SportRack Skyline XL Cargo Box - Assembly Required

Update: I just returned from a 1100 mile camping trip and the SportRack performed perfectly. Held solid during 80mph highway cruising, rough dirt roads and the occasional tight turn. Contents stayed perfectly dry in the heavy Northwest American rain, with no noticeable wind drag or noise. Even with 100lbs of cargo loaded, my Subaru Outback did not feel top-heavy around corners (which is probably more of a characteristic of the car and not the SportRack). Negligible effect on fuel consumption. It was much easier to remove from my roof than to attach, after the trip. Bumped it up to 5 stars from 3, for price and solid performance. My Subaru has a moon roof so I was able to simply look up and see the effect of wind of the SportRack as I drove - and it had negligible vibration (with a little to be expected because of the plastic construction). The SportRack held: 1 huge 5 person tent 2 folding camping chairs 1 pop-up shade tent 2 sleeping bags 1 throw blanket 1 folding metal table (small, rolls up) 2 umbrellas 3 regular pillows ----------------------------------------- Good value for the price. Very tricky to install the hinges and certainly requires two people, particularly since the plastic is so flexible (flimsy?). But after it is put together and locked closed, it feels much more solid. The pictures in the printed manual are very tiny, so I recommend downloading the PDF version so the images can be ZOOMED in to see even the smallest screw perfectly. They created the PDF in vector, so the lines are nice and sharp no matter how much you zoom in. I had my laptop handy while I assembled this unit. PROs: Solid once assembled and locked shut. Low price for a large amount of cargo space. CONs: When the lid is opened (in the hot sun) it just flops and warps to nearly being closed. Practically the rigidity of rubber. I had to prop it open with a piece of wood. I'm wondering how long it will take for the plastic to crack because of this. Very difficult to install the driver's side U-bolts, climbing on the cars roof was needed, particularly since the plastic lid is so flimsy. I'm considering re-installing with my own hardware with the nobs accessible on the outside, otherwise it's a giant pain to take on and off for other items like kayaks. Also, the plastic front and rear latches seem very brittle for such an important part (that keeps the lid closed while driving), so I bought a spare set ($10) for peace of mind. Just a thought: I wonder if spraying the inside of the top section with truck-bed liner would stiffen it up. It could certainly make it more durable. But for the price, you can't beat the size of the storage space.

I wouldn't recommend this cargo box if you are planning to drive through high wind area (such as highway through the midwest desert) or if you don't have time and energy to patiently install it. I bought this box because it's low priced and is very large; I plan to only use it for big family vacation, so it's perfect for me. The installation took me a few hours because even though it's very simple to install, the bolts provided are extremely tight fitting (almost doesnt fit); no exaggeration, you will sweat a lot. Forget about using screwdriver, it will shear the head; i had to use wrench, clamp it on both sides and turn. The bolts need to get in all the way even if you think you can't turn it any further because otherwise the hinges will move somewhat and then the top won't stay open. The first problem i found is with the key where it won't lock. I had to jump in the box, close it up, and found that the key housing hole was drilled too far down. I had to readjust the key bracket so the arm will reach and lock. The box was installed a week before our trip; it has travelled in-town highways every day without any problem. The biggest problem came on the first day of our trip; we were driving on an insterstate and had strong head wind, the box pop open while driving. We found that all the lock mechanisms were still intact and in the lock position, so that means the box body flexed enough that the key arm slipped open while in the LOCK position! The top was bent due to this but can be straighten out enough so it will relock. A few hours later, it opened the second time but this time the back latch assembly torn apart due to the wind force and we weren'tt able to relock the box as the top has bent enough that it doesnt line up with the base properly. We were lucky that we brought some duck tapes and towing rope, with a little "mac-gyver-ness" we were able to reach our hotel with the box still on the roof. The next day we had to ask the hotel to dispose the box because the box has flexed enough that is now wobbly while driving and without proper lock on the box it's useless and just a hazard to continue with it. Now i have told you my experience and headache with this cargo box, you decide if you want to buy it. Pros: Cheap. Large enough to practically fit an adult in it. Surprisingly no noticable wind noise. Cons: It's flimsy. Cant withstand strong head wind. Lock construction is very weak. Extremely hard and time consuming to assemble.

Not very easy to assemble, the material is flexible and you need to check all the locks well. After a little modification (4 holes), I installed it on a Dodge Caravan. For this price, a very good thing.

It is very spacious and quiet when driving on highway. At least, I do not hear any noise when driving. It is not sturdy, but would not pop up after locking. However, it is very difficult to install on the top of my car roof and very difficult to remove it. The problem lies on the difficulty in screwing. My wife had to crawled into the box in order to screw and unscrew. Because of this problem, we are reluctant to use it again. It has sit in my garage for three years after the first use.

When this peice went through the molding process, it never molded properly and wasn't QCd properly, therfore the Latch doesn't clasp properly. I would definitely not recommend this product or anything else from this company. Tried to return to no avail. Took it on a trip and it got really soft in the sun ,was extremely noisy had to use alot of duct tape to.hold it shut in order to muffle the noise. Gets really soft in the sun and warped. I threw it in the garbage. Will spend the extra money next time and get something better.

Once assembled, it does a good job, but you will need patience and a good amount of force to thighten the hinges. My old model was way more easier to assemble.

Pros: huge Cons: - very flimsy parts and components -awful to assemble it -very expensive for the quality you get It will probably be ok for a while but i'm sure if this company tried to make this product cheaper, they wouldn't be able to because it's so cheap already even if it's made in the USA