage bins you want to use? Measure them together and ask for the basket's usable inside dimensions before you choose. For the bag kits, compare the bag sizes in the table, then double-check which size and style you've selected on the product page.

The 200-pound rating is for the basket. Your vehicle or crossbars may allow less, regardless of which size you choose.

Get The Missing Fit Details Before You Order

Can't find the measurements you need? Send GARVEE support the SKU from the listing, your car's year, make, model, and roof style, and the crossbar brand or part number. Add your measurements and a side photo showing the gap under a bar.

Ask how far apart the bars can be, which bar shapes fit, and how wide and thick each bar can be. You'll also need the basket's height above the bars once mounted, plus the weight of the empty basket, hardware, and any bag. Have support confirm that the answers apply to the exact version you're buying.

Keep those answers next to the GARVEE roof rack basket listing while you compare it with your car. If the bar measurements, space around moving parts, or weight limits still don't work out, wait to order.

Roof Rack Basket Fit FAQs

Can I Install One On Side Rails Without Crossbars?

No. These GARVEE baskets clamp to crossbars, which run across the car. If you only have side rails running front to back, choose a compatible crossbar system first.

Does “Universal” Mean It Fits Factory Crossbars?

Sometimes. Factory bars still have to match the clamps and supported spacing, with room for the hardware underneath. “Universal” doesn't replace those measurements.

Can I Use A Larger Basket On A Small SUV?

The size of the SUV won't tell you. Check the basket's approved mounting positions, the space around your hatch and roof, and the weight your roof can carry before choosing a larger frame.

Can I Leave It On For A Car Wash?

Ask the wash operator and check your vehicle and basket instructions. Don't assume the wash accepts an empty basket. Remove it if either the instructions or the operator requires it.

More to read

Everything You Should Know About Hitch Cargo Carrier