The Official Harbor Freight roof basket thread

Here’s the deal. I wanted a functional roof basket on a budget. Upon my research, there were so many questions about the harbor freight one but couldn’t find many people actually using it on a 4Runner. I picked this up on sale for $80 in September and it’s been on since the day I got it.

This isn’t the best review, because right out of the box, I sprayed a can of black rustoleum on it. I’m planning on leaving it on year round and I’m in Ohio so it’s exposed to all the weather.

Assembly is easy. It’s functional. It’s affordable. I may upgrade to something better in the future (daycare is expense), but I’m more than happy with this right now for the value. Only reason I’d say I’d upgrade is because of the size. It’s a little small. I don’t mind how it looks but from different angles it can look funny with how small it is compared to the roof rails. It’s a 2024 sr5 premium and I’ve noticed zero difference in my gas mileage. I’ll report back over time how it holds up.

 

How's the wind noise? There used to be a company that sold mounts lower the baskets, so the sit lower.

 

https://www.4xinnovations.com/03-23-4Runner-Rola-Rack-Mount-Kit_p_43.html

4x innovations makes the lower mounting bracket for the Rola basket.

 

I would use my HF HaulMaster rack for the 4Runner if I didn’t have another off road beast. (tire up there isn’t real use). But seriously I’ve had this basket for a year because exactly the simple functionality you described. And it does what I ask it to. I just want to get a stretchy cargo holder mesh sorta thing now to go on top on the occasions where I fill it.

 

I'm interested in this. Last year of college SB travel and want to make more room inside for the 2 dogs. I will be putting more stuff on the roof rack in a bag. I'm a cheap mofo and don't want to spend 1K or more on a WD or Gobi.

How does it attach to the factory rails/ cross members? U bolts

And how is the wind noise? ?????

Price? 99.00$

 

This could be an option as well, https://www.4runners.com/threads/lfd-crossbars-on-stock-roof-rails.26251/

 

I think most of the less expensive racks are similar and made in China. I bought off Amazon and then added 3ed cross rail for added support. For the most part as long as it has front wind deflector they all are not that noisy.

 

yeah it uses u bolts to clamp to the cross bars. Super easy.

Very minimal wind noise, if any. I drive a lot of highway to work and back if I don’t take the back roads and never notice it.