thanks for the input guys. i lost out on a bid for a megawarrior + extension. was also looking at the baja racks which look very stout...alas
i ended up scoring a yakima skybox 18 for $60

. so ill see how this works out for the time being. its big, but wont be able to hold the fuel cans & folding table. oh well..those will go inside. anyway, 18 cubic feet of aerodynamic, dry, locked, and dust free cargo space for sixty bucks cant be all that bad. i can probably put a long narrow basket beside it...an 80 rooftop offers lots of storage real estate!