Bob Hill

I'm only going to use this setup a few times a year but would like the cleanest and most reliable rack/box combination possible. Yakima seems to be the best choice based on the archive material but their Space Cadet box (I'm not using it for skis) is slightly wider than the rack at the rear. Any comments/suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.<p>Also, the rear cross bar mount point mark on the factory rack it pretty far forward. Are there any problems with moving the rear cross bar towards the rear for better load distribution?<p>Thanks ...<p>Bob H.<br>99 2.8QM Avant, 96 2.8QM (her car)

DJW

I have the Yakima RocketBox on my Avant. With the crossbars mounted at the designated points on the side rails, and the box toward either side of the car, it just clears the antenna without touching, and also clears the tailgate perfectly (about 1/2 inch of space) when the latter is opened. Might look better if it was mounted in the center of the crossbars, but would be much less accessible if you're short like me. <p>The SpaceCase is wider than the RocketBox, so I'm not sure how well that would work. The SpaceBooster is narrower and slightly shorter than the RocketBox, and might fit in the center if you wanted. I haven't seen the SpaceCadet on a vehicle, but IMO a long box will complement (or detract less from) the Avant's appearance much better than a short box, and also would not be wider than the rack.<p>Regarding position of the rear crossbar, there are no mounting holes in the RocketBox which would match a more rearward position for the crossbar without also moving the front crossbar back. However in that configuration, the RocketBox would almost certainly impinge on the open tailgate. Also, moving the rear crossbar backwards would probably improve the appearance of the bare rack system slightly, but would actually disturb weight distribution in relation to the axles.<p><br>Regards,<br>Dean W.<p><br>

Bob Hill

nt<br>

DJW

I erred somewhat in my earlier post when I said that you have to also move the front crossbar if you put the rear crossbar further back then the designated position. With the RocketBox this may not be necessary, as both the front and rear mounting areas have a selection of holes for mounting to the bars.<p>However, the holes for the rear are such that moving the rear crossbar behind the siderail supports puts the bar behind the last set of holes, so the box would have to be positioned further back as well, and then it would interfere with the tailgate and/or antenna.<p>Hope this clarifies rather than confuses 8-).<p><br>Regards,<br>Dean W.<br>