You are here to search for a rooftop cargo carrier for your RAM 1500 and try to carry more stuff without sacrificing the passenger room or the trunk space. You are not alone, and most outdoor enthusiasts want to utilize the car roof for hauling their outdoor needs. How to make a plan to build a versatile roof loading management system on Dodge Ram 1500, 1500 classic, RAM 2500?
This article can help you to find some popular and high-quality rooftop cargo carriers that you can use on RAM 1500 or other RAM trucks to create extra hauling space on the car roof. We will tell you what you need to know before and after using rooftop cargo carriers for your RAM pick-up trucks.
According to RAM dealers in town, RAM 1500’s roof loading limit is about 165 pounds; moreover, the number is the dynamic roof loading limit, which tells you how much weight you can put on the car roof when the truck is in motion. On the other hand, you can use the dynamic roof loading rate to calculate the static roof loading limit by 5 – 8 times the motion rate. As a result, if you plan to mount a rooftop tent on the RAM 1500’s roof, you know the static roof loading limit is about 825 – 1320 pounds.
We have a guide that tells more about how much weight you can load on the car roof, and it is about time to start discovering the relationships between roof racks, roof rails, crossbars, and rooftop cargo carriers.
After knowing the roof loading limit, you better acknowledge how much towing power the RAM 1500 has and prepare to develop hitch-mounted cargo systems behind the truck bed. RAM 1500 has a towing capacity of about 12740 pounds, but the payload is only around 2300 lbs. We won’t cover hitch-mounted cargo carriers below, but you can follow a list to build knowledge about some hitch-mounted cargo boxes or cargo carriers with ramps.
The RAM 1500’s trunk bed size goes from 53.9 to 61.5 cubic feet, and you can put enough luggage or gear in the truck bed for most outdoor needs; however, loading capacity is like money, which is never sufficient for most of us. Consequently, we need more space for our stuff.
Start From Roof Racks or Crossbars:
After knowing these basic numbers about your large RAM 1500, it is time to build a roof rack system to add additional space for transporting things. First, you must equip the RAM 1500, RAM 1500 Classic, or RAM 2500 with roof rails and crossbars before adding rooftop cargo boxes, bags, or roof-mounted cargo baskets. We recommend contacting the local RAM dealer to order compatible roof rails and crossbars to build the roof-loading platform for using different rooftop cargo carriers.
Roof rails are two bars that run from the front to the back above the car roof, and you must order compatible crossbars, which mount on the roof rails and run from the left to the right. After having roof rails and a pair of crossbars on your RAM 1500, you can choose the options below to carry equipment, gear, clothes, shoes, fishing rods, golf clubs, training equipment, camping gear, spare tire, gas tanks, skis, snowboards, and more for outdoor journeys in four seasons.
If you are new to cargo carriers, the links below give you relevant topics and help you prepare more knowledge for choosing, using, maintaining, repairing, installing, and driving with rooftop cargo carriers.
How to choose the best rooftop cargo carrier? – This article gives you a crystal clear understanding of the types of roof-mounted cargo carriers and their differences.
Do roof racks damage your car? – The risk of using roof-mounted cargo carriers, including cargo boxes, bags, baskets, and all other roof-mounted carriers.
How to clean a cargo box? – If you plan to use a roof-mounted cargo box, you should know how to clean it like a pro with these tips. You also need to know if you can use the carwash service with a rooftop cargo carrier.
Best roof racks or crossbars for bare roofs? – If your RAM 1500 has a bare roof, this guide showcases some crossbars with clips that work on empty car roofs without roof rails.
Everything you need to know about roof cargo boxes – when comparing different roof cargo boxes, you should know what to look for to find the most suitable options for your outdoor needs.
How fast can you drive with a roof-mounted cargo box? – you must follow a speed limit to drive with a hardshell rooftop cargo box and change your driving habits to fit the raised gravity center to avoid unexpected accidents.
Cargo Boxes Size Guide – if you want to find different-sized cargo boxes from big to small, you can use this guide to find a table with small and large hardshell cargo boxes.
How to choose a cargo box? – it is a guide about selecting hardshell cargo boxes for different outdoor activities.
Quick-Pick List of 8 Roof Cargo Boxes or Carriers For RAM 1500
Detail of 8 Roof Cargo Boxes For RAM 1500
Thule 614 Pulse Medium Cargo Box
We choose the Thule 614 cargo box as the first option for your Dodge Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic, and Ram 2500. When choosing a rooftop cargo box for a car, you should focus on its dimensions and features to ensure it perfectly suits your outdoor life. Consequently, we will offer you a QUICK-PICK section above for people who want to compare these cargo carriers in detail.
