jav

Okay, got the rack. I finally settled on a Thule 751 Fast Fit because I didn't want to cry if I marred the brused aluminum factory bars.

Anyway, we did a road trip with a soft side dealy on the roof this past weekend and while it made packing the inside or the car easier, adjusting the straps and all that crap was a royal pain in the butt. Thusly, I am on a quest for a top box.

I'm looking for something that I can still open the tailgate with, not TOO huge, not too small (gotta fit a 22" wide stroller and other kid and/or camping related stuff), not too heavy, not too expensive, blah, blah, blah. The current crop of favorites are the Thule Cascade 1500, the Thule Evo 1600, and the Yakima LoadRanger 16s. The choices are mostly because of their mid-70's inch length and overall volume. The Yak is a little shorter, a little wider (so no bikes?) and little cheaper. The Evo is about $80 more than the Cascade, is almost exactly the same size, and comes in silver (I have a black car).

So I guess what I want to know is why is one better than the other two? I've never owned a top box before so I'm slightly out of my element. I did a couple of searches and there are several different brands used by the guys on this list but I haven't found any direct comparisons (like Epinions or Consumers Digest type writeups). I know you guys with the Evo's really like them - what makes them better than the others? Stuff like that. Any info or directions you can send me - within reason - is greatly appreciated.

John Virnig
'02 allroad black 6-speed
Waukesha, WI

mister dr

It's the only car-top box my wife and I have owned, so we don't have anything to compare it to. The fit on the roof is just right for our A4 Avant, with plenty of room to open the tailgate, and the front doesn't come close to overhanging the windshield. It is completely silent at all speeds -- we drove from San Diego to Albuquerque, about 900 miles, and hit speeds of 100+mph without any more wind noise than usual. The fact that it opens from both sides makes it very easy to load and unload. The strange (non-square) shape makes fitting cargo inside it a bit of a challenge, kind of like 3-D Tetris, but it definitely held a whole lot more stuff than we expected. I like the fact that it's silver, because it cuts down on solar heating (I'd imagine that our stuff would have gotten pretty hot if we had kept it in a black box on top of our roof while driving 12 hours through the desert!) Also, the box is very light and very very easy to install and remove from the rack. You can tell Thule did their homework in designing the attachment hardware.

Anyway, I can't give a comparison to other boxes, but I can highly recommend the Thule Evo 1600.

moto-one

It has always been water tight. Will hold a Bike with the pedles removed. Did I say it is their largest one an it work well on the ar., dose cover the sunroof when on and almost all boxes have to be mounted foward a bit to clear the rear door.And they now come in fac. Colors. I have know dought that they are costly but mine has held up.

Bargamon

I have a mountinear, which is about 13cubic feet,
mid priced, don't know if they still make it.

Use it about twice a year, really holds alot.

I'd go withthe evo. Why? cuz they are so dam cool to look at. If price is a concern, then consider your size and needs. The brands mentioned are all good. I went with that model because it was a lot of box for the money, and was a new model and shape 3 years ago. "Roof Coffins" can be cool. Packsport painted your color would be great. can be expesive.That Evo is very cool!

These boxes are more flimsy than you think, but they are light and aero. Good luck.

Haystack

The lid was open, and a gust of wind came along and basically folded the lid, cracking it about 1/2 way between the two locks.

Thule would not honor the warranty and said that it is my fault. I asked where in the doc it said that the plastic becomes as brittle as glass on a cold day, and they said that they would not help me, and that was that.

I recommend you steer clear unless you only use it in warm weather.

jav

Well, seeing as I live in Wisconsin, cold and windy happens about 8 months out of the friggin' year! (Frost warnings for tonight, May 20th).

Which model did you have?

jav

jav

The Evo is cool lookin'. I saw Griffinpup has one in black that would match my black ar. I'm mildly concerned that the finish on the Evo would wear or scratch over time.

By the way, the still make the Mountaineer - 16cu. ft. It was on my short list until I checked out how long it was - a whopping 91 1/2 inches vs. the Evo's 76". I guess I like the shorter version just because.

And, whaddya mean flimsy???

John Virnig
Waukesha, WI

jav

I think you'll find a lot of people agree with you. I'm just hung up a bit on the price. The Evo is my favorite, but it's also the most expensive (gee, like THAT never happens to me). The Yak and the Thule Cascade are both about $80 less than the Evo, and REI has 20% off right now (for members). That would put me in a Cascade for about $280. Not bad at all.

jav

yzf996fltri

my thule 1600 has seen some very cold days.......no probs.

squishball

it's a trade-off between weight and strenght. Structrual integrity comes from design, not from wall thickness. Silver finish does keep contents much cooler than car interior, especially when parked in the sun.