That goes a long way, for sure. I have to say that were it not for the kinds of distances I have traveled using a rack with a boom tube support, I doubt it would have damaged the paint and graphics. The ultimate solution for me is getting a van of some sort, but I'm not in a hurry to do that, since I'm planning to pay off my mortgage before I spend money on getting another car. Even then it's going to be something cheap and used, just like me.