View Full Version : semi-OT : rooftop cargo boxes
AngryScientist
08-12-2011, 09:06 AM
family and i are taking a road trip in a couple weeks. we simply need more space then the jetta has with the new baby gear, stroller, mini crib, coolers, beach umbrella, yada yada. of course i'm bringing a bike too, but that will live happily on the roof with what i've already got.
anyone have any experience with the rooftop boxes by thule, yakima or others?
i'm definitely open to looking on craigslist for used, or renting if thats an option as new ones seem to be $$$.
the jetta has a yakima base rack system as the attachment point.
veloduffer
08-12-2011, 09:10 AM
I'm interested in these as well. Are they water proof?
buck-50
08-12-2011, 09:12 AM
Even used they're expensive.
One thought- if you go to buy one, bring your stroller/mini crib/coolers/suitcases with you. It sucks to find out that they don't actually fit in your rocketbox.
I've got the super narrow one- the one that looks like a space coffin- and it's great, but there's a whole lot of stuff that just does not fit in it, like a B.O.B. stroller, bike wheels, coolers, etc.
If I was going to do it over again, I'd buy new instead of used- figure they cost almost the same new or used and new I'd have a lot better selection.
Edit- they are definitely water resistant at 70mph in the rain...
I have a Yakima rocket box. It's one of the long skinny ones, so you can still put 2 bikes on the roof next to it. It's great for not so heavy but bulky stuff like clothes. I've used mine to move from San Jose to Balitmore, no issues the whole way. I also use it for skis in the winter, works great for that too.
Enjoy the trip!
Chris
malcolm
08-12-2011, 09:22 AM
I have an older thule and it works great completely water free even in heavy rain. Honestly I also have a larger sears box and it works just as well and holds more and is considerably cheaper. The hardware probably isn't as sturdy but we've had it about 5-6 years, use it once or twice a year and it works fine
buldogge
08-12-2011, 09:27 AM
Hey AS... Just got back from 3500 miles to New England/NYC. We ran a Thule Atlantis 1600 on the Jetta Sportwagen (TDI)...NO issues, quiet, waterproof...38MPG with it in place (65-80mph).
These offer A LOT of extra space...we had hiking and beach gear (including 2 boogie boards), all the dirty clothes, small cooler, water jug, etc. All we had in the hatch were our 3 luggage bags.
For us it worked quite well...
-Mark in St. Louis
Hey AS... Just got back from 3500 miles to New England/NYC. We ran a Thule Atlantis 1600 on the Jetta Sportwagen (TDI)...NO issues, quiet, waterproof...38MPG with it in place (65-80mph).
These offer A LOT of extra space...we had hiking and beach gear (including 2 boogie boards), all the dirty clothes, small cooler, water jug, etc. All we had in the hatch were our 3 luggage bags.
For us it worked quite well...
-Mark in St. Louis
We too have a Thule Cascade box on our Tdi Sportwagen as well and it has plenty of room for gear, both sport and kiddie stuff. Never had a problem with it leaking etc....
Just a suggestion, ditch the full size stroller if you can and get an umbrella stroller--much less room and works just as well.
godfrey1112000
08-12-2011, 10:05 AM
on top of the Yukon XL Denali, rolls smooth, no change in gas mileage, it holds everything, I do wrap things in water tight packages or trash bags,
sometimes a little water gets in the front but this time we drove 100's of miles in the rain and not a drop
no problems with winds head or cross, I am very comfortable with it on the roof
I think they were about $300 ish when I bought it but I got a close out deal at Dick's Sporting good, it was a return for about $140, 16-18 cubic feet of storage
the newer ones are very sleek and nice looking mine is the old coffin style
have seen very few on craigslist
I have a Yakima rocket box. It's one of the long skinny ones, so you can still put 2 bikes on the roof next to it. It's great for not so heavy but bulky stuff like clothes. I've used mine to move from San Jose to Balitmore, no issues the whole way. I also use it for skis in the winter, works great for that too.
Enjoy the trip!
Chris
radsmd
08-12-2011, 11:00 AM
Have an old yakima rocketbox that we use a lot during skiing season. Have had no problems w/ rain/snow. Just make sure that the box will clear the lift up back tailgate if you have a station wagon or suv.
Also, I've found that there is less wind noise if I take off the fairing on the rack.
If you're asking about the large torpedo/sarcophagus-shaped type things that mount to the roof, rather than bike-specific cases, then yes. We've had a large-ish version of the Thule case for a number of years now and it's been very helpful on family trips (loading parents, three kids, and one kid's friend into the mini-van on Sunday morning to drive from Northern Virginia to the Adirondacks, for instance). You can get quite a bit of stuff up there and the mount is solid and stable -- and if it's not full, you can lash things down inside. Seems to do well keeping out the water, etc. There's a mileage effect, and an acceleration effect, but it seems to be within reason.
gasman
08-12-2011, 11:54 AM
I've had a Packasport for about 15 years. It has had a lot of use and is still rock solid and completely waterproof. Uses SS hardware and heavy fiberglass construction. Minimal effect on gas mileage. I loan it out to friends who say it works well.I think I will have it for 20 more years.
The downside it that while it's wide and long it's not very tall so you probably can't get a full sized stroller up there.It opens from the back so fitting items in the very front can be a bit of a hassle.It never seems to be a problem finding things that can go in it.
I have a Thule Spirit 1600, which is their "low profile" model...we got ours at REI and used one of their 20% coupons.
What I really like is how easy it is to attach...no hardware, just some knobs inside the box that tighted some "jaws" that grip your roof bars....it takes less than 5 minutes to put on or take off the car.
The only knock is that it has to be closed perfectly to lock...sometimes it takes two people to compress the lid at the three locking points. Not a big deal unless you have a bunch of sleeping bags stuffed in there... :cool:
Cool feature is that it can be opened from either side.
Love the box however...really expands the usefulness of a smaller vehicle.
yakstone
08-12-2011, 12:00 PM
We bought a Thule box for our Jetta this year and drove cross country with it - no issues in the wind or rain.
We also had a Yakima Rocket box on the other car. Sold the car but still have the Rocket Box on a shelf in the garage - $195 if anyone is interested, located in Fort Collins, CO.
These have worked great for us when the need arises to bring more things than normally fit inside a small car.
AngryScientist
08-12-2011, 12:37 PM
thanks for the feedback all, sounds like everyone is happy with these things. i'll definitely be scouring craigslist to find one used. Yakstone, if you were closer i'd take it in a heartbeat, i think shipping would be prohibitive on these unfortunately.
Vientomas
08-12-2011, 01:11 PM
Consider the method by which the box attaches to the cross bars. I have an older Thule box and it is a pain in the ass to put on and take off. I have seen some newer Yakima boxes that have a quick and easy attachment mechanism. The easier it is too put on and take off, the more you will use it. Mine does not get used often.
haneriali
08-12-2011, 01:53 PM
Just bought a Thule Atlantis 1600 at REI for the same purpose. Glad to hear they work well.
Consider the method by which the box attaches to the cross bars. I have an older Thule box and it is a pain in the ass to put on and take off. I have seen some newer Yakima boxes that have a quick and easy attachment mechanism. The easier it is too put on and take off, the more you will use it. Mine does not get used often.
This is a good point. I got mine new 5 or so years ago, and it has the quick release attachments. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to put the box on.
My girlfriend got a used one to move cross country with a couple years ago. It was the old style that used nuts and bolts to attach to the bars. It a pain to attach. Not difficult, but there were 8 nuts to thread and tighten, and all the associated washers.
If you find a used one, make sure it has the quick release attachment style.
Chris
Cinci Jim
08-12-2011, 02:02 PM
Just drove 5600 mile with one on the top of a Highlander. No issues. I got the silver colored box in hopes it would be cooler inside. It seemed to work. I fit 2 bikes easily inside - wheels, pedals and seat post pulled. This model opens from both sides and fits on factory cross bars. Kept the bikes away from the crush of stuff in the car.
staggerwing
08-12-2011, 03:09 PM
The only knock is that it has to be closed perfectly to lock...sometimes it takes two people to compress the lid at the three locking points. Not a big deal unless you have a bunch of sleeping bags stuffed in there... :cool:
Be very careful on this front. We have a larger Rocketbox, and on our first grand excursion, we had it rather overstuffed, and broke the key off in the lock trying to get it open. Would have been OK if we had taken the pressure off of the lid, by pushing down at both ends, before trying to unlock. The somewhat small lock cylinder has to drive a three latch mechanism, and binding at any three can put a crimp in your day.
Bradford
08-12-2011, 05:07 PM
We use our Thule 1800 every time we go to the mountain and love it. Easy on and off, waterproof, plenty of space.
I'd go as big as you can. I end up stuffing mine to the brim every time we use it. I've yet to wish it were smaller and usually wish it were larger.
rwsaunders
08-12-2011, 09:09 PM
I have a Yakima rocket box. It's one of the long skinny ones, so you can still put 2 bikes on the roof next to it. It's great for not so heavy but bulky stuff like clothes. I've used mine to move from San Jose to Balitmore, no issues the whole way. I also use it for skis in the winter, works great for that too.
Enjoy the trip!
Chris
+1...I've been using ours for at least 15 years, and it's been on many vacations to the beach and ski resorts with no water infiltration issues. I'm always amazed what it will hold...beach chairs, boogie boards, skis, strollers, etc.
BumbleBeeDave
08-12-2011, 09:23 PM
One of these might work, too. Added bonus . . . nuclear powered!
BBD
godfrey1112000
08-13-2011, 05:59 AM
You are a great son in law thinking of keeping things cooler with the silver vs black, my mother in law says the black warms up but with the XM Radio piped into the box she is happy up there :D
Just drove 5600 mile with one on the top of a Highlander. No issues. I got the silver colored box in hopes it would be cooler inside. It seemed to work. I fit 2 bikes easily inside - wheels, pedals and seat post pulled. This model opens from both sides and fits on factory cross bars. Kept the bikes away from the crush of stuff in the car.
AngryScientist
08-13-2011, 07:58 AM
on all of your recommendations, i was able to find one used right away yesterday. picked it up after work and threw it on the car. since it was a wider one i was eager to see if it would fit on the roof with the bike. works great. nice and quiet at highway speed too, seems to hold a ton, our stroller fits in no problem. how did i do for $200?
http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af153/aero_dynamic8/Nutley-20110812-00134.jpg
Lewym
08-13-2011, 09:05 AM
on all of your recommendations, i was able to find one used right away yesterday. picked it up after work and threw it on the car. since it was a wider one i was eager to see if it would fit on the roof with the bike. works great. nice and quiet at highway speed too, seems to hold a ton, our stroller fits in no problem. how did i do for $200?
for $200 you did great. Looks like you picked up the exact same Thule box that I've got. Same set up that I run (one bike attachment on top with the box). I mostly use the box during ski season. It comes back on in the summer for our annual trip to the beach.
on all of your recommendations, i was able to find one used right away yesterday. picked it up after work and threw it on the car. since it was a wider one i was eager to see if it would fit on the roof with the bike. works great. nice and quiet at highway speed too, seems to hold a ton, our stroller fits in no problem. how did i do for $200?
Nick
I think you did great as the box looks in very good shape and you aint gonna ship one those so local is key!
kevin
AngryScientist
08-13-2011, 10:33 AM
it matches my wife's car pretty well too!
rwsaunders
08-13-2011, 10:41 AM
That is a good number and it matches. Now you need to start collecting stickers to show where you have traveled with the box...
I'm sure that you've had many tips for preventing your bike from being toast when hitting the garage. I put a large bucket on the inside of the garage floor when I leave with the bike. It forces me to get out of the car when I get home.
AngryScientist
08-13-2011, 01:33 PM
That is a good number and it matches. Now you need to start collecting stickers to show where you have traveled with the box...
I'm sure that you've had many tips for preventing your bike from being toast when hitting the garage. I put a large bucket on the inside of the garage floor when I leave with the bike. It forces me to get out of the car when I get home.
fortunately my garage is so full of stuff that we dont put cars in it. problem solved:)
yes, the sticker collection will start in cape cod.
fourflys
08-13-2011, 03:58 PM
I picked up a used Thule box for a couple hundred last summer... well worth it! it was mounted on a yakima roof rack last and my factory rack on my Highlander this year...
on all of your recommendations, i was able to find one used right away yesterday. picked it up after work and threw it on the car. since it was a wider one i was eager to see if it would fit on the roof with the bike. works great. nice and quiet at highway speed too, seems to hold a ton, our stroller fits in no problem. how did i do for $200?
great...you're going to love it.
:beer:
Kevan
08-14-2011, 10:44 AM
a long style roof bucket, I've got one f'r sale, cheap. PM me. I haven't really tried selling it, but since the topic's been raised...
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