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

[yeti_in_ga]

I bought mine several years ago used and use it on big trips only. Its narrow and fits all those items I dont need in the way like paddling gear.



When your on a 4 week adventure , its wonderful !! and when most cargo room is taken up with a 60qt frg. yea, you need it.

 

[rfoubi]

Another vote for the ski box. Ours was bought in the 90s and has probably 300 000km on it, tons of it on gravel roads, so no worries about durability. I would never get rid of it. Muddy bike clothes, firewood, chainsaw, propane tanks, even small gas cans, awkward stuff like tripods, long stuff (like skis obviously but also awning parts, canoe paddles, etc.)

 

[sailorcolin]

I recently aquired a Thule Sonic XL from a REI Garage sale. I am excited to start using it.

 

[patoz]

Nice! That thing is huge, and will carry a lot of gear.

 

[AutoXSS]

Be sure to take a pic of it loaded if you get a chance, please

 

[BritKLR]

Over 50k and three rigs, still going strong! Very useful.

 

[sailorcolin]

Ill post a pic of it loaded

 

[salttram]

OK . . . I'm getting sold . . .

. . . on the top box concept. We just returned from 3 weeks in remote Baja, and I am so DONE with loading, tarping, and strapping down everything in our basket rack! Plus, the rack itself is so heavy and hard to wrestle up on top of my Tacoma.

I did get a Thule box on Craigslist once, but soon resold it when I saw how flimsy it was. I'll give them another look, with an eye to reinforcing the mounts with some ABS and rubber to hold down the vibes on the crazy rough off-road. I do load two Rotopax 4-gallon gas containers, but that's the only heavy-ish item I would put in a large top box. I could even fit two on my wide bars.

 

[patoz]

Look at the Yakima boxes also. Mine is 30+ years old, and is made out of a very rigid ABS type material, which looks and feels like fiberglass.

 

[otis24]

I've never really thought about getting a roof top box for my tacoma. I don't really need the extra space. However, I could see the easy access to recovery gear and camp chairs as a plus.

The only downside I see is the roof rack on my camper shell is 6'9". A 15 inch box would make it it 8 feet tall.

 

[yonah]

I've noticed Thule/Yakima cargo boxes being used more frequently in the past couple of years. They make sense and are readily available on the secondhand market - there are generally 3-4 on Craigslist in my town at any given time.

However, I'll agree this is a big part of the answer:

Too pedestrian for the brand-conscious fetishists.

A lot of this hobby is monkey see, monkey do. Folks turn their nose up to a product if you don't see it being promoted or showcased by one of the more popular overland-themed YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram accounts.

 

[Rezarf <><]

Family of 5 here:

• 5 Sleeping bags
• 5 Pillows
• 5 sleeping pads
• 5 camp chairs
• 1 memory foam top pad for the Mrs.
• 1 family size 6 man tent
• Full size rain tarp
• Kelty Carport awning

It all fits with room to spare in our Thule, and I can see out the back window still! Light bulky items are where these boxes excel. We love ours.

As the designated packer/unpacker for our trips, I love the fact that I can just toss the gear up there, with VERY little thinking and arranging. No straps, no tarps, no bungee's, no worries of things flying off nor getting wet. We do pack all the sleeping bags and the pillows into two dry bags but that is about organization and packing up camp more than a waterproof thing. I try to generally keep the heavy things low and in the middle (ie the tent) and the rest just pop it up there, close the lid, lock it and leave.

 

[Jack Stilts]

I went from a "guy-and-his-dog" type camp setup with an Xterra and rooftop tent to "guy, wife, infant, and three dogs." Something had to change, because none of that was going to be feasible. I got a Thule roof box and a ground tent for a while, but ended up selling the Xterra. I'm now in the market for an Oz tent RV3, which is unfortunately too long for my Thule Force L box. I'm trading it in for a Thule Alpine box - long and skinny - so I can put the Oz tent inside the box and call it a day. Much more secure that way.

Long story short - roof boxes are super convenient, even for overlanding. I'm planning on traveling with my little Subaru and big roof box in the spring, getting 30MPG and a very comfortable ride, and reaching our destination with everything we need up top. Should be perfect for all our camp gear.

 

[prerunner221]

Still rocking the Thule for trips I don't need the RTT. It makes it a lot easier to bring the dogs when you don't have to pack the rear seat from the floor to the ceiling with all your gear because the dogs are in the cargo area.

 

[cozmo2312]

Still rocking the Thule for trips I don't need the RTT. It makes it a lot easier to bring the dogs when you don't have to pack the rear seat from the floor to the ceiling with all your gear because the dogs are in the cargo area.

man, that's a sexy truck