Roof top bike racks and SUV?

We have a Thule roof top rack for our Ford Explorer.  We're both around 5'10" and it's difficult to get the bikes up there by yourself.  If you have assistance it's no problem, but kind of a chore to get them up there until you get the hang of it.  My fiance stands on the ground, hoists the bikes up to me. I open the rear door and stand with one foot on the floor and on the seat and am able to get the bikes up on the rack and fastened in. 

The problem that we have with it is that the arm is difficult to get clamped down onto the bike.  We have an older model rack though and the guy at the bike shop said the newer ones are a little easier to fasten. If you're trying to get the bike up there yourself, you kind of have to do a balancing act and climb up there, bike in hand, and fasten it up there.  Physically I'm unable to do that with any of the bikes except for my road bike because the mountain bikes are too darn heavy.

before i got married, i kept a little stool in my car which solved my problem (i'm 5'6". if the car is up against a curb, i can put the bikes up myself, otherwise i use the stool.

but now that i have a 6' husband, he can just reach up and put the bikes on or take them down easy.

EDIT:  I drive a little RAV4 which is taller than a regular car, but I doubt as tall as yours, but you're also even taller than both of us so it's probably still not a problem. 

I have a couple Yakima Steelheads on top of my Grand Cherokee.  Remove the front tire, grab the bike by the fork & vertical tube and lift up so for lines up with "fork clamp" and rear wheel ends up in rain gutter.  Step up in rear doorway to lock everything down.  It works pretty smooth for us.

I have a roof rack on my car... and no way I would want it on an SUV. It would basically be ridiculous to try to get the bikes on there.

Im thinking it would be faster to install the hitch rack than to fanagle the bikes up onto your roof every time.

PS - Get fork mount racks. Frame clamps are wobbly, and if you have a carbon bike... its a big no no.

x2.  i usually grab the bike by the top tube (from underneath, with my right hand, so that i'm lifting it up above my shoulder).  step up inside by way of the rear driver side door, and then just put the bike in place.  it really is pretty simple and not that difficult once you figure out your balance.  often time I use my left hand to grab hold of the rack to help hoist myself up into the jeep.