We just purchased our 2011 CPO X5 last September. Prior to that we had a 2004 Toyota Landcruiser with a Class III trailer hitch. Aside from towing our boat which I have since sold, I had purchased one of those cargo baskets that slide into the trailor hitch.
My question is this. Since I have downsized from a cargo perspective, I am going to need the space for the occasional road trip. The dealer quoted me $900 to install a trailer hitch. I haven't really aggressively shopped a Thule roof box, but from the little bit I've looked, it looks to be about a $600-$700 spend.
Anyone have any thoughts? on one versus the other?
Here are a couple more data points.
- As I said before, I no longer have my boat so I don't anticipate any real towing needs (you know what they say, happiest days of a boat owners life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it)
- I still have an "in-hitch" bike carrier, but I bought that for a specific vacation trip and haven't used it again in three years
- I still have the basket for the hitch, along with a soft box/bag that sits in the basket to protect the cargo from bad weather.
- We drive three or four times a year from the Detroit Metro area to Chicago to visit family. We occasionally may have to bring our dogs. In our Landcruiser we could fit the cargo and the dogs, in the X5, not so much.
So basically I'm looking at $900 to use the basket/bike carrier I already have
or
Getting the roof box for around $600-$700
Thanks in advance.
My question is this. Since I have downsized from a cargo perspective, I am going to need the space for the occasional road trip. The dealer quoted me $900 to install a trailer hitch. I haven't really aggressively shopped a Thule roof box, but from the little bit I've looked, it looks to be about a $600-$700 spend.
Anyone have any thoughts? on one versus the other?
Here are a couple more data points.
- As I said before, I no longer have my boat so I don't anticipate any real towing needs (you know what they say, happiest days of a boat owners life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it)
- I still have an "in-hitch" bike carrier, but I bought that for a specific vacation trip and haven't used it again in three years
- I still have the basket for the hitch, along with a soft box/bag that sits in the basket to protect the cargo from bad weather.
- We drive three or four times a year from the Detroit Metro area to Chicago to visit family. We occasionally may have to bring our dogs. In our Landcruiser we could fit the cargo and the dogs, in the X5, not so much.
So basically I'm looking at $900 to use the basket/bike carrier I already have
or
Getting the roof box for around $600-$700
Thanks in advance.