can you use cargo box on rental car

Can You Use Cargo Boxes On A Rental Car?

Last Updated on September 17, 2023

Most people choose to rent a car for their seasonal outdoor vacations, but the rental vehicle may not have enough storage room to satisfy their loading needs. When people want to go outdoor for camping-related events, they need to bring a lot of necessary items or gear to make sure they can handle all the unpredictable situations during the time of their outdoor holidays. 

if you use a cargo box or other cargo carriers on a rental car or not? find answers here.

We have many different vehicles to rent on the market: SUVs, sedans, Vans, and MPVs. If you want to go for a family road trip, you may need to rent a Van for enough loading capacity. 

If you choose a sedan or an SUV to rent, you may need to use a car rooftop cargo box to boost the car’s storage space for your family’s entire luggage. 

A car rooftop box can help you carry extra items on top of the car, so you don’t leave any necessary belongings at home.

When renting a car, you have to communicate with the company to understand its rules, disciplines, or regulations about using a cargo box on its vehicles.


What to think when renting a car

take to clerks in a rental company to require detail about using cargo boxes on a rental car

Before stepping out to a rental company to take a rental car for holiday needs, you need to know that most rental companies don’t offer services like giving you a vehicle with other car accessories on it. Consequently, you have to decide to buy a cargo carrier or lease one from other companies in your local. Fortunately, it is possible to get a bike rack from most rental companies. It is hard to find a car-rental company doing business like that, so you may need to find your way.

You need to confirm two things with the rental company before using a cargo box or other cargo carriers on the vehicle.


Is it allowed to mount a cargo box or other carriers on top of the rental car?

rental companies are not friendly to cargo boxes

If the company allows you to mount a cargo box or other cargo carriers on its car, you can think about buying one or leasing one for holiday needs. When getting a cargo carrier, you must confirm the compatibility between the cargo carrier and the rental car; besides, you may need to get a pair of crossbars to hold and lock the cargo carrier on the car’s roof. If the vehicle has roof rails on top, you don’t need to buy them.

If the company doesn’t allow using cargo carriers on top of the vehicle, you don’t buy a cargo carrier. You cannot use a cargo carrier without a car, so it is useless to your situation.


Can you lease a cargo carrier from the company?

Some rental companies have cargo carriers for customers to lease and use on rental vehicles, so you have to make sure you follow the policy and rules of the company.

However, leasing a cargo box or other car carriers is not free, and you have to pay for the days of using the car carriers. 

The company will add the fee to the final bill of the renting service you ordered, so you don’t worry about the calculations.

If you bring your cargo box or other cargo carriers to the company, you need to follow their policy and discipline to install the rooftop carrier and use it safely. 

During the installation or disassembly, you have to pay attention to the car’s surface and make sure not to make scratches on the printing.

When unexpected incidents happen, you must report the story to the rental company and follow the guideline to handle to situation. 

If you want to fix some tiny scratches on a cargo box, you can follow a guide to DIY the fix with an investment in tools.


Different Rental Companies Different Rules

All rental companies have different policies and price tags, so you check and compare before dealing with one. 

You can choose several rental companies in your local as targets and talk to the clerks or read the companies’ paperwork to learn their services in detail. 

After earnestly learning, you find the differences between those rental companies, and you choose the most appropriate group to discuss your renting requirement. 

read throught the company's policy documents to check if it allows the use of a cargo carrier

In those companies’ documents, you can search for their rules on using cargo carriers on their vehicles, and you can also find their regulations about mounting rooftop cargo carriers on top of their cars.

When you talk to the clerks of those companies, you have to find out what services the companies offer; furthermore, they may have what you need, but you don’t know, on their service list.

According to the Internet, most rental companies don’t allow customers to use car racks on their vehicles because of potential risks. 

However, some small rental companies may allow cargo carriers on their autos. 

You can use the Internet to find all your local rental companies and communicate with them through Email to look for which one of the companies has the allowance for using cargo boxes or other rooftop carriers. It is the quickest way to find answers.

In our opinion, big companies often are not friendly to car rooftop carriers.


When it is allowed What to think

some rental companies allow you to use cargo boxes for other cargo carriers on their cars.

If a company allows you to use a car rooftop carrier on its vehicle, you must comply with the policy to install certain cargo carriers for outings.

Soft rooftop cargo bags are acceptable because they don’t require roof racks to stand, and no installation is needed.

You can use straps or ropes to tight down the soft roof bag to the car roof without assembling roof racks on the car roof, and it is safe for the car’s roof printing. Consequently, some rental companies agree with the use of cargo bags.

Most rental companies refuse the use of cargo boxes or other rooftop carriers on their vehicles because of the potential risks to the car’s roof printing, especially during the time of installation.


Final thoughts

Can you use a cargo box or other cargo carriers on a rental car? Yes, you can. However, you need to comply with the company’s policy to apply a car rack to the rental vehicle. When you want to rent a cargo carrier for your rental car, you can visit RENT LUGGAGE to borrow one.

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