need advice on roof bags or roof box (1 Viewer)

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hi, i have a RAV4 2021, and looking for advice in roof box. I am lookign at REI store and the ones there (mainly THULE and others), depending on the model, ranges from 600-1000$. I was wondering what is the minimum accessories required to install the roof box and another other reliable but cheaper brand?
When I say minimum accessories above, I am confused with all sort of accessories, I see roof bar, roof tower and tons of other components.
If I installed onto RAV4 2021, are the mounting interface and connectors are standard? I see on my RAV3 there is a raised bar running from front to back on both sides of vehicle and in there total of 4 mounting holes which I use screwdriver to wedge it out and inspect inside.
 
Welcome to the site. It would be nice to introduce yourself.
Typically you would want to put crossbars and bolt the roof box to the bars, I assume. The crossbars would be mounted on the OEM longitudinal bars or directly on the roof via some sort of towers. The connectors would depend on the specifics of your OEM system. Check what you have and look up the mounting clamps from Thule etc, they should tell you what vehicle they fit. Or call their tech support.
 
Welcome to the site. It would be nice to introduce yourself.
Typically you would want to put crossbars and bolt the roof box to the bars, I assume. The crossbars would be mounted on the OEM longitudinal bars or directly on the roof via some sort of towers. The connectors would depend on the specifics of your OEM system. Check what you have and look up the mounting clamps from Thule etc, they should tell you what vehicle they fit. Or call their tech support.
Here is what i find out. Well before that about myself: 44 male, from bay area, meeting wonderful life, still enjoying trip with my rav4 2021 which i got last year.
I see type i have is flush rail. Gentleman at rei was kind enough to explain, i d need cross bar + tower but that itself is like 500+$ 😫.
As about another 600-900$ for actual roof box. Wow. During my search online i found following universal type from harbor freight and considering that one since it has lot of good feedback.
 
Attachment
Here is what i find out. Well before that about myself: 44 male, from bay area, meeting wonderful life, still enjoying trip with my rav4 2021 which i got last year.
I see type i have is flush rail. Gentleman at rei was kind enough to explain, i d need cross bar + tower but that itself is like 500+$ 😫.
As about another 600-900$ for actual roof box. Wow. During my search online i found following universal type from harbor freight and considering that one since it has lot of good feedback.

Screenshot_20220612-074647_Opera.jpg
 
If you want feedback about your specific situation, a pic would help.

In any case, talking about the general situation, I would suggest that you proceed carefully. A big box on a roof at highway speeds will experience large forces that many people may not anticipate, and losing it may potentially be a huge liability. I have seen many on the road that looked very sketchy. So, if I were you, I'd check the ratings of the existing rack or mounting system, make sure that everything you put on there is strong enough and is installed correctly. Yes, this can all be very expensive, but this is not something you want to take chances on to save a bit of money either. And TBH, Harbor Freight stuff should always be looked at critically for quality.
 
You could try looking up the parts required on Thule or Yakima website. They will give you the part numbers. Then you could search Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for those same numbers, and possibly find a deal that way. But for current model stuff yeah it’s going to cost $1000 or more to get set up. Rack Attack is another place that I think is nationwide that sells the same products.

I am not familiar with roof bags, but would think a roof box would be better in general for durability and lock-ability.
 
If you want feedback about your specific situation, a pic would help.

In any case, talking about the general situation, I would suggest that you proceed carefully. A big box on a roof at highway speeds will experience large forces that many people may not anticipate, and losing it may potentially be a huge liability. I have seen many on the road that looked very sketchy. So, if I were you, I'd check the ratings of the existing rack or mounting system, make sure that everything you put on there is strong enough and is installed correctly. Yes, this can all be very expensive, but this is not something you want to take chances on to save a bit of money either. And TBH, Harbor Freight stuff should always be looked at critically for quality.
Yeah i am suddenly concerned. REgarding the one from harbor freight, it did not fit anyway so i returned. the unit seems just inexpensive basic model i dont know how well it holds up.

I revisited rei again and they dont have all necessary parts for rav4 2021. problem is mine is flush rail (or so it is called) and there are extra parts needed called landing pad.
Store rep recomm-d me to actually visit toyota dealer, i am actually thinking about it.
 
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If you want feedback about your specific situation, a pic would help.

