Dodge Journey Roof Rack Guide

5 Better Roof Racks or Crossbars For Dodge Journey

Do you want to find compatible roof racks or crossbars for Dodge Journey? We can offer some help and assist you in building a complete roof rack system on a Dodge Journey. If you are new to roof racks or crossbars, you can visit other articles on our site to build the required knowledge before mounting roof racks on Dodge Journey.

find rooftop cargo carriers and roof racks for Dodge Journey

Why do you need roof racks or crossbars for Dodge Journey?

Most outdoor enthusiasts require more space in their car to transport luggage for outdoor journeys, so they find that their vehicles are short on storage room; therefore, they want to use additional storage on the car roof or behind the hitch receiver to load enough equipment or luggage for outdoor activities: camping, skiing, fishing, hunting, road trips, outdoor training, hiking, cycling, and more.

Dodge journey with a rooftop cargo basket

Dodge Journey has two types of car roofs: bare roofs without roof rails or roofs with factory-installed raised rails. As a result, we will list roof racks and accessories for both roof types.


For Dodge Journey with Factory-Installed Raised Roof Rails

Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars

We choose the Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars for your Dodge Journey, and you can use a pair of the Vortex roof bars to build a complete roof rack system for mounting other rooftop cargo carriers on the roof of your Dodge Journey. The Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars are aluminum-made aerodynamic roof bars, so they are ultralight and won’t consume too much roof loading limit. 

Rhino-Rack Vortex roof rack for Dodge Journey

If you choose a pair of sturdier steel crossbars, you can lose more roof loading limits but gain more stability when carrying cargo weight, especially on unpaved roads. We don’t recommend using rooftop cargo carriers on off-roading events because you cannot fully load the roof-mounted cargo carriers when off-roading; additionally, most outdoor enthusiasts suggest when packing roof-mounted cargo carriers for off-roading, you must control the weight and decrease the cargo weight to one-third of the roof loading limits. Consequently, roof-mounted cargo baskets are the best choices for off-roading cargo needs.

Rhino Rack SX100 mounting legs

The Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars have multiple length options to fit different vehicles’ roof sizes, and you better select the 49-inch model to match your Dodge Journey’s roof width without any potential problems. The Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars have an elliptical aerodynamic design with wave-shaped strips on the upside surface to cut the wind and reduce wind drag. The Rubberized strips can effectively prevent the accumulation of dirt and grime. However, you should know tips about cleaning and maintaining roof racks like a pro to make your outdoor life more enjoyable.

Otherwise, the rubberized strips can increase the friction between crossbars and the clamps on cargo carriers, so the increased stability can make your cargo more secure. Each Vortex roof bar has rubber-made locking systems on its end caps, but you can replace those rubberized locks with metal ones for security concerns.

You can load up to 165 pounds on Vortex crossbars, but you must follow the car roof loading limit before referring to the roof bars’ loading capacity. After reading much information about Dodge Journey’s roof weight loading limit, we find that you can maximize put up to 150 pounds on the roof of your Dodge Journey; as a result, you should pack luggage carefully and not exceed the 150 lbs limit on the car roof.

You must get four mounting towers to create a complete Rhino-Rack roof rack system for your Dodge Journey. You can assemble four Rhino-Rack SX mounting legs with two Vortex crossbars to get a versatile roof rack system to work with Dodge Journey with factory-installed raised roof rails.

What you need:


CURT Roof Rack 

We pick the Curt crossbars for people who don’t want an assembly process. The Curt crossbars are pre-assembled with mounting legs to work with vehicles with raised roof rails, including your Dodge Journey.

The CURT 18118 universal crossbars’ dimensions are 53.375 x 2.125 x 0.875 inches or 135.5725 x 5.3975 x 2.22 cm (L x W x H). The maximum distance you can get after adjusting two crossbars away from each other is about 50 inches or 127 cm. Most cargo carriers require a compatible bar spread range for fitment, so you should check before getting one. If you have existing roof-mounted cargo carriers, please check the compatibility before getting the CURT 18118.

CURT universal roof rack for Dodge Journey

How to install the CURT roof rack on Dodge Journey with raised roof rails?

When installing the CURT roof rack on Dodge Journey with factory-installed raised roof rails, you can follow these steps to finish the installation without question. You must clean the car roof and the existing roof rails before doing anything else. The CURT crossbars are pre-assembled, so you can directly put the crossbars on the roof rails after adjusting the clamps to the appropriate width.

It is better to adjust the bar spread before tightening the mounting towers on the roof rails, and the CURT roof rack offers a bar spread range from a minimum of 20 inches to a maximum of 50 inches. After the adjustment, you can use integrated knobs to tighten each CURT crossbar on the roof rails and make it ready for holding weight.


Malone AirFlow2

Malone AirFlow2 roof racks for Dodge Journey

It is another aluminum 50-inch crossbar for a Dodge Journey with raised roof rails to create a versatile roof rack system for most roof-mounted cargo carriers. It is also a pre-assembled roof rack system that you can use without a complicated installation process.

The Malone AirFlow2 gives two color options: black and silver. You can choose a color that matches the style of your Dodge Journey. We recommend the 50-inch model for Dodge Journey owners, and its measurement is 50 x 3 x 1 inches or 127 x 7.62 x 2.54 cm.


For Dodge Journey with bare roofs

Rhino-Rack Vortex Roof Rack System

Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars for Dodge Journey with bare roof

If you want to equip the Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars on Dodge Journey cars with bare roofs, you should use the below accessories to finish the assembly and use the car doorjambs to support the roof rack system.

What you need:


Yakima JetStream Aluminum Roof Rack System

Yakima JetStream crossbars

It is another choice you can use on a Dodge Journey with a bare roof to create a roof rack system for transporting belongings. The Yakima JetStream allows you to pack up to 165 lbs of cargo, but the car roof loading limit is a priority beyond everything. You cannot overload the car roof for any excuses.

If you want to use the Yakima JetStream roof racks on your Dodge Journey, you must get other accessories and assemble them with two Yakima JetStream roof bars to get a complete Yakima roof rack system.

Yakima BaseLine Mounting Legs

The JetStream roof bars have internal hollow structures to enhance the bars’ sturdiness without adding extra weight. The black coating surface ensures the crossbars won’t rust or corrode after years of use.

You can find a rubber strip on the bottom side of the Yakima JetStream bar with ruler marks for installation. You can remove the end cap and pull out the rubber strip to cut it and adjust the position of each mounting leg. After positioning the mounting towers, you can relocate the cut strips to prevent dirt.

Dodge Journey Compatible Clips

You can assemble four BaseLine towers with two Yakima JetStream crossbars and attach vehicle-fit clips on the Baseline mounting legs to get a complete roof rack system for a Dodge Journey with a bare roof. We will list what you need below.

What you need:


Conclusion

Dodge Journey with rooftop cargo carrier

You can find roof racks or crossbars for Dodge Journey with or without roof rails, and you can also find compatible rooftop cargo carriers to satisfy your cargo needs. We recommend you check the list of cargo baskets, roof-mounted cargo boxes, cargo bags, ski carriers, hitch-mounted cargo carriers, and bike racks to build your functional cargo management system.

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