Does a Cargo Box have much wind drag? (1 Viewer)

[Fisher23]

Does a cargo box have much wind drag?

I am thinking of putting this 25" wide box on the driver side and not centered. This is mainly for kayak paddles fishing rods etc..

There would be more wind drag on the driver side.. is it going to matter at all?

 

[tbisaacs]

You won’t notice it at all.

 

[Txoverland]

Doubt you’ll notice it, I have an old Sears xl model, much taller than that model. I’m sure it hurts a bit especially headed up through the Texas panhandle and New Mexico with a headwind, but as far as handling I don’t notice it.

 

[Fisher23]

Doubt you’ll notice it, I have an old Sears xl model, much taller than that model. I’m sure it hurts a bit especially headed up through the Texas panhandle and New Mexico with a headwind, but as far as handling I don’t notice it.

View attachment 2656007

Thanks !

 

[CharlieS]

I don’t notice the cargo box (as opposed to our canoe and kayaks which can be noisy). None of them create any drag noticeable from the driver’s seat.

 

[stonepa]

Just finished a 2800 mile round trip to a nice sunny beach with my Yakima Skybox 21 on the roof. No difference in MPG. We are already driving a brick. May have actually helped from an aero standpoint.

 

[Hothonda]

Further back on the rails works best for me

 

[Fisher23]

Looks like I'll have to get a Skybox vs. the Thule because the skinny Thule only opens on the passenger side, but the skinny Yakima opens on both sides.

 

[stonepa]

Looks like I'll have to get a Skybox vs. the Thule because the skinny Thule only opens on the passenger side, but the skinny Yakima opens on both sides.

Just make sure the box is firmly closed and locked before driving. I saw several that popped open at speed and were spewing the contents all over the interstate. One guy in a Volvo XC90 lost almost everything in the box before he fially was alerted by other drivers and stopped.

i usually wrap a strap around the box to ensure it doesn’t pop open.

 

[CharlieS]

That is odd. I’ve never had a locked Thule box come open in many thousands of miles of driving on a variety of vehicles. The locking rod mechanism has a very positive latch.

 

[Fisher23]

Well I've switch back and order the Thule I posted above. This was due to lack of immediate availability of the SkyBox. I'll just need to move my solar panels over to the driver side today.

They seems very equivalent with the exception the SkyBox can open from either side, but the hinge was better on the Thule (on these newer models).

 

[CharlieS]

I have an xxl Thule that opens both sides. It’s too bad this smaller one didn’t get that feature.

 

[Fisher23]

I have an xxl Thule that opens both sides. It’s too bad this smaller one didn’t get that feature.

Yes the Thule 1/2 size ones only open single side and ONLY passenger side.

The 1/2 size allows kayak or other stuff on the other 1/2 of the roof rack.

This will get those paddles, seats, and life jackets out of my vehicle

 

[stonepa]

That is odd. I’ve never had a locked Thule box come open in many thousands of miles of driving on a variety of vehicles. The locking rod mechanism has a very positive latch.

The Yakima is not confidence inspiring. I also use a Yakima Rocketbox i bought in about 1985. It only opens on one side but have 4 separate latches - 2 with locks on the side and one at each end. That thing will never pop open.

 

[DecreedIt]

Does a cargo box have much wind drag?

I am thinking of putting this 25" wide box on the driver side and not centered. This is mainly for kayak paddles fishing rods etc..

There would be more wind drag on the driver side.. is it going to matter at all?

View attachment 2655999

Lol on an LC 200? Sorry made me laugh I was thinking about the "mpg hit"

I run a Yakima Skybox 21, either on the factory rails if that's all I need, or 64" (I think) bars with rail grabber bases and surfboards and a bike rack. The extra bars def make noise, toy box on factory, small extra wind noise. Can't say I notice any extra mpg hit.

 

[canyonrider]

The Yakima is not confidence inspiring. I also use a Yakima Rocketbox i bought in about 1985. It only opens on one side but have 4 separate latches - 2 with locks on the side and one at each end. That thing will never pop open.

Agree. IME the newer Yakima stuff doesn't hold up as well as their older products. I had a ~2005ish Rocketbox that lived on my car or was otherwise kept outside, year-round, and was indestructible and waterproof no matter how much I overloaded it. It only cracked (badly) in 2018 when my energetic nephew decided to use the box as a trampoline while it was stored in our yard. I ordered the updated iteration of the same model, which I promptly returned to REI after one weekend trip. Somehow it leaked water like a sieve, the latch mechanism was terrible and cheap feeling, and the interior had less usable space than the older model.

Went with a Thule Pulse Alpine instead (I think it's the same one OP is looking at?) and it's been pretty good (still not as good as the old Yakima, though). Smaller capacity than the Rocketbox but perfect for skis, paddles, PFDs, longer tent poles, etc. Good size that allows me to carry two bikes on the roof at the same time (and can squeeze three if needed).

I did manage to get two minor (~1") cracks from mounting with the box on top of the very outer edge of the square Thule cross bars, over the end caps of the bars. The slight added height of the end caps apparently caused too much pressure on the box. So don't do that. I've since repaired and used with no ill effects, this time keeping everything flush on the cross bars.

I find that having the box on the roof is quieter than just the cross bars/bike trays without the box. No discernible difference in MPG caused by the box.

 

[Big Timber]

I've had this beast of a Yakima since 2008. Opens on both sides. I put it in the middle. I call it the coffin because you can fit a decent sized person up there....maybe two or three even. Anyway, you will notice this thing, especially in the Wyoming/Montana wind. Conservatively a 2 mpg hit.

 

[Fisher23]

Install it today.. fit excellent but I think I'll need to add a spacer as I am attaching this to the ARB flat rack.