In any case, talking about the general situation, I would suggest that you proceed carefully. A big box on a roof at highway speeds will experience large forces that many people may not anticipate, and losing it may potentially be a huge liability. I have seen many on the road that looked very sketchy. So, if I were you, I'd check the ratings of the existing rack or mounting system, make sure that everything you put on there is strong enough and is installed correctly. Yes, this can all be very expensive, but this is not something you want to take chances on to save a bit of money either. And TBH, Harbor Freight stuff should always be looked at critically for quality.
i also had ordered this one but then cancelled based on your caution.
Amazon product ASIN B0836GM1XPBougeRV is it respectable brand? it is on amazon, ~4.5 star ratings.
 
Be sure the shape of the crossbar is correct for the box. You may not want one that is curvy (like the above?) if the box bottom is flat for instance.
You can probably buy the correct parts directly from the Thule etc web site, but they will likely be spendy. OTOH, if they break, you may have some recourse.

added: I see on the Thule site the bars for the RAV4 with flush rails. They do start at over $500.
 
Be sure the shape of the crossbar is correct for the box. You may not want one that is curvy (like the above?) if the box bottom is flat for instance.
You can probably buy the correct parts directly from the Thule etc web site, but they will likely be spendy. OTOH, if they break, you may have some recourse.

added: I see on the Thule site the bars for the RAV4 with flush rails. They do start at over $500.
Ok. Just picked up from Toyota dealership. I still see how good sturdy it is. I am sort of alarmed by the fact that accident still happen with even best brand according to Acura zine forum. Has anyone ever had a THULE roof rack come off while driving? - AcuraZine - Acura Enthusiast Community - https://acurazine.com/forums/fourth-generation-tl-2009-2014-123/has-anyone-ever-had-thule-roof-rack-come-off-while-driving-890260/
 
Caution is important. However, realistically, I would also think that if you use good quality components, if the ratings are sufficient, and if everything is installed properly, you should be fine.
 
hi, i have a RAV4 2021, and looking for advice in roof box. I am lookign at REI store and the ones there (mainly THULE and others), depending on the model, ranges from 600-1000$. I was wondering what is the minimum accessories required to install the roof box and another other reliable but cheaper brand?
When I say minimum accessories above, I am confused with all sort of accessories, I see roof bar, roof tower and tons of other components.
If I installed onto RAV4 2021, are the mounting interface and connectors are standard? I see on my RAV3 there is a raised bar running from front to back on both sides of vehicle and in there total of 4 mounting holes which I use screwdriver to wedge it out and inspect inside.
You mention “Roof Bag” in your title…
If a bag would meet your use-requirements, take a look at the roof bags from IronMan 4x4.
Very heavy-duty, but I wouldn’t leave on permanently. Easy to take off. And only a couple hundred $$
 
the one from toyota dealer itself is fairly good and only 215$ compared to 500$+ at REI. Because of "universal" nature, rei ones are lot of components. I see toyota dealer one bolts on right on less than 20 min-s work. Upon coming home, I see same installed on several rav4-s meanining it is quite popular. i will go with this one. thx
 
I've seen the Toyota OEM roof cross bars online new for about $170 recently from several Toyota dealers and of course much less used on ebay.
The OEM bars are quite curved.
 
I’ve run roof boxes for going on 30 years. With boxes and crossbars I greatly prefer bars wider then the towers. I’ve had many brands but feel for quality, versatility and value Yakama is hard to beat.

You could do railgrab towers+round bars for $370. And many of their boxes are currently 20% off.

Also used? Check used sporting goods stores, Facebook MP, eBay…. I’ve had the same towers and bars for ~25 years. They were on an Allroad, g500, and now my LX570

79B380BA-2EF2-4F7D-9A0E-6D94AB692EF2.jpeg
 
How about a roof rack with some type of basket. Then just put your stuff in dry bags, strap down, done.👍
 
How about a roof rack with some type of basket. Then just put your stuff in dry bags, strap down, done.👍
That's basically what we did because we just couldn't decide on a box. We went with a BajaRack Megamule rack and their gas can holder. We also added 2 OEM crossbars (total 4) and an additional set of mounts for them from Bajarack to support the MegaMule. The bag is a CargoSmart. Only complaint about the CargoSmart is the zipper which is fine toothed bit tough to open & close - but in our experience it's definitely waterproof. It stores very small and compact unlike a hard box. We mostly put bedding, beach chairs and other large volume light weight stuff in it. Everything else like the porta-potti, tent poles etc... strap to the rack with NRS tie down straps.

There are two nice places to bolt something on the back of the rack. I'm still wondering what to put there. Lights maybe? :cool:

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20220522_084251c.jpg
 
I like to use roof bags, they're pretty versatile.

As for racks /crossbars, etc ebay, craigslist has worked out pretty well for me. My local Rack and Road has decent deals on used stuff/trade-ins. I see there is one in San Jose.
 

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