The Thule Pulse 614 Medium cargo box is perfect for carrying luggage or camping equipment because its dimensions are 67 x 35 x 16 inches or 170 x 88.9 x 40.64 cm, and it offers an ample 14 cubic feet of interior space to protect your belongings during outdoor trips, even in extreme weather conditions.
Thule utilizes sturdy and long-lasting ABS plastic materials to construct the Thule Pulse series to make these boxes UV-resistant, water-resistant (not 100% waterproof), aerodynamic, better durability, and weather-resistant; however, when using a hardshell roof box on heavy rainy days, water can run into the cargo box through the gap between the lid and the bottom part of the box. If you want to make a cargo box better waterproof, you can use Seal Strip to help a hardshell roof box better closed without a hollow gap around the connecting area between the lid and the bottom body part.
The Thule Pulse 614 Medium cargo box opens from the passenger side to make sure users won’t stand at risk when using the cargo box on the highways. Although most roof-mounted cargo boxes open from both sides, you should stand at the passenger side to load or unload a cargo box when parking on the side of highways. Most roof-mounted cargo carriers have lid supporters or lid-stiffeners to hold the lid when the cargo box is open, so your two hands are free for packing or finding stuff.
When packing things into the Thule Pulse 614 Medium cargo box, it is better to use the “heaviest things at the center” principle to organize luggage for better enjoyment on outdoor journeys. The Thule Pulse 614 Medium cargo carrier has a central lock on the passenger side to protect your belonging from being stolen, and you also have more strategies to add security to a cargo box.
If you are a fan of winter sporting, you can use the Thule Pulse 614 Medium cargo box to carry skis or snowboards that are not longer than 155 cm. Otherwise, if your gear is longer than 155 cm, you can find larger cargo boxes to make things possible.
You can load up to 110 lbs of luggage in the Thule Pulse 614 cargo box. Overloading a cargo box is prohibited by most experts, so you should follow your RAM 1500’s roof loading limit to load things with caution. You can use the roof loading limit minus the weight of crossbars and a cargo box to calculate the actual weight of cargo that you can load on the car roof.
The above content is general information about the Thule Pulse 614 medium cargo boxes; if you need more knowledge about the Thule Pulse series, you can read another article to know more and compare different Thule Pulse models.
Thule Motion XT XXT Rooftop Cargo Carrier
It is the second one that we pick for your RAM 1500, RAM 1500 Classic, and RAM 2500. It is the most expensive option for people with enough investment to give their Ram 1500 pick-up trucks a fancy-looking roof-mounted cargo box.
Most people are confused about the differences between the Thule Motion XT and Thule Force cargo carriers, so we found the results to give you a better understanding when comparing these two Thule cargo box models.
Thule Motion XT series has four size models: Alpine, Large, Extra large, and XX large. We choose the biggest XX large model for your RAM 1500 because of your truck’s strong hauling capacity and enough roof loading limit; consequently, you can create a big loading room on the car roof.
Thule Motion XT XXL offers you three color options: black, grey, and titan. You can pick one that better fits the printing of your RAM truck. The Motion XT XXL’s dimensions are 91.5 x 37.5 x 18 inches or 232.41 x 95.25 x 45.72 cm, and you can use these numbers to check if the box suits your gear.
If you don’t know what to do with a rooftop cargo box, you can use a guide to find what you can do with a rooftop cargo carrier. Your RAM truck can become higher with a roof-mounted cargo box. For example, the Thule Motion XT XXL adds 18 inches of height above the car roof, and there is a distance between the crossbars and the car roof, which makes your truck even higher. Thus, most advanced users bring a Car Door Step and use it when loading or unloading a rooftop cargo carrier.
The Thule Motion XT XXL gives you 22 cubic feet of inner space for transporting things, and you can put up to 165 pounds of items in the box. An empty Motion XT XXL cargo box weighs 55 pounds, so you better ask someone else to join the installation to increase the accuracy and security, especially when lifting the roof box. After putting the cargo box at the most suitable position on the car roof, you can use four clamps to lock the cargo carrier on the crossbars. Thule gives you four easy-to-use clamps that indicate with “click” sounds when they correctly grab on roof bars.
You can use the Thule Motion XT XXL model to carry long gear that is not longer than 215cm, and it is better than the Thule Pulse 614 Medium if you want to use a cargo box to carry skis or snowboards.
