Roof Rack Waterproof Storage Bag Recommendations

mtbtim

mtbtim

Elite Member
Hey Dudes,

I'm picking up a custom Gobi style roof rack this weekend and I'd like to buy a waterproof roof rack storage bag for it. If you own one, I'd like to hear about what you have and what you like and don't like about it.

Thanks,
Timmy
 
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I've got a Rola that served me well for a while, but I eventually upgraded to a Thule box for a few reasons.

First, the bags all leak at the zipper, no way around it when you're driving 70 on the highway in a storm. Pretty much all the boxes will leak as well, but not nearly as bad. We had to double bag our clothes and sleeping bags if we thought it would rain with the bag. With the box we get a dribble but nothing severe.

Second, it's a pain when it's not full and even worse when empty. It'd go like this, get to camp, pull some stuff out, set up camp, then have to decide if we want to leave it flopping around half full or empty it and pull it off. And if you do empty it every time, you still have to pull it off.

Last, even when full it can flop around with a good wind. Since you have a full rack it won't damage your paint, but it's still annoying.

My suggestion is to get a box, but if money is tight I used our bag for a lot of trips before I upgraded.
 
If I may, we have an SUV not a pick-up. Clothes, tents, sleeping bags, children etc should all ride inside. I think people pack too much stuff. I used to camp with another couple, so 4 people's worth of camping gear for 4 days & nothing on the roof.
 
Scramble said:
If I may, we have an SUV not a pick-up. Clothes, tents, sleeping bags, children etc should all ride inside. I think people pack too much stuff. I used to camp with another couple, so 4 people's worth of camping gear for 4 days & nothing on the roof.
Click to expand...

I don't know. I did that once for a camping/mountain biking trip with my friend and his two sons and we were packed to the gills. Some extra room would have been nice and I don't think we had any unnecessary crap. I guess it depends what you like to bring.
 
Not what you want, but I had 4 of these in my roof basket on a 5,910 mile trip from Tennessee out to CO, WY, and MT. We were in many rain storms on the trails and on the highway and they didn't leak a drop. Our last day, Nebraska to Tennessee, was all interstate driving doing 65-80 and it was raining 90% of the way.

I didn't put anything in them that I didn't want to get wet, but they didn't leak anyways :)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilit...vailable-in-Case-of-6-or-Single-Unit/44785759
 
Hey Tim, happy Friday to you, everyone.

I haven't been fortunate enough to hall such stuff yet on my 4Runner. Just got my rack installed earlier in the Summer...

On other rides I had successfully used the snap lid boxes shown by others above. As some here might know, they make long ones that are low profile to slide under beds. I had used those a few times with very good success, properly secured to the rack of course.

UnderbedBoxLockingLid_x.jpg


For what we will be packing, it seems that we have enough items that can get wet, and even ideally get wet, to clean them, lol!

Have you considered a small utility trailer? For some of us at least, it's a desired solution...

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/255997-small-utility-camping-trailer.html
 
Thanks guys for all the suggestions. At first I was thinking some sort of soft bag was ideal but now I'm thinking a hard case is probably better. I'm still not 100% what I'd want to store in them while I'm camping and wheeling. Things like camp chairs that are bulky and take up a decent amount of space could just be thrown up on the rack and strapped down and who cares if they get wet. One big hard case or a series of smaller ones would be nice to hold things for a wheeling trip like a portable air compressor, recovery gear, extra parts (CV axle, LBJs, brake line, etc) and tools that will allow me to do trailside repairs.

Clothes and other personal gear I definitely don't want to get wet could ride in the rear cargo area. But, it sounds like these boxes, even the affordable ones are very waterproof so I could store personal items in those if I wanted.
 
When I go on longer trips, I put two waterproof hardshell Plano cases on the roof. They carry my tools, spare parts, extra CV, and recovery gear. So ideally, I never touch them on the trip. I also sleep in the back, so the least amount of stuff in the cabin, the better.

One plus to the 36" cases is that they fit between the wheel wells in the back too.

http://a.co/d/g1gFtqK

44484421461_bb70e0c3f4_z.jpg
 
For those of you with Seahorse cases, how to the compare to Pelican cases? They look to be the same idea, just cheaper. Sort of like Yeti vs. Rtic maybe?
 
MattJakobs said:
For those of you with Seahorse cases, how to the compare to Pelican cases? They look to be the same idea, just cheaper. Sort of like Yeti vs. Rtic maybe?
Click to expand...

I looked at a similar size Pelican before I bought my Seahorse. To me, the Pelican lid seemed slightly more robust but certainly not enough to justify the price difference. And you can get them without the foam inserts.
 
MattJakobs said:
For those of you with Seahorse cases, how to the compare to Pelican cases? They look to be the same idea, just cheaper. Sort of like Yeti vs. Rtic maybe?
Click to expand...

I love my seahorse case. It’s WATERPROOF! it has four locks. Each lock has a location for a actual lock! The case is not to high where it’s ugly. It fits a lot of my stuff. It also has wheels tucked so it’s easy to move it around. Great case for the price. And MADE IN AMERICA
 
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