magentawave
Adventurer
Hmmm, a 30 pound aluminum rooftop box sounds very interesting. Do you know what the dimensions would be yet? Do you have building plans for it yet?
Cargo Boxes - Why you do. Why you don't
- Thread starter Christophe Noel
- Start date
Im not going to pretend my journeys are mostly off road- my travels are mostly 99% road, with 1% dirt. the cargo box allows me the flexibility to be incognito. You don't know Im traveling, I could just be the soccer mom (or dad!) Plus, nobody questions "whats in the box" when border crossing.
I have the yakima skybox21 the big one i also have 78inch cross bars that connect to the factory rails on my 2010 suburban. I use the box regularly, im 5'6 and i can put the box on/off the roof myself in about 10 minute. I went with 78 bars with option of using a second box. On one ski trip 6 hours away we had my box and my buddies thule box on there. His box was smaller so had skis/boards/poles for 5 people, my box had all the clothing bags and we loaded the back of the truck with food / coolers.
Last year on a 15000km trip across canada, down pacific coast into nevada/utah/co i had the box on. I would use the box for storage of gear we werent immediatly using example, in BC we wemt to Whistler when we qere in Utah we didnt need ski/boards so they were in the box. The truck was jammed with gear and still avg 11l/100kms.
My plan is to get some type of rack (gobi or similar) and still use the box. I have 2 dogs who each travel in an airline crate in the back so cargo space is reduced. I currently mount the box on the right half of the roof bars mainly because i have 3 uhf/vhf antennas drilled thru the middle of the roof. So if i mount the box to the right half of a gobi-style i would still have room to tie down stuff. As previously mentioned, they are well sealed from environment (4 day wind/sand storm in Moab, not much got into the box, yet i still find red sand daily inside the truck). And yes i though of sleeping in it during this sand/wind storm after getting tired of waking up with an inch of sand in the tent. Ended up sleeping in the suburban
Anyways thats my story!
Nic
Last year on a 15000km trip across canada, down pacific coast into nevada/utah/co i had the box on. I would use the box for storage of gear we werent immediatly using example, in BC we wemt to Whistler when we qere in Utah we didnt need ski/boards so they were in the box. The truck was jammed with gear and still avg 11l/100kms.
My plan is to get some type of rack (gobi or similar) and still use the box. I have 2 dogs who each travel in an airline crate in the back so cargo space is reduced. I currently mount the box on the right half of the roof bars mainly because i have 3 uhf/vhf antennas drilled thru the middle of the roof. So if i mount the box to the right half of a gobi-style i would still have room to tie down stuff. As previously mentioned, they are well sealed from environment (4 day wind/sand storm in Moab, not much got into the box, yet i still find red sand daily inside the truck). And yes i though of sleeping in it during this sand/wind storm after getting tired of waking up with an inch of sand in the tent. Ended up sleeping in the suburban
Anyways thats my story!
Nic
Vaguely. I contacted a shop that fabs aluminum boxes to your specs, including gauge thickness. He estimated a box 24"L x 12"H x 24"W could come in at around 10 pounds empty, depending on thickness, hinge selection, and latch hardware. I've yet to finalize the dimensions. I'll probably have a pair of boxes made. Whne you drive a Samurai with 60 whopping horsepower, every pound counts. 'Course, the boxes don't help the aerodynamics much either, but off-road, this obviously isn't a concern...
One thing Pelicans and cases have over a Thule box is the ability to dismount the stuff when you set up camp. The cases can do double duty as seats or tables or work surfaces, and are just more convenient to access in camp than a roof box.
RangeBrover
Explorer
My opinion has definitely changed over the past year, I used to be all about throwing stuff on the roof, then I went to VOT. I saw one to many trucks rubbing their roof top tents and awnings on numerous trees, and had to hold my partner off a few myself. You don't realize it, but adding any height on top of your rig is a big liability at least here in the east.
Wh1t3nukle
I gotz dis
I'll play.
Cargo Box + Fullsize Truck Usage
Been using this setup since summer of 05. Used it going from CO to CA as a clockwise loop going down to the Grand Canyon, into San Diego, up to Sacramento, then back across on 80 back home to Denver. It works well to this day as just used it for Turkey Day travel.
It gets packed with all the luggage and sleeping stuff, essentially non-water proof. I did add 1x1 angle iron lengthwise to reinforce the bottom of the box. They go 90% of the length and are on the interior such that there is no interference with mounting to the bars. On occasion I also keep it on mild trails. With the bike racks off, there is room for more stuff.... Yes, I have also had the bars raised up with the box on. Not a problem. No garage, no parking garages, etc. of course.
Cargo Box + Fullsize Truck Usage
Been using this setup since summer of 05. Used it going from CO to CA as a clockwise loop going down to the Grand Canyon, into San Diego, up to Sacramento, then back across on 80 back home to Denver. It works well to this day as just used it for Turkey Day travel.
It gets packed with all the luggage and sleeping stuff, essentially non-water proof. I did add 1x1 angle iron lengthwise to reinforce the bottom of the box. They go 90% of the length and are on the interior such that there is no interference with mounting to the bars. On occasion I also keep it on mild trails. With the bike racks off, there is room for more stuff.... Yes, I have also had the bars raised up with the box on. Not a problem. No garage, no parking garages, etc. of course.
RangeBrover
Explorer
^Now that's a smart setup, the guys with the open bed pickups have the best of both worlds. You can put a low rack on it to keep the bed clear, while having cargo space above for cargo boxes, kayaks, bikes, etc.
pray4surf
Explorer
I have a Yakima box that I love. Can be installed or removed in about 5 minutes flat (it is a newer one with the knob actuated claws that grab your rack bars), is super light weight, keeps your gear dry and doesn't do horrible things to your fuel economy. I have had no issue with durability on hundreds of miles of washboard. A significant portion of the cars around here seem to keep rocket boxes on the roof full time, so it is fairly discrete, much more so than a pile of gear lashed to a rack. It also doesn't look nearly as steal me (or poser) as the people driving around with their camp stove and spare underwear in a pelican or hardigg case on their roof!
Themightygoose
New member
How did you get the box onto the Baja Rack? I don’t see crossbars on the basket
fire_strom
Adventurer
Here's a screen cap from the thule website. I have been thinking of sticking a box on the van. Not for sleeping though!
-G
-G
Hnoroian
Observer
From a bicycle forum a long time ago, don't remember which one but I just saved the pic. I had one growing up and thought then they were hideous, but now I can totally see the benefit and currently in the market for one also. Right now I use a homemade rack and hardigg boxes (because I already had them).
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