You can open the Thule Motion XT XXL cargo box from both sides, so this feature brings much convenience when packing things into the cargo carrier.
Find more detail about the Thule Motion XT cargo boxes
Some PDFs that help:
Comparison Chart Between Thule Models
AlltoAuto Truck Bed Cargo Bag
It is another pick for your RAM 1500, RAM 1500 Classic, or RAM 2500. If you don’t like roof-mounted cargo carriers, you can try to use a cargo bag and put it on the trunk bed. This soft cargo bag provides 26 cubic feet of inner space for organizing and protecting your belongings from the elements. It is easy to store because the AlltoAuto Truck Bed Cargo bag is foldable, and you can put it somewhere in the cabin room. Its dimensions are 51 x 40 x 22 inches or 129.54 x 101.6 x 55.88 cm, but if your RAM truck’s bed size is not long enough, you don’t need to fully open the cargo bag when you don’t need to.
You can find a zipper system on the bag to secure your luggage and keep the bag water-resistant. The whole bag is a combination of heavy-duty fabric, and you can find a cargo net that comes with it; moreover, you can use the cargo net to stabilize the cargo bag to the truck bed. It is the cheapest option for your RAM 1500 compared to other options in this article, but it is not a roof-mounted cargo carrier. We have an article that introduces more than ten cheap hardshell cargo boxes.
Goplus Rooftop Cargo Boxes
It is the fourth option we pick for your RAM trucks. The Goplus cargo carrier only has one size but three colors: black, grey, and white. It is a perfect road trip luggage carrier that you can trust with less investment compared to the Thule Motion XT XXL’s price tag, but the Thule Pulse 614 Medium is a little more expensive than the Goplus boxes. Therefore, we recommend the Thule Pulse 614 Medium if you choose between the Goplus and a Thule cargo carrier.
However, the Goplus is also a comfortable choice when using a rooftop cargo carrier to transport luggage for road journeys. It gives you 14 cubic feet of waterproof space to stow what you need on the roads with your family or friends. Its dimensions are 63 x 31 x 15 inches or 160 x 78.74 x 38 cm, and you can use these numbers to know if you can put your luggage boxes or other equipment in it. It comes with a trunk organizer, which you can put on the trunk bed for tools or other things, and the organizer has 3 sized rooms and 12 side bags.
Goplus cargo boxes are ABS plastic carriers that are waterproof, durable, rugged, and UV-resistant, and you can use one in four seasons for most outdoor adventures. However, you should pay attention to the distance between your existing roof bars and check if it is between 17 to 22.8 inches; otherwise, you may need to drill new holes at the bottom of a Goplus cargo box to make it work with the crossbars. You also need to confirm that the width and thickness of the bars should be no more than 3.1 and 1.0 inches.
The Goplus cargo carriers open from dual-side, and this feature allows you to load and unload things from both-side of your vehicle, and it is a feature that the Thule Pulse 614 Medium does not have. Moreover, you cannot simultaneously open a dual-side opening cargo box from both sides. The Goplus cargo box has a central lock system, which keeps your belongings safe when you are away from the vehicle, but you should follow a guide to offer more security to a cargo box and prevent theft.
Tips:
Can you open a cargo box without keys? – If you leave the key somewhere else when you want to open the cargo box, you can follow the methods in this guide to open a cargo box without keys. However, most manufacturers provide at least two keys for their customers, so you should keep one in your RAM truck as a backup key.
Find more information about the Goplus cargo carrier
INNO Shadow Cargo Box or Carrier
It is the fifth option for your RAM 1500, RAM 1500 Classic, and RAM 2500. The INNO Shadow cargo box is one of the most low-profile cargo boxes on the market because its height is only 13.4 inches or 34 cm. It is shorter than the Thule Motion XT XXL but longer than the other options above, so it is a perfect solution for transporting skis, snowboards, golf clubs, hiking equipment, and other long gear.
Why do people want to use low-profile cargo boxes?
Most people drive high vehicles like SUVs or trucks like your RAM 1500, so they use low-profile cargo boxes to minimize the car height for easy accessibility to their rooftop cargo carriers. We recommend using a Car Door Step to increase accessibility to rooftop cargo carriers and make outdoor living more enjoyable.
The INNO shadow cargo box’s dimensions are 78.7 x 31.9 x 13.4 inches or 199.898 x 81.026 x 34.036 cm, and we can use these numbers to know how much height the box will add to your RAM 1500. It gives you 13 cubic feet of inner space with a lockable lid, which can open from both sides, and the INNO shadow cargo box fits on most factory, round, square, and aerodynamic crossbars.
