Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

Being a motorcyclist I'm used to ABS top cases on bikes, so when my wife wanted more storage space it was a no-brainer to put a box up top. Mazda uses an actual Thule square-bar rack as the "factory" rack system on the 5, and so a Thule box was a natural.

This box is not large - it's one of the smallest on the market - but its long, narrow shape makes it ideal for small cars, making the most of a hatchback's long, narrow roofline. It's narrow enough that we were able to mount it up next to a Peloton bike rack on the roof of our car for ultimate carrying capacity.

The box is very well made: the dual-hinge locking system allows the box to be opened from either side, and there's a very definite, sure feeling to the locking mechanism. The box stays open on its own, and it's easy to load and unload. The clamps close around the rack bars from both sides, which makes this box feel more secure on the rails than the comparable Yakima box we looked at. The thumbwheels inside do take up a bit of space in the box, but for most loads it's not an issue and it makes the box super easy to use.

With the Ascent 1100 up top the car doesn't handle any differently from a bare-topped car, and it doesn't seem to increase cabin noise on our car.

We drove 600 miles on the freeway with this box up top along with the Peloton bike carrier and my commuter bike up there, and we noticed a steep decline in gas mileage - from ~26mpg to ~20mpg; however, I am fairly certain this was almost entirely due to the bicycle and not this box. Still, a fairing might make sense.

All in all, a great box! And, it will fit 210cm cross-country skis without any trouble at all.

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

This top box looks great on top of our 4X4 and easily swallows all the extra gear we take when we go off camping or head to the cabin in the mountains. It fits on very easily to the factory roof bars and the double sided opening has found to be well useful.

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

I didn't want or need one of those massive clamshells on top of my small SUV. We're a three person family and only need a little surplus capacity for our bigger trips. However, the box has remained on the car for about a month now and is constantly in use.

First of all, I had expected it to be a bit of a hassle to install, but it wasn't. I had to adjust the aero-crossbars to their widest setting, but once that was done (and I doubt I'll ever move them again), the box installed simply in just minutes and has remained very secure since.

Despite being Thule's smallest box, the Ascent provides about 40% more storage to our car. In fact, on our last two trips we had so much extra storage that we ended up taking a cooler along just because we had the room. Even when not on trips, the box is so easy to access that it is a convenient place to store sweaty sports gear, so it doesn't have to go in the car. It is also long enough that our folding awning can go in it for sports events without having to fold down seats or bungee it to the roof.

The box does not present any noticable change in the car's handling or performance and barely registers in the gas mileage. Overall, we have been very happy with the Ascent. It is everything I have come to expect from Thule and I would not hestitate to buy it, or any other Thule product, again.

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

We used it for the first time driving from WI to SD to carry our camping gear. We used our four door sedan with a Thule roof rack. The cargo box attached easily and is extremely simple to secure to any shape roof rack bars. It worked well and as expected and gave us a lot more usable space. We really liked the ability to access the contents from either side. During the trip, we placed items that became dirty in it so the car trunk could remain clean.

It was difficult to lock if slightly over packed with items like sleeping bags and pillows that are easy to compress even though the cargo box closed and sealed completely without any problems. When opening the top cover, both the front and rear needed to be opened at the same time or one end sticks keeping it from opening. This was easy to solve by closing it slightly to equal out opening it front to rear. The cargo box halves are a bit flimsy when opened, so care should be used when loading and unloading. When closed and locked, it’s solid.
Our vehicle gas mileage was affected a little as expected, but the fuel cost we saved by not driving our full size SUV paid for the cargo box on this trip.

Bottom line, great product! We were very impressed by its performance. Can't wait to use it again.

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

I got this for a cross country move (NC to WA). We needed a bit more space to pack what we needed while waiting for the movers to arrive. I was going to get the Skybox 12 but this was all they had at the store, so I picked this up accordingly.

Overall, the box is good and as advertised. The capacity is great. The ability to open from both sides and not be able to lock unless all of the latches are in place is a very nice feature.

I am happy with my purchase, and will continue to use this box all the time, but I will point out a couple cons for you to look out for--

The box is LONG (which is the point, because I wanted to used it for skis/ snowboards in the winter), but as a result on my small Volvo S40 the front sticks way out past the front of the car. This killed our gas mileage (normally ~32 on the interstate, ended at ~25 over 2900 miles). I think on top of a longer car or SUV the gas mileage will not really be affected, but in this case, it was. But that is the nature of the beast I suppose.

The construction seems to be adequate, but I think ultimately this will not last "forever." There is very little extra structure other than the plastic box. I would've liked to see an all aluminum locking mechanism/ hinges as well as some aluminum stabilizers running front to back. The box bounced a little on the front end, nothing major but being a bit more rigid would helped the mileage issue above.

Finally, the seal of the box leaves some to be desired. When we finally opened it up quite a few splattered bugs had slipped in there. We were lucky that it didn't really rain the whole trip, but if a whole wasp can slip in there, I have a hard time believing that it is going to be very water proof. This is nothing a little weather stripping on the front edge won't cure, but that should be built-in so it doesn't interfere with closing the box.

Overall, again, if you need a box, this is a good option (esp if you have one of the REI 20% coupons).

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

When looking for a roof box, I needed one that was long enough for skis and not so tall that I couldn't drive into my garage. This one fit the bill. Any other box wouldn't have worked as I make it into my garage with 1 cm of clearance! Haven't taken it up to the mountains yet but super excited to use it!

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

Use this for skiing equipments(6 pairs of skis + some poles). Easy to install on my Honda Pilot. Installed over 2 months ago, traveled >2000 miles in all weather condition, and speed (>80 MPH on interstate.
Less bulky than other Thule - it minimize the chance of hitting garage ceilings, and more aerodynamic.

It is very long - holds any skis length, but it also limits my SUV's backdoor opening slightly.

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

This box is very easy to install and very lightweight.I had 4 pairs of skis and poles and 2 pairs of boots in it and had no problem fitting them all in. And it was very cheap compared to the other boxes.

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

After putting a great amount of time into research I settled on this box due to the size and dimensions. The narrow width fits on my crossbars leaving room to keep the roof bike rack mounted, and the length fits skis and poles and snowboards comfortably while allowing my rear hatch door to open fully. It was the perfect solution for getting gear for 3 kids and 1 adult into my car, since skis and boards dont fit into the trunk without the seat reclined. I was able to fit 3 snowboards, 1 pair of skis and poles with room at the front and back. Note, I dont think 4 snowboards fit, at least I can't. There is plenty of room to tuck sleeping bags, boots, jackets, and other small squishy items all around the equipment. There ARE tie down straps included that attached to the mounting hardware on the inside to keep items from moving around, but when the box is not packed full, it does make some noise on the car. Also, my gas mileage was slightly reduced and on the BMW, the drag on the roof is definitely noticeable especially at highway speeds. Overall I like this box and I am definitely keeping it on the car all winter!

Comments about Thule Ascent 1100 Roof Box:

I used the Ascent 1100 for a camping trip with friends on top of my Jeep Cherokee. It fitted easily 4 sleeping beds, sleepings pads, large tent and two camping chairs. As well as some additional small gear.
Although the Thule fitting guide claims that this roofbox also fits on an Audi A4 Avant, it simply does not. I don't consider the fact that you can't open the trunk completely as a good "fit". Minus points for Thule for not being accurate. If you have a bigger car: no problems, good product!