Photos of Rooftop Cargo Boxes

[quicksandTRDPRO]

Hey [MENTION=129592]quicksandTRDPRO[/MENTION]

I know this was an old post, but was curious if your spoiler hit that Inno box with the back raised open?

Nope, no clearance issues at all.

 

[SirDancelot]

I've opted for Thule Sidekick because of the size (width is 25" and length of roughly 48").

 

[2015SR54R]

I'm happy with my Thule roof box.

 

[Jaykulast4r]

Thule Summit that my bro gave me for free. Had to modify the mounting points so I could open the hatch.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[90Duck]

Packasport

I've had this old (and giant) Packasport and hauled it around on the top of our old Honda Pilot for 15 years. It took a bit of figuring out, but I managed to get it mounted on a set of Thule cross bars mounted on the side rails high enough and far enough forward to clear the spoiler when the hatch is opened. Being made of fiberglass, it is a heavy beast, but it goes into black hole mode and seems to be able swallow huge amounts of stuff. My wife likes the look of the basket up there better, but the box is definitely more practical and is already pre-loaded with adventure stickers from 15 years of use!

 

[mynameistory]

Yakima SkyBox 18 + Gobi Rack with removable crossbars makes for a very good fit atop the 5th gen.

- cross bars can be positioned so that the rear a the box clears the open lift-gate while also resting the nose on a sup pad across the front raised bar. the mounting feet themselves sit approx 1/4" to 1/2" above the mesh floor of the rack.

- test drive from Austin to Houston yesterday with some gear loaded in. looking up thru the sunroof, i could see the cushioned support under the bow of the box made for very little wobbling doing 80 down the hwy and had no extra noise (although with the other bolt-ons my 4R is already fairly noisy).

spent a while at REI going back and forth between Yakima SkyBox 18 and Thule Force XT XXL as they are comparable in price and size, here's what i personally noted as pro/cons

- SkyBox interior floor is a flatter design that Thule, which had more undulations across the bottom
- SkyBox has a keyed metal lever. must unlock then rotate lever to release the lid. the Thule had a plastic knob that rotates as you unlock. once unlocked the lid is basically open. there is no lever system to release the lid. when closing, the Yakima is makes a distinct *click* when properly closed. i like the action on the Yakima much more than Thule
- Thule has 6 sturdy metal hooks for interior tie-downs while the Yakima has 4 plastic hooks for tie-downs. Thule wins the tie-down game on this one
- Thule aesthetically is very cool looking, no doubt. however, the front of the Thule lid continuously was getting caught on the front corner of the base. this seemed to be due to the more angular shape on the Thule front end.
- Yakima mounting feet wrap under the crossbar from front to back. the Thule feet pinch the front and back of the crossbar. in the hypothetical instance of failure i much prefer the Yakima system, which even if it were to somehow fail, would be more difficult to actually come fully off the crossbars.
- Yakima mounting feet are adjustable fore and aft, while the Thule mounting feet are in set locations (I'm 99% sure this comment is accurate regarding the Thule Force)

happy to take any questions about the setup, fitment, clearance, etc.

Thanks for the write-up on this. I'm considering a skybox and wasn't quite sure if the 18/21 was too long for the roof, but with the ducktail end it looks just fine.

Right now for fully-loaded family trips I'm using the Yakima Fatcat ski racks that I made custom mounts for, and a soft cargo bag. Love the ski racks but hate the bag- the straps have to be undone every time you want to open it. It's a clumsy solution, so I might move toward a full-roof box to throw everything inside.

Do you have any regrets about picking the 18 over the 21? It looks like the 21 is about 2 inches taller but same overall footprint.

Happy with rain/snow/wind resistance?

Also, do you have any input on ease of install/removal? I would only have it on for family trips. I'd probably need to make a set of custom mounts again to work with my rack, be interesting to see if it's quick disconnect etc.

 

[Weston4Runner]

I have been searching for Easter’s but can’t find a simple answer in any thread. Does the Thule Force XT XL fit on OEM crossbars without issue? Or is the L the biggest with the Force XT? I have a 2019 ORP. Pictures would be heaven. Please no replies of Yakima or aftermarket crossbars.

 

[Florunner78]

I have been searching for Easter’s but can’t find a simple answer in any thread. Does the Thule Force XT XL fit on OEM crossbars without issue? Or is the L the biggest with the Force XT? I have a 2019 ORP. Pictures would be heaven. Please no replies of Yakima or aftermarket crossbars.

I've got the Thule Force XT L on LFD cross bars (much closer to the height of the factory bars than my old Yakima bars) and I don't think I'd be able to get an XL to fit, clear the sharkfin and the spoiler when the hatch is open.

 

[aelarson]

I have a Thule for my Prinsu. I'm not sure about what model Thule it is (it was a hand me down). The only kink is that I had some custom riser bars fabbed up so it would work with the roof rack. Works great!

 

[Toffees]

I have been searching for Easter’s but can’t find a simple answer in any thread. Does the Thule Force XT XL fit on OEM crossbars without issue? Or is the L the biggest with the Force XT? I have a 2019 ORP. Pictures would be heaven. Please no replies of Yakima or aftermarket crossbars.

The common answer is most people don't trust the OEM crossbars to carry any kind of weight, they seem to flex too much. Not sure I've seen anyone comment that they've collapsed or had a box touch the roof, however.

 

[Kelbad]

INNO Shadow roof cargo box 15 cu. ft. It's made in Japan, just like my 4Runner

This length looks great.