INNO is another big name in the cargo carrier industry. If you want to find more available INNO rooftop cargo boxes, you can use an article to discover more INNO models.
DMLAKE Rooftop Cargo Box
It is the sixth option for your Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic, and Ram 2500. DMLAKE rooftop cargo carrier is another ABS-made ultra-light hardshell roof-mounted cargo box that you can mount on most factory, round, square, aerodynamic roof racks or crossbars. If you are new to building a rooftop cargo management system for cars, please scroll to the top and read other articles to enhance your knowledge base before choosing a rooftop cargo carrier for your RAM truck.
DMLAKE cargo box’s dimensions are 62.2 x 31.1 x 15 inches or 157 x 78.9 x 38 cm, and it is able to hold up to 130 pounds of items in a 14 cubic feet interior room. You can open it from dual-side and have a 14-inch wide opening for loading and unloading, and you can lock the lid with a locking system for belonging protection.
Before choosing it as a rooftop cargo carrier on your RAM 1500, you must ensure the existing bars are 3 inches wide and confirm that the distance between two crossbars is between 17.32 to 42.12 inches. It is a new release in 2023 in the cargo box industry, so there is not much information about it.
Yakima GrandTour Premium Rooftop Cargo Carrier
It is the seventh choice for your Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic, and Ram 2500. Its dimensions are 91 x 37 x 17 inches or 231 x 93.98 x 43.18 cm, and you can use it to transport almost everything, including clothes, shoes, camping tents, camping equipment, hunting gear, fishing rods, golf clubs, skis, snowboards, hiking gear, luggage boxes and bags, and more. However, you should use the dimensions numbers to ensure that the Yakima GrandTour Premium box suits your specific items.
The Yakima GrandTour Premium cargo box weighs 60 pounds, and it is a heavy guy compared to other options in this article; thus, you should invite someone else to help you lift the cargo box when mounting it to the roof racks. Otherwise, if a car’s roof loading limit is 160 pounds, an empty Yakima GrandTour Premium cargo box uses 60 pounds off the limit and leaves only 100 pounds for crossbars and the cargo; therefore, a hardshell cargo box should be as light as possible to give enough loading capacity for users. The Yakima GrandTour Premium is the heaviest option compared to the above selections, so choose carefully.
The GrandTour Premium is one of the most aerodynamic cargo boxes on the market, and its aero-design reduces wind noise and minimizes the effect on gas mileage. It provides 18 cubic feet of internal loading space for luggage transporting, and the dual-side opening feature ensures easy access when loading or unloading things. Yakima uses the Same Key System on GrandTour roof boxes for easy replacement. You should lubricate the lock core and make it live longer. When you don’t use roof racks or rooftop cargo carriers, you better clean and store them in the garage with proper protection.
Find more detail about the Yakima GrandTour Premium carrier
Yakima RocketBox Pro Cargo Carrier
RocketBox Pro is another Yakima product that can work with Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic, or Ram 2500. Its measurement is 62.99 x 39.37 x 11.81 inches or 159.99 x 99 x 29.9 cm, and it is a large cargo box compared with these smaller ones.
It has 14 cubic feet of inside room for luggage carrying with a dual-side opening feature and push-button locking system, which make the Yakima RocketBox Pro a popular choice among outdoor enthusiasts. If you want to compare Thule cargo boxes with Yakima’s, you can read an article for more detail.
We have an article that tells you the design, features, and other specifications of the Yakima RocketBox Pro cargo box.
Tips for RAM 1500 drivers:
When adding car rack systems to your RAM 1500, you have two options: rooftop and trunk bed rack systems. After reading through this article, you are familiar with the roof rack systems; however, do you know you can also add a trunk bed rack system to use cargo carriers like cargo boxes or baskets?
If you are interested in this topic, you can contact the local RAM dealer to acquire more info and order compatible rack systems to build trunk bed rack systems for carrying not only luggage but also bikes, watercraft, ladders, and more.
Conclusion
You can find 8 compatible and high-quality rooftop cargo carriers for RAM 1500, RAM 1500 Classic, and RAM 2500. With a roof cargo box, you can load almost everything on the roads for outdoor adventures. If you don’t like these options, you can use other lists to find more considerations:
- Big cargo boxes For Cars
- Roof Cargo boxes for SUVs and trucks
- Aerodynamic cargo boxes
- Skinny roof cargo boxes
- Cheap and small cargo boxes
- rooftop cargo baskets
- soft cargo bags
- Truck trunk bed storage boxes
- Truck Tonneau Covers
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