I'll just repost what I posted in that old thread linked earlier...I want to point out that the key is that most factory roof racks are weak...
One of the problems with tying to a factory roof rack has already been explained, the wood blowing off of the rack. If it doesn't blow off of the rack, the rack itself can blow off of the car. A lot of factory racks are only held onto the roof using expanding rubber nutserts through the sheet metal of the roof. Some are probably more secure but I doubt that any are substantial enough to handle the force of an unexpected gust of wind on a sheet of plywood.
The no-brainer obvious choice is to just buy a small flat bed utility trailer. The HF trailers have already been suggested and they will work fine as long as you don't overload them. If you absolutely insist on hauling on the roof of you SUV then buy one of the aftermarket sport racks, like a Yakima. The ones that hook onto your rain gutters, (if you have rain gutters) are the strongest. The racks that only utilize the existing factory rack aren't any stronger than the factory rack. After strapping the plywood to the sport rack, then run some straps over the wood and through the passenger compartment, through the windows. You may have to get creative with this since it will require you to either crawl through the window to get in or tighten the strap in front after you're already in the car. I work at a lumber yard and I've seen this done. The guy secured the rear strap through the rear windows and then kept the front one very loose until after he was in the car. He then used the ratchet to tighten it down. The only way this will fail is if the straps fail or if the roof rips off of your car.
All of that being said, I still think overloading any car or light truck on the roof is a stupid idea so let your own sense of danger be your guide. Just spend a couple hundred bucks on a Harbor Freight trailer with 12" wheels and you won't have to worry about ruining your car, (A CRV is a CAR, not a truck or an SUV...No Utility) and possibly injuring or killing anyone in the process. That can't possibly be worth the money you saved on a trailer, can it?
Bruce
