I have a 2015 Fit, and am planning on moving cross country. I have too much stuff to fit in a small car, but not enough stuff that it feels reasonable to use a mover (I could probably fit all of my stuff in a minivan). I have checked and all of my large items can technically fit in the Fit, but fitting everything together is not very viable. However, I think that with a sizable roof box (since I can't tow), I could take everything in my Fit, with maybe having to ship 1-2 boxes.

Any ideas on what the best roof rack and roof box would be to tackle this? I am going to be driving cross country over the course of about 2 weeks, so something with some amount of security is ideal. I am doing my own research, but getting some input from people here is welcome. Thanks!

 

Ever thought about getting a hitch and a cargo carrier instead of roof rack/box?

 

I've used the Fit for some cross-country moves. A few thoughts.

Roof racks and rooftop cargo boxes are tempting on the Fit. The idea is that you gain space without too much bother.

Problem is, roof racks and cargo boxes are a big bother!

The roof wasn't designed for load-carrying ability. Anything you put in a rooftop cargo box had better be pretty light, because the roof is already supporting a rack and box in addition to your cargo.

Add to that: vibrations, rattles, buzzing noises, you name it. At highway speeds, this is not pleasant. If you're going cross-country, it can be torture.

Security is another issue. Not unusual these days for thieves to rip racks right off your roof in an attempt to get at bikes or cargo. Whatever locks are built into the cargo box are generally small - core locks. They don't respond well to brute force.

It's a lot of money and effort to buy a small amount of space. I like your idea of shipping ahead a couple boxes to save space, and would expand that so you don't have to use a rack or box at all.

 

The sheet metal on the Fit's roof is super thin so they dent very easy. I have seen dented roofs with nothing even stored on them. Just from the clamp pressure alone. So putting any weight on the roof is a hard pass for me.

 

I have, but it seems generally inadvisable for the Fit, no?

 

+1
For OP, if the items you are considering shipping/transporting are of lower value, I'd suggest selling them and buying replacements when needed.
The amount of cost and headache to ship these items could be more than they are worth.

Alternatively, if you are going to be transporting that amount of items regularly, may I suggest selling the Fit and getting a small truck/minivan?
It won't be as thrifty on fuel, but it'll certainly be better for hauling.

 

I'm curious why you say you can't tow with a Fit?
You certainly can't pull a large/heavy trailer, but any volume or weight of cargo that you would put into a roof-top box would be easily pulled behind a Fit on a small trailer. I would much rather pull a small trailer than increase the height and cross-wind area of a Fit.
As a bonus, in the future you have a hitch receiver for a bike rack or small cargo tray.

 

Honda was selling roof transporting systems as genuine Honda accessory for GK, but the weight limit for the max, load is quite small. I think it was 75 kg (165 lbs), but I cannot check it from the manual right now.

In North America no towing is allowed for the GK by the manufacturer due to liability reasons. In Europe it is allowed to tow 450 kg (1000 lbs) without brakes and 1100 kg (2425 lbs) with mechanical overrun brakes.

Correction: max roof load is 35 kg (77 lbs) and max towing with brakes is 1000 kg (2204 lbs)

 

Honda didn't offer any roof rack systems as optional equipment in North America. They don't recommend putting anything on the roof. Only aftermarket companies offer rack systems, which will always dent the roof skin.

 

I checked the allowed masses and made a correction to my previous post: max roof load is 35 kg (77 lbs) and max towing with brakes is 1000 kg (2204 lbs)

The part number for the genuine Honda accessory roof rack is 08L02-T5A-600 and it is apparently manufactured by Thule. Honda also offered three different roof boxes for GK varying from 320 litres to 410 litres in volume.

 

my friends roof box opened up on a cross canada move and he's still missing a few belongings...he showed up with every inch of the car packed with something...the police officer on scene weren't friendly or helpful ...that's what he remembers the most unfortunately