Luggage Rack Capacity 2003 Rx300

[chrisToronto]

Hi - has anyone mounted a Thule style cargo box on a 2003 RX300? Lexus can't seem to tell me weight capacity. Should I buy an aftermarket rack from Thule or are the factory luggage racks ok? thanks for any help

[AdamIsAdam]

Hi - has anyone mounted a Thule style cargo box on a 2003 RX300? Lexus can't seem to tell me weight capacity. Should I buy an aftermarket rack from Thule or are the factory luggage racks ok? thanks for any help

I have a 2004 RX. I put my Thule Mountaineer box up top using Thule crossbars. To do so and still have the rear tailgate open without hitting the box, I had to drill new holes in the box so the box can be mounted forward.

so that I would feel comfortable about doing this, I bought the Thule cross bars because they can be mounted further forward than the factory cross bars. I didn't want the baseball cap effect where the front of the box hangs way over the windshield without having a mounting point as far foward as possible.

I loaded the box up and drove several hundred miles without incident. It's a few extra buck and some time moving the mounting hardware, but well worth the piece of mind.

Oh, and Subarus have the problem too. Whenever the rear of the car is rounded like the RX and others, with the hinge well into the roof, this is the result.

Enjoy.

Adam

[wwest]

Hi - has anyone mounted a Thule style cargo box on a 2003 RX300? Lexus can't seem to tell me weight capacity. Should I buy an aftermarket rack from Thule or are the factory luggage racks ok? thanks for any help

I have a 2004 RX. I put my Thule Mountaineer box up top using Thule crossbars. To do so and still have the rear tailgate open without hitting the box, I had to drill new holes in the box so the box can be mounted forward.

so that I would feel comfortable about doing this, I bought the Thule cross bars because they can be mounted further forward than the factory cross bars. I didn't want the baseball cap effect where the front of the box hangs way over the windshield without having a mounting point as far foward as possible.

I loaded the box up and drove several hundred miles without incident. It's a few extra buck and some time moving the mounting hardware, but well worth the piece of mind.

Oh, and Subarus have the problem too. Whenever the rear of the car is rounded like the RX and others, with the hinge well into the roof, this is the result.

Enjoy.

Adam

"...drove several hundred miles without incident...."

Has it occurred to anyone else that the factory 75lb load rating might have more to do with keeping this SUV's propensity for rollover within reason in a severe maneuver rather than with actual roof and/or roof rack loading capability??