Why don't i see any Thule or Yakima boxes on Overland rigs?

[toy_tek]

I love that they keep everything fairly clean (no dust) and dry, its quiet (no wind noise), and honestly I don't think it effect my mpg much if any (but the truck is usually pretty loaded up when it's installed). Mine has been through Baja, Death Valley a few times, and on at least a dozen other 4+ day trips. I paid $125 on CL about 4 years ago.

Here we are at Coco's Corner in Baja.

 

[SnoViking]

I have a decent size Thule one that I use in conjunction with a half size basket. The box gets all the light stuff that needs to be kept dry and then I can toss extra stuff in the half basket that I'm not worried about getting wet (firewood/shovel/rolling table).

The problem with roof top boxes is support. If you only use two bars and overload it, it will break. Next time you see one on a car on the highway watch as you pull up to it. Even on smooth tarmac it vibrates and pivots.

I agree 100% I use 4 yakima bars across mine to help distribute the load across the box.

 

[Kerensky97]

Considering how homemade many overlander's solutions are it seems any rooftop box failures could easily be over come. Even if every piece of hardware failed you still have two nice fiberglass pieces you could mount your own heavy duty hinges and latches to.

Then just pack it with the light soft gear you have like sleeping bags and clothes.

 

[calicamper]

My 2003 Thule box is still going strong. Best car kit Ive spent money on. 31inches wide, 7ft long, and about 15 in high. The width enables me to put two bikes on 54in rails with it. Or a canoe on 66in rails with it. That and its not too massive to store when not used.

Many of the jumbo boxes are too big, too easy to over load, and a massive pain in the butt to store.

 

[Abe Froman]

Solve the durability issue with the purchase of a packasport box.
Bulletproof fiberglass construction.
Expensive when new, elusive used.
Looks better than most RTTs do on the roof.
I sold one on CL that was at least 10 years old and still 100% functional.

The newer Yakima and Thule boxes are expensive, pretty, and flimsy.
That to say they are bad or non-functional, just flimsy feeling.

Craigslist is your friend for roof boxes.

 

[OCD Overland]

Those look good, but with the rear hinge it looks like it would be difficult to reach the latches or access the contents. Would be great if it had a side hinge though.

 

[Scoutman]

The problem with roof top boxes is support. If you only use two bars and overload it, it will break. Next time you see one on a car on the highway watch as you pull up to it. Even on smooth tarmac it vibrates and pivots. Put a full rack underneath it for support and you'll see much better results. After all a roof box isn't much different than an Autohome RTT which I have on a flat Bajarack with zero issues over some really punishing terrain and thousands of miles.

I've wondered why they don't put more support than a just a few corrugations in the floor of these plastic boxes. We have an x-large Thule that we mount to our XJ when we need the extra space. I agree it seems like they need more support in the bottom. I wonder if bolting a pair of L-track rails to the inside of the box would help stiffen one up and maintain 2 load bars? It would also make great places to hook bungees inside the box to help keep things from sliding around when not completely full.

 

[Martinjmpr]

To answer your question about why "overlanders" generally don't use these cargo boxes, I can only tell you that I can see absolutely no utility for one.
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To put it in more detail, there's nothing that I could carry in a cargo box that I couldn't carry more easily, more safely and more securely inside my vehicle. The only possible exception I could think would possibly be fuel (because you wouldn't want the fumes inside the vehicle) but then you don't need a cargo box for a fuel can, you can just strap the can to the roof.
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I'll turn the question around and ask: What is it that you're carrying in the cargo box that you can't either carry in the vehicle or do without? I guess if you have a whole bunch of kids in the seats you could use that area for their clothing, but outside of that, I can't see a use for a box like that. I do carry stuff on the roof (camp stove, firewood, fuel) but anything I carry on the roof I don't mind exposing to the weather which eliminates the need for a bulky, expensive cargo box.
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To sum up, the cargo box is an answer to a question I never asked.
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EDITED TO ADD: I could see a use for it if you have specialized equipment that you want to keep segregated from the rest of the cargo. Maybe a fisherman's fly rods and tackle, or a cross-country skiers skis and boots, or even survey equipment - things that are large and bulky but not particularly heavy. But since I don't carry anything like that it would serve no purpose for me to have one.

 

[toy_tek]

...there's nothing that I could carry in a cargo box that I couldn't carry more easily, more safely and more securely inside my vehicle.

I suppose if I had the space that a Surburban offers, I wouldn't ever carry one either. In my case, the cargo box was less expensive than a roof rack. $125 wasn't much of an investment. If I'm solo, I don't bring it along, because I have plenty of space. But if my g/f is with me, we load lightweight bulky stuff in the box (cold weather gear, pillows, boots, camp chairs, tarp, dry foods and sometimes firewood) to get it out of the cab - since we sleep in the truck. It's also great for keeping dirty (sandy,muddy, wet) gear out of the cab since, again, we sleep inside.

