Aftermarket hard rack for 2003 Toyota Matrix

[mjames]

Hello everyone!

I am looking to put a hard rack on my Matrix, since I am very wary of driving 2+ hours on the freeway (70 mph) with a soft rack and one 10' and one 9'6" fiberglass boards on top. Any suggestions on something aftermarket? There is no stock bars on the car at all. Or should I feel safe with the soft rack? Does anyone drive that far with big boards on a soft rack?

Thank you!


Mark

[dtc]

I havent used soft racks but they seem to be pretty good. The only general comments are that because the straps run through the doors, if its raining there can be leaks; and sometimes they cause scratches to the roof.

However, I agree that it seems to be safer to use a hard rack with proper tie down straps (not rubber straps) - just seems more stable, particularly with two boards. Some roof racks have rubber inserts that provide some protection to the the board, but if you get metal ones then consider also buying some roof rack pads like these

http://www.curvesurf.com.au/products/ro ... -australia

(a lot of companies make these, in different shapes depending on the rack eg square, aero etc).

[mjames]

Thanks for the response!! I ended up buying a van over the weekend and ordered a Thule 809 double decker locking rack. Very excited to see my boards on top of the van

[mjames]

I installed this rack on the van and it is awesome! Highly recommended! It is expensive, but I trust it 100% with my boards on the highway