I am trying to find a box with a somewhat flat top that will take a quality 22"x46" flexible solar panel (pretty standard size). With a box that opens from both sides, you get three positions for solar panel orientation.

I guess optionally, does a quality panel exist which is less than 22"

 

[MidniteTRD]

we run a Thule Sonic XL for roadtrips and camping, mounted to LFD Ruggedized bars. using 3 bars currently; 1 for the wind fairing and 2 positioned for the cargo box to sit on. quiet and rock solid, and we love the LFD bars because they offer enough height off the sheetmetal so the box mounting "claws" have plenty of room to open and close under the bar.

the Thule may be replaced with a single Pelican box for certain off roading trips in the future if i think we need room for traction mats, a hi-lift, gas cans, etc.

 

[snelj22]

This is a packasport 90 series I modified the roof rack with square aluminum tubing and uni-strut nuts into the channel. that allowed me to move the box forward so it does not hit the lift-gate. it holds 12 pair of skis or 8-10 boards.
[/ATTACH]


Let me know if you have any questions. :cheers:

Hi Bayou! I know this is an old post but I just acquired a secondhand Packasport 90 and want to have the same custom setup as you! How did you secure the square bars to the inside of the factory rails? Hopefully this message finds you well, crossing my fingers!

Thanks!

 

[PC4runner]

So I read up a lot on the best ski/board specific box and was concerned that the Yak rocketbox 11/skybox 12 would not allow me to open the lift gate all the way. Talked to a guy at REI that told me it should be ok so I picked the rocketbox 11 (a little bit shorter) and figured I could return it if it didn't work.

If you go crossbar/box route be careful if you go with the stock crossbars (my TRD prem came with them). With the stock bars the Yak rocketbox pro 11 clamps are really close to the roof when the box is installed. You can scratch the roof when installing or once installed with any weight they rub on the roof and can scratch it. I replaced the stock with Yak Timberline/core bar combo which gives the clamps a lot more clearance. Also pretty easy install and they look great. With placing the Yak cross bars at the reference points marked on the stock side rails and mounting the rocketbox as far back as it will go, I still had room to open the lift gate all the way.

 

[shoxpro]

I'm using an INNO BR320 on a stock roof rails and crossbars on my 2019 4runner. I have a small clearance from the roof around 1 inch from the memory bar clamps that attaches to the crossbar. The box itself has a clearance of 3/4 inch front and back has 2 inches and does not touch the fin. I carry a Gazelle tent(35lbs), 2 nemo chairs, 1 apls table and some other stuff all weighing less than 90lbs and been driving on road and off-road with no movement and with no contact on the roof whatsoever, I also noticed an improvement on my gas mileage since I installed it. When I was using a roof basket before, I had noticeably bad gas mileage. I choose this because its low profile, square appearance and looks good on a 4runner.




https://photobucket.com/u/Karplus/p/b08e4c9a-eb12-49a4-9d11-a834231611cf

 

[OffKamber]

Here ya go

 

[SlvrRnnR]

Thule Motion XT Large with 53" Evo Wingbar Rapid Crossroad Footpacks

Surprisingly quiet and just enough height on the crossbars to wash under the box when its on. Easy and fast on/off. Waited for the REI/Thule 20% off sale, that helped a bit with $.

 

[mynameistory]

Yakima Skybox 16 on homemade crossbars. More info in my thread:

mynameistory's not-a-build thread

 

[jmanderson]

Yakima SkyBox 18 + Gobi Rack with removable crossbars makes for a very good fit atop the 5th gen.

- cross bars can be positioned so that the rear a the box clears the open lift-gate while also resting the nose on a sup pad across the front raised bar. the mounting feet themselves sit approx 1/4" to 1/2" above the mesh floor of the rack.

- test drive from Austin to Houston yesterday with some gear loaded in. looking up thru the sunroof, i could see the cushioned support under the bow of the box made for very little wobbling doing 80 down the hwy and had no extra noise (although with the other bolt-ons my 4R is already fairly noisy).

spent a while at REI going back and forth between Yakima SkyBox 18 and Thule Force XT XXL as they are comparable in price and size, here's what i personally noted as pro/cons

- SkyBox interior floor is a flatter design that Thule, which had more undulations across the bottom
- SkyBox has a keyed metal lever. must unlock then rotate lever to release the lid. the Thule had a plastic knob that rotates as you unlock. once unlocked the lid is basically open. there is no lever system to release the lid. when closing, the Yakima is makes a distinct *click* when properly closed. i like the action on the Yakima much more than Thule
- Thule has 6 sturdy metal hooks for interior tie-downs while the Yakima has 4 plastic hooks for tie-downs. Thule wins the tie-down game on this one
- Thule aesthetically is very cool looking, no doubt. however, the front of the Thule lid continuously was getting caught on the front corner of the base. this seemed to be due to the more angular shape on the Thule front end.
- Yakima mounting feet wrap under the crossbar from front to back. the Thule feet pinch the front and back of the crossbar. in the hypothetical instance of failure i much prefer the Yakima system, which even if it were to somehow fail, would be more difficult to actually come fully off the crossbars.
- Yakima mounting feet are adjustable fore and aft, while the Thule mounting feet are in set locations (I'm 99% sure this comment is accurate regarding the Thule Force)

happy to take any questions about the setup, fitment, clearance, etc.

This is almost the exact setup I have in mind for my roof rack. Just waiting on the Gobi Stealth basket to come in. Great job bruv...

 

[M_RED]

Thule

Ski- Box on a Pro Tubular rack---> Version 2