 

[Ryanmb21]

To answer your question about why "overlanders" generally don't use these cargo boxes, I can only tell you that I can see absolutely no utility for one.
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To put it in more detail, there's nothing that I could carry in a cargo box that I couldn't carry more easily, more safely and more securely inside my vehicle. The only possible exception I could think would possibly be fuel (because you wouldn't want the fumes inside the vehicle) but then you don't need a cargo box for a fuel can, you can just strap the can to the roof.
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I'll turn the question around and ask: What is it that you're carrying in the cargo box that you can't either carry in the vehicle or do without? I guess if you have a whole bunch of kids in the seats you could use that area for their clothing, but outside of that, I can't see a use for a box like that. I do carry stuff on the roof (camp stove, firewood, fuel) but anything I carry on the roof I don't mind exposing to the weather which eliminates the need for a bulky, expensive cargo box.
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To sum up, the cargo box is an answer to a question I never asked.
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EDITED TO ADD: I could see a use for it if you have specialized equipment that you want to keep segregated from the rest of the cargo. Maybe a fisherman's fly rods and tackle, or a cross-country skiers skis and boots, or even survey equipment - things that are large and bulky but not particularly heavy. But since I don't carry anything like that it would serve no purpose for me to have one.

....Wait, you travel with two people in a suburban...you have the biggest possible vehicle for just two people. :smilies27 thread does not really apply to you.

When, you have a family, the back seats are being used for people, they make a ton of sense. Fill one with sleeping pads, bags, tents, chairs and camp tables and it's probably the most efficient way to go. In my case, certainly more efficient than getting a full size vehicle.

I will admit, with a family the extra space of full size truck/suv look appealing at times...

 

[calicamper]

I ran a borrowed basket once. 5mpg hit at highway speeds. Noisy and my gear was exposed to lookyloos and weather.

My box was a 2mpg hit at highway speeds, its quiet, keeps gear outa sight outa mind, dry and clean. A narrow basket beside the box might be a nice option for things like wood, chain saw etc.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I'll turn the question around and ask: What is it that you're carrying ..... in the vehicle or do without?

Answer: A 90 pound black lab. LOL

Honestly, the way we travel, we often spend a few days camping, then a night in a hotel, and then repeat. We keep our camping gear, much of it bulky but very lightweight, in the box. People don't often break into cargo boxes. They don't know if they go to the risk of breaking into it, it won't be empty. People DO smash windows to nab gear in a vehicle. Ask me how I know.

But, everyone is different. Sure works for me and has for the better part of 20 years.

 

[Jack Stilts]

Love my Thule box! Think it's the large Force series. Works great for the overlander (Xterra) and the family trips (Subaru), especially when the cabins of the vehicles are full of people and pets.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I suppose if I had the space that a Surburban offers, I wouldn't ever carry one either.

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....Wait, you travel with two people in a suburban...you have the biggest possible vehicle for just two people. :smilies27 thread does not really apply to you.

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You know I haven't always driven a Suburban. Previous vehicle was a 4th gen 4runner, prior to that a 3rd gen, prior to that a 1st gen Taco. So it's not like I've never had a compact vehicle. Even with my 3rd gen T4R, the additional space of a roof top box would have been of no value to me. Your mileage may vary (shrug.)
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OP's question was why he didn't see Thule or Yakima boxes on "Overland" rigs, that's what I was answering. A couple of people made snarky remarks that "overlanders" don't use top boxes because they're not "ExPo sexy" enough but I don't agree - in fact, I think most of us are pretty pragmatic about the gear we carry. We carry what works and what doesn't we leave behind.
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There's also the issue of whether these plastic boxes can really stand up to miles and miles of washboard road without rattling themselves to pieces. If all your driving is on pavement or smooth dirt roads this may not be an issue but obviously to some of us it is.
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I will admit, with a family the extra space of full size truck/suv look appealing at times...

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As cheap as gas is now, it's nice to have the extra room. Unfortunately for me, having the extra room means my wife will fill it up with stuff. :elkgrin: So we end up bringing a lot of stuff we don't end up using because "why not? We HAVE the space?" So the extra room is kind of a double-edged sword for me.
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If I didn't have a 2,000lb trailer to pull I would still be in a 4th gen 4runner. To me that's the perfect size for an "Overland" vehicle.

 

[Jelorian]

I have a smaller one that we would normally use on my wife's Touareg when camping. Borrowed it on a short trip to BLM land in Central CA. It looks tiny compared to my Burb. I did a noob thing and didn't tighten the mounts enough. With all the lateral forces going over stuff the box ended up on the opposite side of the rack and seemed to like it there better. I had to climb on top of the roof to open it and get access to the mount knobs.

I definitely like having them and I'm considering an even bigger one (yes, I know...someone said that if you can't fit it all in a Suburban you're probably bringing too much). I'll probably go Yakima this time as I'd like to support a US company. The Thule Summit hasn't let me down though. Got it used for $100.

Definitely like the idea of the half rack as posted earlier.

Like others mentioned, be mindful of what you are putting up there. For us, it's usually our tent, tarps, sleeping bags, and camp chairs.