Roof Top Cargo Box Carriers - Thule, Yakima, Other?

[blaniac22]

Hello all,

I'm in the early stages of looking at some roof top carriers. Probably going to be in the 15-16 cu ft range. Right now I'm looking at the Yakima and Thule - price seems to be in the $400 range.

Do any of you have any experience with these? Good, bad or indifferent...What I should be looking for? Any other brands?

I've read up on them, but nothing beats personal experience.

Any input would be appreciated as this will be the first one I've ever purchased. I will be going to a Thule/Yakima dealer next week so I'd like to go somewhat prepared.

Thanks!

 

[ric]

Im sure this has been covered, but these guys were pretty easy on me, when I was new, lol (thankx all)

Ive had the Yakima with the extension, was ok, looked good, gas mileage does suffer a little, but IMHO, Im going with http://www.gobitoyota.com/ a little more money, but since they are local to me, I went and checked them out. :bigok: SOOOOO worth every penny. so much stronger, built MUCH better, lower profile, covers the whole roof (unless you have a sunroof, they allow for that) just all around better, IMHO. :bigok:

 

[K.C.]

I'm actually in the market of getting a ski/snoboard rack.

I've seen INNO...but Thule is so much nicer!!

I also want a Cargo Carrier in the near future. And it seems like Thule is the more popular brand. I see it probably 9 out of 10 times.

 

[blaniac22]

Im sure this has been covered, but these guys were pretty easy on me, when I was new, lol (thankx all)

Ive had the Yakima with the extension, was ok, looked good, gas mileage does suffer a little, but IMHO, Im going with http://www.gobitoyota.com/ a little more money, but since they are local to me, I went and checked them out. :bigok: SOOOOO worth every penny. so much stronger, built MUCH better, lower profile, covers the whole roof (unless you have a sunroof, they allow for that) just all around better, IMHO. :bigok:

Thanks - unless I'm missing something on that website, I'm looking at the cargo boxes themselves, not the racks. I'm looking at something that will bolt on to the factory rack that I can throw some luggage, a baby's playpen and other things in so my Golden Retriever can ride in the back.

I'm looking at taking a cross country trip this summer (one of a few in the next few years most likely), so it needs to be sturdy, waterproof and durable. I know it'll hurt the gas mileage some, so I'll go as low profile as I can.

 

[ric]

Thanks - unless I'm missing something on that website, I'm looking at the cargo boxes themselves, not the racks. I'm looking at something that will bolt on to the factory rack that I can throw some luggage, a baby's playpen and other things in so my Golden Retriever can ride in the back.

I'm looking at taking a cross country trip this summer (one of a few in the next few years most likely), so it needs to be sturdy, waterproof and durable. I know it'll hurt the gas mileage some, so I'll go as low profile as I can.

ohh shot, I miss read it, sorry

 

[NAdams65]

Check Craigslist....you can usually find a few out there at a good price.


Regarding the boxes themselves...I looked at an off brand carried at Sears and they just seemed a little "chippy" to me. Funny thing is, they are made by Thule and have a different logo on them. I would hope that if you buy a Thule/Yakima, they are a little more rugged. I haven't checked them out so I can't comment.

 

[GT_jacket]

Another Option?

I bought a used Sears Sport 20-sv off of Craigslist several months ago and we used it to travel to GA and then to the beach. I had it attached to our '04 Highlander (which is a 4-cyl) and there was some expected loss of gas mileage and wind noise around the sunroof, but overall I was impressed with it. Since it is 20 cu ft. it is larger, and it does look bulky, especially on our Highlander, but it served its purpose. It was Christmas time and with 2 labrador retrievers in the back of the car, we really were glad to have the extra room for bags and things up top. No adverse issues and we will plan to use it again in the future.

I looked at the Thule and Yakima, and even when used, I just didn't want to spend the money. I do agree that the Sears seems flimsier compared to the others, but it really held up through some continuous heavy rain we had with no leaks.

Just wanted to share my experience. Hope it helps. Good luck and safe travels.

http://reviews.sears.com/2328/02872000000/reviews.htm

 

[blaniac22]

ohh shot, I miss read it, sorry

No Problem - thanks for trying ;-)

 

[alaskaman]

Hello all,

I'm in the early stages of looking at some roof top carriers. Probably going to be in the 15-16 cu ft range. Right now I'm looking at the Yakima and Thule - price seems to be in the $400 range.

Do any of you have any experience with these? Good, bad or indifferent...What I should be looking for? Any other brands?

I've read up on them, but nothing beats personal experience.

Any input would be appreciated as this will be the first one I've ever purchased. I will be going to a Thule/Yakima dealer next week so I'd like to go somewhat prepared.

Thanks!

