Looking for opinions/information on extra storage for our Fits whether it be overhead cargo or a rear hitch set up. Reason being is I am having trouble getting baseball/softball equipment in when I have passengers in the back seat. I drive 36-40,000 miles a year and would like to keep the Fit rather than buy a pickup/bigger vehicle.

Does anyone have any advice or ideas? I'm considering an enclosed overhead cargo set up with the roof racks. I have never dabbled with roof racks so I'm a complete noob here.

 

I have a Thule roof rack for my wife's '20 Fit and it works well. I've seen some discussions about the sheet metal on the Fit's roof being easily dented, but I only carry a single 50lb kayak so it hasn't been a problem. All of the quality roof racks use a custom "fit kit" with rubber feet that match the shape of the car's roof. But those racks aren't cheap. A name brand rack and cargo box could easily cost you $1000. If you have the storage space, you might consider a trailer hitch (plus wiring kit) and small utility trailer for equal or less cost.

etrailer.com is a good place to see all of you options. They sell several brands of roof racks, cargo boxes and trailer hitches.

 

I put together a Thule-based roof rack as well, from odd components: Thule ARB47 load bars, Exodus FP4 feet (UK house brand, identical to Thule 480R), Thule 1541 Fit Kit adapters for the feet, and Rocky Mounts Jetline bike trays.

Could I remove the bike trays and install a cargo box instead? Sure, that's what it's made for.

The usual rooftop rack negatives: Decreased mpg, wind noise, weird howling occasionally. I take it off when the bike season ends.

The problem with using a cargo box for baseball supplies might be more about securing loose items than anything else. Never used a rooftop cargo box before, but you probably don't want loose balls, bats and gloves flying around as you corner. Can't be good for either the equipment or the cargo box.

Now if you fitted a cargo box with sleeves, mesh pockets or compartments for your specialized gear, different story.

I see a fair amount of used cargo boxes online. You could probably get one at fair discount this way and still have it work to your needs.

 

Bargainguy - I'm just curious, do you know which car the 1541 kit "officially" fits. The kit for the 480 towers for the GK Fit was 1751, although that's apparently discontinued but still in stock at some sellers. Now Thule offers the 5152 kit for their newer EVO towers.

Interestingly, the 1751 kit that I have is designed to bridge over the rubber weld seam in the roof. I've never seen a fit kit that doesn't have the feet contact the rubber strip, but Thule must have determined that the weld seam can't support any load. Here's a photo:

 

That was me going from memory. 1751 is correct.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have seen the weight being an issue. I think I could throw the kids bags, batting net, tee into an enclosed roof storage container. Maybe keep the heavier stuff inside the hatch. A utility trailer would not be an option for this situation. We also have kayaks and bikes so maybe the $1000 would be well worth it. I'm going to price everything out and see if everything seems reasonable. Thanks again!

 

Besides a Yakima roof rack with cargo cage, I've gotten rid of the useless styrofoam jack tools holder, raised the rear hatch floor to store a lot of things. I've also got a "storage box" from Aliexpress that fits just under the rear cargo cover. Both of the latter two do eat into the vertical storage capability of the trunk a bit.

If you are carrying passengers with equipment that fills up the trunk, I'd suggest a roof rack system.

And you are right about how easy it is to dent the roof. Very thin sheetmetal.

 

I've got a trailer hitch on my fit. I can tow a 4x10 trailer (modified Harbor Freight 4x8 trailer) with a pair of 500lb motorcycles on it and get 34mpg at highway speeds. The car does a surprisingly good job of towing. I have the CVT trans, by the way. 123k miles with maybe 1,500 of that towing and no trouble. Anyway, if all you want is a hitch for a rack or something, that would work, too. If you want to carry a lot back there, then consider spending the $80 or so to add helper air springs. I don't have them, or need them, for what I tow, but if you put a big rack on the hitch instead of a trailet, it is something to consider and very easy to do, apparently. I think it is a Curt hitch from eTrailer that I used. Wiring was easy, too.