Ok, I did a search but wasn't having much luck. I'm hoping someone on here has done this or has some ideas.

I have a 07 HHR LT. It has the roof rails installed from the dealership. Unfortently it did not come with the 'cross-bars'. I know I can get the "GM" rails for around $250, but I have no desire to spend that kind of cash on this. I have had the car over 3 years and never needed them before and after this trip at the end of March I probably will not need them again.

Has anyone worked with a generic set of cross bars that worked with their factory rails? Any websites/products you guys have used with success. I have the need to toss a travel bag up there with a few suit cases and stuff.

Need to add that I'm looking to spend around $150 total, and that would include a $80-100 travel bag.. I can rent a mini-van for the week for $300-350, so if the roof rack isn't going to save money it isn't worth messing with.

Thanks again for any help you guys can provide..
Dan

 

Honestly Dan, I'd go the van rental route. You have to factor in the costs of cross rails for the rack, a roof travel bag, and the possibility of damage to the paint on the roof or worse denting it. Then you have the added aerodynamic drag from the stuff on the roof which will just burn more gas, I think in the long run you'd be money ahead to rent a van. That way you have everything inside and secured as you travel, plus you can keep your HHR parked and avoid piling up mileage and wear and tear on your trip.

 

Thats the way I have been leaning. I'm not worried about the milage on the HHR, it's 3.5 years old and will hit 100,000 by the end of april, with the rip it would hit it two weeks sooner.

All the other items are whatI was think too. From the start we have talked about just renting a van, but figured I would at least look into this option.

If I had thought about it (and looked into how it worked when i bought the car) I would have made the dealship toss the cross-bars in with the purchase.

Thanks Again
Dan

 

Do you have a hitch receiver? Do a cargo rack on that for pretty cheap.

 

Be honest with you those hit reciver peices IMO are much better then trying to get stuff off and on the roof. Bet gas milage improves. All I would do is make sure the load is secure and tarp it so no crap gets on your stuff will enroute.

 

I use a Thule rack system. It's universal to any roof rack and they last a lifetime. I rekon long after the HHR is gone, I'll have another vehicle with a roof rack. We have one for my wif'es Honda and a cargo box that goes up top for the 3 trips a year to the mother in laws. Works great and the mpg's don't really suffer much.

JIm

 

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Nice, Jeda. I have a Thule system too for a few bikes. Now I just have to wait for the weather to clear up before I put it on.

 

I ended up installing a custom set on my HHR...Proline permanent mount rack from Proline installed (and warrantied) byt eh dealership and a dead-on install of a Thule Tracker 2 Package...GREAT option! I'm not sure if that would be possible to install with the factory rack in place, but it's a great option. I am trading in my HHR soon, so I am looking to sell my Thule set-up if you--or anyone else for that matter--is interested. You would just need to get the Proline End Tracks (like $60 I think) and install them. I think my dealer did it for $100...which was well worth it for the warranty alone, with the drilling into the HHR roof...although the job itself was simple. Let me know if you're interested.