leow90•19d ago

Ditched the roof rack after one windy trip on I-40, no regrets

Used to strap a cargo box up top for every ski day to Taos, but after a 60 mph gust near the 337 exit made me white-knuckle the wheel, I switched to a hitch carrier and now I'm getting 4 more mpg on the same route, has anyone else made the swap and dealt with the dust issue?

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wade_perez19d ago

You ever get that sick feeling when a semi passes you and the whole rig starts to sway? Yeah, I made the swap to a hitch carrier about two years ago for the same reason, and the mpg bump is REAL. For the dust issue, I picked up a cheap hitch cargo bag with a zipper instead of a hard box, and I just give it a quick rinse with a hose at the trailhead before I open it up. Also, wrapping your gear in a tarp inside the bag cuts down on 90% of the grit, seriously, it's a game changer for keeping your boots from getting caked. The only thing I miss is the convenience of not having to crawl under the bumper to reach stuff, but I'll take that over fighting the wind any day. My tip is to get a hitch lock too, because people will mess with your stuff if you park at a crowded lot near the mountain.