Rooftop Cargo Boxes? Which Brand?

[irish44j]

It would be $494 for a Thule box to my door PLUS tax since there is a store in my state but still 3.5 hours away from me. So that makes it about $530.

The Yakima at Amazon will be $427, about $100 cheaper!

I would just go to your local ski or bike shop and buy one. No shipping charges and IIRC my stor was selling them for $419 or so to non-employees.

 

[irish44j]

Re: Received the Thule 684 rack today..

Nice. I live off of Oakford Dr. in Cardinal Forest.


Received the Thule 684 today. Ordered it from Amazon on Thursday, pretty quick for two large boxes coming from freight company.

Very easy install. Did it myself in about 30 min. Quality seems very good and the swingaway works great. Matching key sets for luggage lock and hitch pin lock make it very easy. Pre-wired adapter hooked up without any problems, lights work great. On the T4R the stock lights are wider than the box so there are two sets of lights that people will see. License plate adapter hooked up nice. Very sturdy, no sway left or right.

Overall great buy. I will give my driving experience when I get back.

that's pretty funny....that's the street my parents used to live on...down at the very end on the cul-de-sac....

 

[streamfisher]

We have the skybox 18 and it is big but I am glad that I got that size. It was all the store had at the time so that is what I got. I thought it was too big but we (wife, 2 kids and I) always seem to fill it up. It comes in handy when we take the 4runner on trips. I have found that if you use the Yakima bars the rack seems a little more stable because they do not flex like the factory rack.
Good luck with your search.

 

[CNI]

We have the skybox 18 and it is big but I am glad that I got that size. It was all the store had at the time so that is what I got. I thought it was too big but we (wife, 2 kids and I) always seem to fill it up. It comes in handy when we take the 4runner on trips. I have found that if you use the Yakima bars the rack seems a little more stable because they do not flex like the factory rack.
Good luck with your search.

So how far over the windshield does it hang?

 

[streamfisher]

It overhangs a little bit, if you look up from inside you can see the front of the box. I had to move it forward so I could get the hatch open all the way. If a person did not have the spoiler on the hatch the box could sit more toward the rear of the truck. It did not kill the gas mileage too much.

 

[audiqtr]

It did not kill the gas mileage too much.

Can you quantify "not too much" ?

 

[CNI]

YEah lets compare the 18 and the 16 boxes,

Irish44,

How much does that 16cuft box kill your gas mileage? 1-2mpg?

I'm curious the difference in mpg loss between the 16 and 18cuft boxes.

 

[irish44j]

YEah lets compare the 18 and the 16 boxes,

Irish44,

How much does that 16cuft box kill your gas mileage? 1-2mpg?

I'm curious the difference in mpg loss between the 16 and 18cuft boxes.

I lost about 1mpg on the highway with the box on.

Both boxes should be the same. they're the same shape and profile. the 18 is just like a foot longer than the 16, so aerodynamically speaking, there is really no difference between the two....

I like the 16 because it doesn't overhang the windshield and it also doesn't interfere with the rear hatch spoiler, as you can see in my pic above...

 

[CNI]

I lost about 1mpg on the highway with the box on.

Both boxes should be the same. they're the same shape and profile. the 18 is just like a foot longer than the 16, so aerodynamically speaking, there is really no difference between the two....

I like the 16 because it doesn't overhang the windshield and it also doesn't interfere with the rear hatch spoiler, as you can see in my pic above...

Yeah I was originally going to go with the 18 until I found out about how long the 16 was already. I appreciate your great information there Irish44j! Nice to know only 1mpg loss too!

Thanks!

 

[CNI]

Well I made the plunge. I ordered the Yakima Skybox Pro 16s for my 4Runner for $489 not including the $40 rebate I'll get back from Yakima. No shipping charges...no sales tax!!! Woohoo! What a deal! I went by my local Yakima dealer and they wanted MSRP $519 + $80 S&H + of course local sales tax! That box would have cost me $640 locally! I got away for $200 cheaper...and that included the Yakima liner!!!

What a deal!

I just want to say thanks to ALL that helped me with this purchase!

Any of you guys need advise with photography/photoshop, camera or motorcycle purchases I can help you back!