I have the Yakima Load Warrior. nice size. get the fairing to deal with wind noise. easy on and easy off. an asset to help carry. get the mesh net and some ratchet tie downs and you ought to be good to go. It is powder coated black. looks sharp. REI typically has them on sale......

 

[4-Legged-Runner]

I too was interested in the Yak or Thule 16 cu ft. boxes - until I opened one on display. In my opinion, because you can open the box from either side, the overall opening is VERY tight. I could not get a BOB stroller with 15 in wheels in the box. They are too slim.

Therefore, I went with the Sears X-Cargo Sport-20. Obviously, not as streamlined as the other brands. However, I clamshells (hinges) from the front - therefore there is greater opening.

I have not yet mounted it, and therefore cannot comment on its in-travel behavior. However, for the limited time I might be using it, I could not justify the price difference of the Yak or Thule.

Good luck.

Matt

 

[alaskaman]

Fairing update

I put the Yakima Fairing on the load warrior this morning. probably cuts the wind noise by 90%. looks nice also.

 

[Neil]

Hi,
I have a thule atlantis 1200 roof mounted box and I found it at an REI scratch and dent sale for $180. I have had it for over two years but I think it works great for the trips from Albuquerque to Co Springs or Aspen. It is super easy to install by just turning the knobs on the inside of the box, the clamps close around the 4runners crossbars. Seems very stable in all the windstorms that I have encountered. This past weekend at the REI in Santa Fe they had a Yakima Skybox 18 or 21 for sale for $201 at the scratch and dent sale. It was enormous and I thought about getting it for more room but I didn't have the 4runner with me. I also just purchased a Thule Transporter 665c tilt down cargo box that mounts on the hitch. That one affects gas mileage a lot less and is easier to access then the roof mounted carriers but is not as large. Either way, if you have an REI near your house then you can use the 20% off coupon that is supposed to be valid May 1st - 14th and you can pay a lot less then what I have seen anywhere else for a new carrier but not for the used or scratch and dent sale items. You can also ship it to the store for free if they don't have it in stock and don't have to pay for shipping. The 20% off coupon works for Oakley sunglasses too.

 

[rdb4runner]

I'm not sure if you can get them in the states, but I just ordered a Kamei Corvara 475. I was going to go for the skybox but Yakima doesn't sell stuff in the UK. And the Kamei seems like it might be better, its a German company and they crash test the Schei

 

[blaniac22]

All,

Thanks for your input! I'm not saying much now, but am taking notes! I'm going to check out Sears - then go to the Thule/Yakima dealer as well as look around craigslist - as well as look around for a local REI..

Thanks again!

 

[climb.on]

I've had the Yakima Rocket Box for almost 10 years now and it's awesome! It easily has 100k+ miles on it. No cracks and i've overloaded that thinkg with every ind of gear you can imagine, from tools to ski gear to climbing equipment. I'm sure the Skyboxes, etc. are also very nice , but they are quite a bit more expensive. Don't hesitate on the Rocket Box if it fits your needs.

When I got my latest 4Runner, I tried my Yakima Rocket Box on the factory rails. We took a trip from Minnesota to Colorado with it set that way, and although it works, it is not real sturdy. The box sits up there and just wiggles in the wind a bit. It was kind of unnerving. It will probably be fine in the long run but, I was quickly reminded why I have purchased Yakima Racks (pretty much the same as Thule, I think) for all 3 toyota trucks I have owned and even my Honda Civic...because they are BOMBER! I freakin' love these racks! So I went ahead and got the Yakima Rail Riders and crossbars to replace the factory crossbars. On the next trip I took to Colorado that box was up there super solid.

 

[dieselwolf]

Whatever you decide on, you should search for the best price online. After I decided what I want, went online and got my Yakima from a ski shop (saving at least $125) no tax, free shipping..

 

[RickC]

I have the Thule Weekender and I love it. Its slim, hinges from the front and will carry a lot of stuff. I bought it in 2002 and it's been nice. I put our beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, portable grills, stuff like that in it. The things I don't want to carry inside the vehicle.

I have no idea what I paid for it though but whatever it was, it was worth it. I bought it from a local ski shop.

 

[rdb4runner]

just got my kamei box today...didn't even consider the fact that the mounting u-bolts wouldn't be wide enough for the crazy wide 4runner crossbars. anyone have a quick suggestion for good crossbars that aren't so wide, and preferably square?

 

[climb.on]

Yakima racks are great, but they are round. I think Thule are good too, but they are more rectangular if I remember correctly. The Yakima is way more solid than the factory anyway. See my picture above.

 

[rdb4runner]

looked on the site i bought the box from last night and realized I missed the part about ordering large adapters if my crossbars are over 44mm so I ordered those for now only 10 GBP instead of way more money for thule's.


back to our regularly scheduled thread :bigok: