# Cargo Box vs. Roof Rack



## Nick (Jan 8, 2013)

What do you guys  prefer? I've only ever had a standard clamp type ski rack on my car. I just had a roof rack installed yesterday on my wife's Ford Edge at Rack Attack in Framingham, MA. I have ski racks already, just debating if I should consider picking up a cargo box, like the Thule Evolution 1600. I didn't realize they are so expensive ($500 new!!). I think the cargo box would be particularly useful for things like camping in the summer but how much more can you really get in there on top of your skis and poles?


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## Cannonball (Jan 8, 2013)

no brainer....box.  We put TONS in it.  Beyond skis, boards, poles there are dirty hiking boots, trash runs, luggage.  Can't stand the road salt and dirt on my skis and bindings when using a rack.


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## skifree (Jan 8, 2013)

Box!   nothing like getting your boards tuned up just to get trashed on the road.


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## Nick (Jan 8, 2013)

Does a box get you better mileage than a typical rack? 

(hehe)


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## Cannonball (Jan 8, 2013)

Nick said:


> Does a box get you better mileage than a typical rack?
> 
> (hehe)



We lose about 2MPG with the box on vs no rack at all on a CRV.  But the box comes on and off so easily that I keep it off when not in use.


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## drjeff (Jan 8, 2013)

FYI, as your son gets older (and maybe someday has a sibling or two), the amount of extra stuff you'll find yourself lugging around on trips goes up EXPONENTIALLY!!  

Get the biggest roof carrier they sel reguardless if it's a "ski box" or a "cargo box" in namel!! You'll appreciate it in the future!!


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## drjeff (Jan 8, 2013)

Cannonball said:


> We lose about 2MPG with the box on vs no rack at all on a CRV. But the box comes on and off so easily that I keep it off when not in use.



I'm about the same with my Thule ski box MPG wise.  Takes me all of about 90 seconds to put it on/take it off when I need it, so it spends the majority of my driving miles in my garage


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## o3jeff (Jan 8, 2013)

I was at the REI used gear sale(the stuff they take back) the other week and they had a bunch of slightly used boxes for $110 and a couple that looked brand new for around $200. Not sure when the next one is but I would check when the next one is if you aren't in a rush.


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## Smellytele (Jan 8, 2013)

Box - Was lucky to find one at a yard sale for $25. I drove by, saw it and said to myself as I was turning around - if it is under $100 I'll buy it. The thing had no price tag on it so I looked around at other stuff until the yard sale proprietor was free and asked how much. She had no clue and said someone had dropped it off for her to sale. She then said how about $25. I couldn't get the money out of my wallet fast enough. I practically ran back to my vehicle with it looking around as if I stole something and didn't want anyone to see me.


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## Nick (Jan 8, 2013)

Yeah I just saw a cargo box on Craigslist - Atlantis? 1600 - for $350, which I think is pretty good, and it looked like it was in good shape. It was silver though, probably looking for black.


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## skiNEwhere (Jan 8, 2013)

I got a ski rack, a lot cheaper, a lot better gas mileage, and I can fit either my kayak rack or bike rack (not both at the same time) next to it

I went through a car wash I had went through a million times before with my ski rack (but no ski's), but there was a loose piece on it or something, and it scratched up my car and wedged into the ski rack and broke the clamp, I have to keep it closed with a bunjee cord now, I'm debating if I should buy another ski rack or get the box.

Will the box fit on standard rails?


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## wa-loaf (Jan 8, 2013)

http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?17426-Sweet-Rack-or-Nice-Box!&highlight=

I've got a box that I when traveling with a lot of people/stuff. My new car has the pass through so if it's just me heading up I stick em in the car.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 8, 2013)

skiNEwhere said:


> Will the box fit on standard rails?



If you have cross bars any box will fit them these days.


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## Nick (Jan 8, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php?17426-Sweet-Rack-or-Nice-Box!&highlight=
> 
> I've got a box that I when traveling with a lot of people/stuff. My new car has the pass through so if it's just me heading up I stick em in the car.



Ah! Forgot about that thread. Thanks Wa-Loaf


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## Cheese (Jan 8, 2013)

skiNEwhere said:


> Will the box fit on standard rails?



It all depends on the crossbar spacing.  The boxes have adjustable mount points but there is a minimum.  On my Edge the crossbar spacing is 21" which is too short for several Thule versions.  Unfortunately I found this out the hard way so the Ascent 1100 is going back tonight even though Thule's website shows that it's supposed to fit.


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## crank (Jan 8, 2013)

A friend gave me a thule box when he got a fatter one.  I put tons of stuff in it and have not used my ski rack since.  The holes did not line up with my rack an easy fix with a drill and bit took all of a minute to poke a couple of holes through the plastic.  I use it more for camping and summer beach vacations than skiing though.  mostly just skiing with one or 2 in the car so skis ride inside.


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## ScottySkis (Jan 8, 2013)

I just put the stuff in my car, but I usually travel by my self.


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## Smellytele (Jan 8, 2013)

Scotty said:


> I just put the stuff in my car, but I usually travel by my self.



Very sad


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## St. Bear (Jan 8, 2013)

skifree said:


> Box! nothing like getting your boards tuned up just to get trashed on the road.



Sadly, this is true.  When my son starts skiing next year (hopefully), we're going to have to upgrade and a box is a no brainer.


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## Anklebiter (Jan 8, 2013)

I have a roof rack, but will eventually switch over to cargo box. What about hitch mount vertical ski rack. Does anyone have one?

 Check on craigslist for a used cargo box. I've seen the 1600 for as little as $200.


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 8, 2013)

I have a truck now with a hard cover so I just put the gear in thier. But I still have my cargo box as well from my previous vehicle. My rack could hold 4 pairs of skis, and I have fit 11 pairs in my box. It is also the smqllest model Thule makes to take skis.

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2


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## Anklebiter (Jan 8, 2013)

Smellytele said:


> Box - Was lucky to find one at a yard sale for $25. I drove by, saw it and said to myself as I was turning around - if it is under $100 I'll buy it. The thing had no price tag on it so I looked around at other stuff until the yard sale proprietor was free and asked how much. She had no clue and said someone had dropped it off for her to sale. She then said how about $25. I couldn't get the money out of my wallet fast enough. I practically ran back to my vehicle with it looking around as if I stole something and didn't want anyone to see me.



Awesone find, I hope to be so lucky.


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## x10003q (Jan 8, 2013)

When I go with the wife and 6 year old we can fit everything in the car. I has a ski sack. If we travel with 4 or 5 I put on a Thule Atlantis 1200. It holds lots of stuff and really makes life easy. It drops the gas mileage a couple of MPGs. The box comes off when we get home. I usually take the cross bars off also. It is all pretty easy to remove from the car.


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## Smellytele (Jan 8, 2013)

Hawkshot99 said:


> I have a truck now with a hard cover so I just put the gear in thier. But I still have my cargo box as well from my previous vehicle. My rack could hold 4 pairs of skis, and I have fit 11 pairs in my box. It is also the smqllest model Thule makes to take skis.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2



You must be a master box packer because I can only get about 7 pairs in. Well with poles as well


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## HD333 (Jan 8, 2013)

Box all the way. Very versatile. Camping, Tailgating, dump run, and it will keep your beer cold on the ride.


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## snowmonster (Jan 8, 2013)

Has anybody else heard a rooftop cargo box referred to as a "mother-in-law" box?


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## Whitey (Jan 8, 2013)

Switched over to box several years ago, would NEVER go back to an open rack now.   

Driving back from Sunday River, freezing rain kind of day.  They were sanding/salting the heck out of the roads.  By the time we got home my hand-tuned skiis (spents hours working on the whole families' skiis) were coated with rust on all of the edges.   I was shocked at how much the edges had corroded by exposure to the stuff off of the roads.  Vowed I would never expose my skiis to something like that again and bought a ski box within a week.  

Now everytime I pass someone on the road with exposed skiis in an open rack, I just think "that's a shame. . . ."


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## Hawkshot99 (Jan 8, 2013)

Smellytele said:


> You must be a master box packer because I can only get about 7 pairs in. Well with poles as well



I pack a box pretty good! 

When I have done that many it is no poles transfering skis from one store to another.

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## bobbutts (Jan 8, 2013)

Yeah, the salt thing is a real issue for open rack, I guess maybe you could hose off your skis at home.  Not fun and maybe not even possible in cold weather though.  I use the trunk and folded out rear seat currently.


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## Nick (Jan 8, 2013)

snowmonster said:


> Has anybody else heard a rooftop cargo box referred to as a "mother-in-law" box?



:lol:


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## Nick (Jan 8, 2013)

My Saab has the ski pass through but the new Ford Edge we have does not. I have to fold the seat yet.


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## vcunning (Jan 8, 2013)

I went with the Thule . . . and as I'm a little bit of a car nerd, I had all the Thule badges removed and repainted the exact color of my Dodge Magnum (Brilliant Black).  A local guy did all the work for $80.  But again, I'm a car nerd.  I keep my skis at the mountain, but always find it helpful for extra luggage and stuff.


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## HowieT2 (Jan 8, 2013)

bobbutts said:


> Yeah, the salt thing is a real issue for open rack, I guess maybe you could hose off your skis at home.  Not fun and maybe not even possible in cold weather though.  I use the trunk and folded out rear seat currently.



I used to make my son get in the shower with the skis.


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## drjeff (Jan 8, 2013)

vcunning said:


> I went with the Thule . . . and as I'm a little bit of a car nerd, I had all the Thule badges removed and repainted the exact color of my Dodge Magnum (Brilliant Black). A local guy did all the work for $80. But again, I'm a car nerd. I keep my skis at the mountain, but always find it helpful for extra luggage and stuff.



What Vcunning isn't telling you is that the only sticker on his Thule box says "Moover, please back into me, TWICE!"  :lol:

But I will attest 100% that he does have a custom matching paint job on his Thule box to match his Magnum wagon, and they look sharp!


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## xwhaler (Sep 15, 2014)

Bump. Finally joined the cargo box club last wknd. With kid gear + dog our SUV was getting quite full on wknd ski trips.
Ended up with a Thule Force XL (17cu ft)     Probably a bit bigger than I need but I didn't want to regret buying too small in another yr or so.
The nice thing about the Force model is it opens on both sides which I think I will find convenient.
Also went with the Aero Blade bars over the Square bars for a few extra $. They look nicer and allegedly cut down on wind noise though there is a noticeable whistle at highway speeds when box is not installed.

Nice guy at Golf and Ski in Greenland NH walked me through the process and helped with the install.


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## Tin (Sep 15, 2014)

I can fit our skis in the car. I think my S40 will look dumb with skis almost as long as the damn car on the roof.


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## Savemeasammy (Sep 15, 2014)

We have a Thule cargo carrier.  It's on my wife's Jetta wagon. We got it to supplement the smaller cargo capacity that we had in her escape.  In the summer it holds our luggage when we are vacationing, and of course it holds ski gear in the winter.  

We got the square bars because, at the time, a: they had them in stock and the others were on order, and, b:  I thought it would be easier to find used attachments to work with the square bars (we have yet to buy any...!).  I regret not getting the other bars b/c of the noise of the square bars - but I guess I wonder how much difference it would make?


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## Puck it (Sep 15, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> We have a Thule cargo carrier. It's on my wife's Jetta wagon. We got it to supplement the smaller cargo capacity that we had in her escape. In the summer it holds our luggage when we are vacationing, and of course it holds ski gear in the winter.
> 
> We got the square bars because, at the time, a: they had them in stock and the others were on order, and, b: I thought it would be easier to find used attachments to work with the square bars (we have yet to buy any...!). I regret not getting the other bars b/c of the noise of the square bars - but I guess I wonder how much difference it would make?
> 
> ...


  The Thule Aero bars still a lot of noise on the wife's SRX.


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## SIKSKIER (Sep 15, 2014)

If I was transporting skis every ski weekend from my southern NH house I would definately have a box.I drive a few thousand feet so a rack is fine.


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## Savemeasammy (Sep 15, 2014)

Puck it said:


> The Thule Aero bars still a lot of noise on the wife's SRX.



Good to know.  I have considered taking a loss and upgrading to the aero bars, but it doesn't sound worth it.  Luckily the sound system in her car is pretty nice, so when I'm driving solo, the noise from the bars is a non-issue!


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## dlague (Sep 15, 2014)

We picked up a Thule Evolution 1800 last fall.  We never had one before.  We used a clamp on type for years but when my youngest switched to snowboarding we were running out of space when we had six of us.  This past season we actually had seven people in the SUV at one time and were able to transport everything (boot bags were in the truck).  We are liking it a lot so far.  BTW we bought it used on craigslist for $200.

Personally the clamp down type look way cooler!


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## steamboat1 (Sep 15, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> Good to know.  I have considered taking a loss and upgrading to the aero bars, but it doesn't sound worth it.  Luckily the sound system in her car is pretty nice, so when I'm driving solo, the noise from the bars is a non-issue!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Surprised to hear the rack makes noise with the square bars. Yes my rack with square bars whistle's when the box isn't on the car but is quiet when the box is on.


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## Savemeasammy (Sep 15, 2014)

steamboat1 said:


> Surprised to hear the rack makes noise with the square bars. Yes my rack with square bars whistle's when the box isn't on the car but is quiet when the box is on.



I actually don't notice much noise with the box on.   We took it off early this summer, and that's when I noticed.  


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## steamboat1 (Sep 15, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> I actually don't notice much noise with the box on.   We took it off early this summer, and that's when I noticed.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Why not take the rack off too when you remove the box. Is the rack permanently mounted? I took the rack off when I'm not using the box. It's pretty simple to remove it & put it back, at least on my car it was.

Actually I haven't used my box in years, it's sitting in my attic. Now that I'm retired & ski mostly weekdays I'm solo most of the time & have no use for it.


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## Savemeasammy (Sep 15, 2014)

steamboat1 said:


> Why not take the rack off too when you remove the box. Is the rack permanently mounted? I took the rack off when I'm not using the box. It's pretty simple to remove it & put it back, at least on my car it was.
> 
> Actually I haven't used my box in years, it's sitting in my attic. Now that I'm retired & ski mostly weekdays I'm solo most of the time & have no use for it.



The car has a sunroof, so we took the box off so that we could use it.  The bars aren't a hinderance, and probably wouldn't be worth the time and effort to take them off.  Aside from that, I guess there is no good reason.  Maybe next year I will take the bars off, but it is too close to ski season to do that now!!


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## wa-loaf (Sep 15, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> We have a Thule cargo carrier.  It's on my wife's Jetta wagon. We got it to supplement the smaller cargo capacity that we had in her escape.  In the summer it holds our luggage when we are vacationing, and of course it holds ski gear in the winter.
> 
> We got the square bars because, at the time, a: they had them in stock and the others were on order, and, b:  I thought it would be easier to find used attachments to work with the square bars (we have yet to buy any...!).  I regret not getting the other bars b/c of the noise of the square bars - but I guess I wonder how much difference it would make?
> 
> ...



I don't have them, but the Yakima Wisp bars are supposed to be the way to go if you want to cut wind noise out.


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## Puck it (Sep 15, 2014)

wa-loaf said:


> I don't have them, but the Yakima Wisp bars are supposed to be the way to go if you want to cut wind noise out.



Can someone tell why these pieces of plastic and aluminum are all well over $300. These bars are $400.  2x4's would quiter than my aero bars which are the same shape as these.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 15, 2014)

Puck it said:


> Can someone tell why these pieces of plastic and aluminum are all well over $300. These bars are $400.  2x4's would quiter than my aero bars which are the same shape as these.



That would be why I don't have them. I just take the round yakima bars off when I'm not using the box.


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## xwhaler (Sep 15, 2014)

I was pretty surprised at how much it costs to get all set up. I was fortunate that I hit Golf and Ski when they had a 20% off sale on all boxes and components but still not cheap.


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## jimk (Sep 15, 2014)

To most non-skiers it's a minor thing, but besides 4wd, one of the main things I liked about a new Outback I bought last year was that you can fold down the 40% side of the 60/40 rear seat backs and put a lot of long skis inside the cargo area, yet still sit four people in the vehicle.  With this configuration I felt I never needed a roof box.  I subsequently picked-up a used $10 roof ski rack, which is super easy to attach to the Outback factory rack just in case I get in a rare situation where I need to carry five passengers.


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## BenedictGomez (Sep 15, 2014)

dlague said:


> the *clamp down type look way cooler!*



What ski carriers say about you:

*Clamp down *- I'm the slightly edgy, outdoorsy type, I live on the wild side and throw caution to the wind.
*Box carrier* - I'm married and have at least one kid, but on weekends, I (sometimes) get to have a few beers.



Puck it said:


> *Can someone tell why these pieces of plastic and aluminum are all well over $300.* These bars are $400.  2x4's would quiter than my aero bars which are the same shape as these.



This is why I dont have one; I dont get it.  And I REALLY didnt get it once I finally inspected one and saw how thin and cheap the plastic is.   But are you saying that in addition to the cost of the box, you have to buy a mounting system too? (i.e. it doesnt come with it).  What if you have an SUV with a luggage rack, are you good-to-go?


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## Puck it (Sep 15, 2014)

BenedictGomez said:


> This is why I dont have one; I dont get it. And I REALLY didnt get it once I finally inspected one and saw how thin and cheap the plastic is. But are you saying that in addition to the cost of the box, you have to buy a mounting system too? (i.e. it doesnt come with it). What if you have an SUV with a luggage rack, are you good-to-go?



If your roof rails do not have cross members then you need to buy rails.  If you have no roof rails, you buy rails with feet.  Then you buy the box that mounts to the cross members.  So all in for box and cross members around $700 to $1K.


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## steamboat1 (Sep 15, 2014)

BenedictGomez said:


> But are you saying that in addition to the cost of the box, you have to buy a mounting system too? (i.e. it doesnt come with it).  What if you have an SUV with a luggage rack, are you good-to-go?


I remember when I bought my Thule box not only did I need to buy the rack seperately but also the adapter. Different adapters fit on different cars, it's not a one size fits all.

My new car came with a sports rack already on the car. I don't need the Thule rack & adapter anymore since I can clamp down my box directly to the rack that came with the car. You need a rack with crossbars. The racks that come on some cars that run front to back won't work.


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## Savemeasammy (Sep 15, 2014)

BenedictGomez said:


> What ski carriers say about you:
> 
> *Clamp down *- I'm the slightly edgy, outdoorsy type, I live on the wild side and throw caution to the wind.
> *Box carrier* - I'm married and have at least one kid, but on weekends, I (sometimes) get to have a few beers.
> ...



When we got rid of my wife's little suv and replaced it with a jetta tdi wagon, we knew we were sacrificing valuable cargo space.  The trade-off, however, is in the fuel savings.  Her old vehicle got around 20 mpg, and the new one gets somewhere in the high 30's.  That's a big difference.  When we bought the car, the dealer was offering a credit at a bike shop for a free mountain bike with the purchase, however the bike shop let us use the credit on a roof rack instead (it didn't cover the entire cost, but it was a good chunk of it).  For us, it makes sense.  We don't ALWAYS need the extra cargo capacity offered by the box, but it is a huge convenience when we do.  FWIW we have 2 kids and a dog, so our car fills up quickly!


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## steamboat1 (Sep 15, 2014)

Puck it said:


> So all in for box and cross members around $700 to $1K.


Wow, that's a lot. I kinda remember paying around $500 for my box, rack & adapter brand new. It's the largest box Thule made at the time, think it still is. I don't remember what it would've cost for just the box without the rack & adapter. This is close to 15 years ago though.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 15, 2014)

steamboat1 said:


> Wow, that's a lot. I kinda remember paying around $500 for my box, rack & adapter brand new. It's the largest box Thule made at the time, think it still is. I don't remember what it would've cost for just the box without the rack & adapter. This is close to 15 years ago though.



Really depends on your set-up. I bought my box 6 years ago for $400 and had a subi with crossbars that didn't need an extra rack. New car only had the straight rails on the roof, so I bought the basic round Yakima bar set for $130 and $40 for locks (the real ripoff here is the f-ing locks!) So I guess I'm in on my set-up for $570, but spread out over a few years.


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## steamboat1 (Sep 15, 2014)

wa-loaf said:


> had a subi with crossbars that didn't need an extra rack.


That's what I have now so I don't need the rack & adapter anymore. When I first purchased the box I had a Chevy Impala that didn't have any rack.

edit: also the racks on the Subi don't make any noise when the box is not on it like the Thule rack did. The only time I get a little whistling noise is if the rack has any ice/snow accumulation on it. That's with just the rack & no box on top. It's quiet with the box on.


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## xwhaler (Sep 15, 2014)

I paid $670 all in for the Force XL box, aero bars, and the adapters. That was at 20% off all Thule for 1 wk only at Golf and Ski.
I have a rewards membership card with them so generated 3.5% back in store credit so I guess I effectively spent $646.55 all in.
I could have brought that down to under $500 had I gone with a smaller box and square bars.

Not cheap but honestly we should have no issue ever needing a bigger vehicle. I was fortunate to find a guy who knew how to mount this since I didnt want to go through the aggravation of trying to figure it out the 1st time.

The biggest issue now is likely going to be humping it up to the roof. I can't envision a scenario where I could do this myself which is a bit restricting.


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## wa-loaf (Sep 15, 2014)

xwhaler said:


> The biggest issue now is likely going to be humping it up to the roof. I can't envision a scenario where I could do this myself which is a bit restricting.



The boxes are pretty light empty. Mine is easy enough to toss on the roof on my own. Yakima 1600.


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## steamboat1 (Sep 15, 2014)

xwhaler said:


> The biggest issue now is likely going to be humping it up to the roof. I can't envision a scenario where I could do this myself which is a bit restricting.


Shouldn't be a big issue since I'm able to put my large Thule box on the roof by myself. I'm not exactly a big strong guy either. Of course it's easier if you have help.


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## xwhaler (Sep 15, 2014)

Hmmm.....its not so much the weight (44 lbs) but the length and awkwardness of the box...no good way to grab and lift it over your head.
I should note this is going on a Kia Sorento which is pretty high...I could see getting it up onto a, lower roof Outback or something to be easier.
I'll probably give it a shot and hope I dont drop it!


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## tree_skier (Sep 15, 2014)

I have a storage rack in the garage that i can pull next to.  It is a little higher then the vehicle so I never have to lower the box.  By myself i just grab in the middle and transfer from one to the other.  For aft balance is the tricky part, but thats what the head is for


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## Puck it (Sep 15, 2014)

xwhaler said:


> Hmmm.....its not so much the weight (44 lbs) but the length and awkwardness of the box...no good way to grab and lift it over your head.
> I should not this is going on a Kia Sorento which is pretty high...I could see getting it up onto a, lower roof Outback or something to be easier.
> I'll probably give it a shot and hope I dont drop it!




I lift my Barrecraft box on the FJ which is a lot higher than the Sorrento by myself.  I just pick it up over my head and rest one end on the rack and then rotate the end on.  The hard for the FJ is clamping down to the cross members.


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## BenedictGomez (Sep 15, 2014)

Puck it said:


> If your roof rails do not have cross members then you need to buy rails.



My Envoy's rack is basically a square.  So I guess I'd just need the locking mechanisms in addition to the box.  The woman wants us to get one, but there aint no way I'm paying $700 to $1000!  This would have to be a Craigslist or yard sale buy.


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## Smellytele (Sep 15, 2014)

Someone on here was saying how thin plastic they are. My thule one while off my vehicle blew over and cracked. The crack was like 3 feet long. I duct taped it first then glued it together with gorilla glue. once the glue cured I took the tape off, sanded it and painted it black. No leaks and it looks fine.


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## Not Sure (Sep 15, 2014)

jimk said:


> To most non-skiers it's a minor thing, but besides 4wd, one of the main things I liked about a new Outback I bought last year was that you can fold down the 40% side of the 60/40 rear seat backs and put a lot of long skis inside the cargo area, yet still sit four people in the vehicle.  With this configuration I felt I never needed a roof box.  I subsequently picked-up a used $10 roof ski rack, which is super easy to attach to the Outback factory rack just in case I get in a rare situation where I need to carry five passengers.



Used to work in a ski shop in the 80's ....seen more than one set of bindings rendered junk by road salt, lucky they brought them in for a tune, can imagine how many people don't . Knee injury for sure
I keep em in the car..through the trunk and in between the seat split. or back of a van , as long as they are out of the weather.


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## Farleyman (Sep 15, 2014)

Saw the sportube online at llbean, looks like a good idea. Straps to your roof and you can check it at the airport for travel.looks like it comes in a few different sizes. And has the ll bean life time warranty!


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## timm (Sep 16, 2014)

Only thing I don't like about the roof box is I have to take it off after every weekend or trip because the clearance at my office garage is too low for it.


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## dlague (Sep 16, 2014)

timm said:


> Only thing I don't like about the roof box is I have to take it off after every weekend or trip because the clearance at my office garage is too low for it.



Ya - that is a problem!  After skiing, my wife and I like to head over to one of our favorite restaurants and there is little on street parking and lots of parking garage parking.  However, I get lazy and hope to find on street parking every time.


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## Highway Star (Sep 16, 2014)

Skis belong in the car.


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## Scruffy (Sep 16, 2014)

Highway Star said:


> Skis belong in the car.



Yup. 

If you have to roof em, get a box, open racks are never cool.  

True story: Me and the missus heading to Platty after a dump. Crested the hill on 28 just past Belleayre. Mercedes sedan pulls out of the mountain road leading up to Belleayre with roof box, Thule or something, mounted on roof. Apparently the Mercedes was dumping the Bell for Platty. They were right behind me on that big descent down 28, doing 70ish. For whatever reason I just happened to look in my rear view at just the right time and the wind had got a hold of the apparently unlatched box and forced it open. Once the lid was open, the wind tore the thing to shreds - skis, poles, and pieces of thule box all over the road. Keep your box latched and locked!


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## wa-loaf (Sep 16, 2014)

timm said:


> Only thing I don't like about the roof box is I have to take it off after every weekend or trip because the clearance at my office garage is too low for it.



Seen at the AZ Summit few years ago:


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## deadheadskier (Sep 16, 2014)

Outside the Sugarloaf Inn / Shipyard?


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## wa-loaf (Sep 16, 2014)

deadheadskier said:


> Outside the Sugarloaf Inn / Shipyard?



Sugartree II condo with the parking garage. I'm on the left with the intact roof box ...


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## skiNEwhere (Sep 17, 2014)

I've seen storrow drive do that to many uhauls.

I have the topper on the bed of the truck, so I'll just toss them in there


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## hammer (Sep 17, 2014)

Have a box but it has the old style clamps which make it difficult to install.  Used to install it on my Subaru and leave it for the season.  Neither car has a roof rack now so we just fold a seat and load the skis in the back.

Maybe I should the box up for sale here...


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## skiNEwhere (Sep 17, 2014)

Anyone been guilty of this?? Never done it, or plan on doing it, I saw it once on Loveland pass, set up perpendicular on the back of the bike. Not sure if that's even legal


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## Domeskier (Sep 17, 2014)

skiNEwhere said:


> Anyone been guilty of this?? Never done it, or plan on doing it, I saw it once on Loveland pass, set up perpendicular on the back of the bike. Not sure if that's even legal



View attachment 13692

I think the guy on the bicycle is gonna get the raw end of that contraption!


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## gmcunni (Sep 20, 2014)

new (to me, off craigslist) box for the new car.  downsizing from the acadia to subi means not as much room inside with a full passenger load.


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## deadheadskier (Sep 20, 2014)

nice!

How much did it cost if you don't mind me asking.


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## BenedictGomez (Sep 20, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> new (to me, off craigslist) box for the new car.  downsizing from the acadia to subi means not as much room inside with a full passenger load.



Is that the XV Crosstrek?   If so, my girl is looking to get one of those.  Debating between Limited & Premier​ and trying to figure out pricing etc...  She'll also need a carbo box once she pulls the trigger.


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## gmcunni (Sep 20, 2014)

BenedictGomez said:


> Is that the XV Crosstrek?   If so, my girl is looking to get one of those.  Debating between Limited & Premier​ and trying to figure out pricing etc...  She'll also need a carbo box once she pulls the trigger.



no, outback limited.


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## steamboat1 (Sep 20, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> new (to me, off craigslist) box for the new car.  downsizing from the acadia to subi means not as much room inside with a full passenger load.


Good luck with the box & the car...


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## Bkroon9175 (Sep 22, 2014)

Get the box as it better for your skis.  Salt is bad!!


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## BenedictGomez (Sep 23, 2014)

gmcunni said:


> no, outback limited.



Interesting, the top half of the car (window profile) looks the same.


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