Water is essential on a road trip, whether you’re dispersed-camping along the way or just need a drink between pit stops. With a 500-pound load capacity, it can carry coolers, bikes, kayaks, and lots more. Here’s a simple cargo trailer, weighing just 175 pounds, that lets you turn it into a camper by putting a rooftop tent on it. (Courtesy Yakima) Yakima Easy Rider Cargo Trailer ($2,999) The tent folds out in about ten minutes, making it easy to set up camp when you stop for the night. The Go can carry a range of equipment inside the adjustable-height trailer, and the top can accomodate bikes, kayaks, or other toys. It only weighs 840 pounds, so you can tow it with just about any kind of car with a hitch. Sylvansport’s Go is nice because it can act as a pop-up camper, utility trailer, or gear hauler. (Courtesy Sylvansport) Sylvansport Go Trailer ($10,995 and Up) Plus, you’ll spend less money on hotel rooms and get better views by camping along your route. The big draw is the rack’s versatility: it’ll hold two bikes of pretty much any size, with room for up to 4.8-inch tires, and it comes with a built-in workstand.Ī trailer helps you transport gear and can also provide you with a simple sleeping space. I’ve used mine for several years, and it still works flawlessly. The best bike rack you can buy is Kuat’s NV 2.0. My favorite way to bring bikes on a road trip is with a hitch rack, because it leaves you room for a rooftop box. (Courtesy Kuat Racks) Kuat NV 2.0 Hitch Mount ($649) With a capacity of 16 cubic feet and capable of holding up to 165 pounds, this one from Thule can carry as many as seven pairs of skis or five snowboards. Bonus: you’ll actually be able to see out of the rearview mirror. One of these will let you pack the stuff you don’t need during the drive up top, so you can keep essentials handy inside the car. (Courtesy Thule) Thule Motion XT Alpine Box ($800)Įven if you’ve got room in your vehicle for almost everything, it’s worth investing in a good rooftop storage box. Fit your vehicle with a base system and these aftermarket bars, and you’ve got the ability to haul bikes, skis, a storage box, kayaks, or a rooftop tent with ease. Thule’s latest bars are stronger and more aerodynamic than ever, meaning you get a quieter ride. (Courtesy Thule) Thule Evo WingBars ($439 and Up for the Set) Here are my favorite tools for loading gear on top or behind your vehicle. Get a roof box and rack for more space, or add a hitch-mount rack for bicycles or coolers. You don’t need a huge truck or a giant SUV with massive amounts of storage to road trip right. And in the era of rooftop tents, it’s easy to put too much weight in and on a crossover or smaller vehicle with four adults, all of their stuff, and some adventure toys like bikes or kayaks. A 2019 Toyota Tacoma, for example, has a a GVWR of 5,600 pounds and a payload capacity of up to 1,620 pounds. That information is especially important if your road trip involves pulling a trailer of some kind. These numbers tell you how much stuff (passengers, cargo, etc.) your car, truck, or SUV can handle once it’s fully loaded. Before you pack, look up the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and payload capacity, which are usually printed on that little sticker on the inside of the driver’s-side door or in your owner’s manual. If you overload your rig, you can hamper its driving characteristics, capability, and safety. Know What Your Car Can Handleįirst and foremost, consider the vehicle you’ll take and the storage space it has. Here’s how to properly pack for a road trip and some gear to help you do it. It took me a while to learn that no matter how well organized the cooler is, if it’s buried under a bunch of other stuff, the LaCroix you bring for the road will stay there until you reach camp-and camp is for IPA, not flavored sparkling water. Need to unpack the entire trunk just to dig out your camera? You missed the shot. However, the way you pack the car also makes a huge difference in how much fun you have.Ĭan’t reach the snacks? Major fail. Most people know that to pull off a successful road trip you need three things: good company, a great destination, and the right music.
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