 

[MI4Runner]

Good Deal on Cargo Boxes

If anyone is interested in a cargo box, you can get a good deal at REI if you buy before 12/24/08. For members, there is a 20% off coupon. If you are not a member, you can get the 20% off by joining. It costs $20 for a lifetime membership. Plus, if you purchase a Yakima box, you recieve an additional $25-50 rebate from Yakima.

Based on all the feedback from this forum, I purchased a Yakima Skybox 16. The regular price was $419. I received 83.80 off (20% off). The Yakima mail-in rebate will give me an extra $25 back. So, my grand total was $330 with tax included.

 

[webdome]

I got mine from REI, it is skybox 16 pro limited edition, contrary to all skybox pros it is a black color. It was on sale memorial day weekend 2008 for $335.00

 

[Barkley]

Yakima 16s skybox

Do you have factory roof rack and crossbars? How much weight do you put in the box? The manuel states that the rack can only handle 120 lbs???

 

[CNI]

Do you have factory roof rack and crossbars? How much weight do you put in the box? The manuel states that the rack can only handle 120 lbs???

I have the factory rack and I put what I want in there (vacation stuff) and haven't had a problem at all.

 

[Inglewood]

2012 Yakima Lopro box

I wanted to get a slim box that fit my 185 pow skis but also could clear my 7' garage door without issues. About the only option from Thule/Yakima currently offered this year was the Yakima Lopro. I am ordering this box in black onyx vs this gray floor sample...the nice guys at Rack Attack helped me to put one up for the sake of making sure it fit. Overall, I've owned a Thule 611 Boxter in the past, so I am curious to see how this box stacks up.

 

[jc0019]

I just installed a Yakima Showcase 15. It fits on the stock 4runner cross bar. It clears the rear hatch with a lot of space left. Highly recommend. I'm ready for summer road trip now.

 

[ssmd]

Just posting some long term feedback on my Yakima Skybox. I purchased it with %20 off at REI in Rockville MD.

I've owned it for 3 years and used its about 5 times. The rivets on the rear hinge came apart after the 4th use on a ski trip. I could have just put new rivets or replaced it with a bolt/nut after drilling out the old rivets. I opted to warranty it at REI since that's the main reason you pay retail for these boxes. The staff at REI was pretty clueless to the yakima lifetime warranty but the manager stepped in gave the okay to swap for a new one $0 cost to me. Not a huge fan of REI but I didn't want to wait for a new box to ship.

From what I've read online I'm confident Yakima would have taken care of me if REI refused the warranty (Even though they shouldn't because they're an authorized Yakima Dealer).

All these boxes thule/yakima etc. are pretty flimsy but they do add a ton of cargo capacity and if you use them gently they should last. Just buy one you like, if you buy new the warranties should take care of you.

P.S. the finish on the my Yakima Carbonite model did start to fade for some reason, I don't leave it on the roof that long after trips either.

 

[TheBelafonte]

I just installed a Yakima Showcase 15. It fits on the stock 4runner cross bar. It clears the rear hatch with a lot of space left. Highly recommend. I'm ready for summer road trip now.

That looks pretty damn good! I'm trying to figure out what to do about roof top cargo on our move to colorado from PA. I have a gobi stealth roof rack and cant dedide if I should do a thinner Yakima/Thule option pushed to the side with some extra stuff on the other side or just get a few Plano or Pelican trunks and strap them up.

I get to detail oriented then paralyzed about making a decision. Arghhh!

 

[joefbtg28]

Yakima Rocketbox 11

Just figured I would post that I have a Yakima Rocketbox 11, and there is not enough adjustment for rear hatch clearance. This is with the sport spoiler. Based on the pictures above I will be upgrading to the Yakima Lopro.

 

[harojs]

That looks pretty damn good! I'm trying to figure out what to do about roof top cargo on our move to colorado from PA. I have a gobi stealth roof rack and cant dedide if I should do a thinner Yakima/Thule option pushed to the side with some extra stuff on the other side or just get a few Plano or Pelican trunks and strap them up.

I get to detail oriented then paralyzed about making a decision. Arghhh!

Analysis Paralysis


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