Yakima  SkyBox 18 Roof Box

The box is big and fits 3 snowboards and 3 pair of skis but there is one major problem....the box has to be locked for it to be closed. This may not sound like a big deal but if you ski and you head up to the hill cold weather or snow, the locks freeze shut and you either can't get the key in or when you do you can't twist the lock to unlock. This happened to me last weekend, I had to heat my key up with a lighter and struggle for a half hour to get my gear out! This was a replacement for my older box that had the hardware break after 6 uses. I am going to sell this piece of junk and get a cargo box from a different company.

I've only had this box for a short time. I purchased this size as I was trying to find a box that could fit a short Surfboard or two and carry some gear as well. This box can handle about a 6'9" maybe a 6'10" on an angle. I just finished the ultimate test run. I drove from Raleigh to Cape Hatteras through Tornado warnings that just ravaged the state. Granted I was running a couple hours ahead of the storms but I'd say I was dealing with 20-30 mph with 40+ gusts, probably more over the bridges on the Bay and by the ocean. The Box held on like a champ, I was nervous and there was some movement but my boards and gear arrived safe and sound.

After having a SpaceCadet15 box for several years with no issues whatsoever, I acquired a fourth hounddog and needed to free up more space in my Element...so i did the logical thing and added 3 square feet with this purchase. The dimensions made me hesitate but now with my purchase on the racks and having experienced a nice load uptop and absolutely no noise from the box, I know that I made the right move. All of my rack equipment has always been Yakima and now with this box, I'm a brand-faithful firm believer that this company is hard to out-do. Yakima rocks!

I spent a good amount of time deliberating and comparing the fit on my 2002 Forester between the dealer recommended 1600 and the bigger 1800. Once inside REI I went with the 1800 only after trying it on my car in the parking lot first. The 1800 fits great. I had to only make some minor, but normal positioning changes on my factory cross bars and the box slipped right on. In my opinion, the box is light enough for one person to handle but it's the length and width which makes it awkward enough to threat scratching the vehicle, dropping the box or hurting yourself. The box feels very sturdy and rigid when mounted and is virtually silent while driving windows down on the freeway. The reason I went with the Yakima over the Thule to begin with was because of the more durable lock/lever mechanism (according to Yakima and user reviews). Yakima has the user turn the key and then use the lever/handle to pop the box open. The Thule's use the torque on the key and this was a big selling point. However this is no longer correct. The Thule boxes today have a lock that is now designed to avoid using torque on the key also. I do favor the Yakima design in the rear of the box which allows it to sit as far back on my smaller vehicle as possible but allow my liftgate to fully open. PROS: also to be mentioned... The built in tie downs inside which work well with bungees. The fact that my key will not release unless the box is safely latched shut. One latch to secure, not three on a Thule. Opens from either side (one at a time only). The handle to open the box is larger and easy to grab with wet hands or snow gloves. CONS: After no time at all the three red 'Yakima' logos are looking like they are working their way unstuck from box. The key turn seems to be moody; not wanting to turn at times. Always making me think twice about the correct way to turn it. OVERALL: I'm happy with the Yakima and it does what I think it should do. Also, having peace of mind knowing I can bring it back to REI if I'm simply not happy is pretty cool. (Not a plug, but something to note for the undecided like myself).

To start off, my family has owned a skybox 16 for years. We have taken the thing on our road trips and ski trips for about 5 years now. That alone is an achievement in itself, because my family has put that skybox through some pretty hard conditions. Whether it be loading it to the gills or even accidently driving it under a parking structure's concrete crossbeam. The skybox has taken the abuse with no cracks or major structural damage. That being said I decided to buy one, a skybox 18, once I went off to college. This is my second year at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where I get my fair share of ski trips in every year. A week ago I allowed my friend to borrow my skybox for a weekend ski trip. Unluckily, my friend ended up hitting a weak spot on Georgetown Lake. The car ended up going down, engine first, into the freezing lake with intense speed. However, once the engine sunk low enough for the nose of the rack to touch the ice, the car stopped sinking. The rack was holding the car up above the ice level, giving my friend plenty of time to get out of the car safely. Once the tow trucks came to pull the car out of the lake, the process to pull the car out was to roll it over multiple times to get it over the ice barrier. On the first roll, the rack popped off; after pulling it to shore I saw that the clips hadn't broken, but they actually held on so strongly that they ripped the roof rack off of the car. Sadly from being rolled, the box itself couldn't support the weight of the car so the top was severely cracked; however, the clamps still worked perfectly, easily releasing and re-locking into place. I want to commend the Yakima Company for making an amazing product that was built with care and quality. If not for this well designed product, I would not have a great storage container, but I also would not have a good friend with me today.

Just got back from a 2,500 mile trip to L.A. We went through torrential rains, 50 inches of snow, and 50-60 mph winds in the mountain passes and along the coasts. The natives said it was the worst week of weather they could ever remember in March, from the Oregon border all the way down. The Skybox withstood all of it. It held our gear, kept it dry and gave us a ton of extra space. I installed it on my Jeep Liberty, and it did not interfere with the tailgate. I recommend this one over the 16 (despite the Yakima guidelines) if you need the extra space. Outstanding!

Box is great and surprisingly easy to mount by myself. It fits perfect on a 2012 Forester. Doesn't hang over the front and back hatch can still open all the way. It's solid when closed but the top seems a little flimsy when opened. Locking mechanism works quite well. No problems with it sticking yet but we do carry some lock de-icer just in case water ever gets inside the lock. It's travelled over 7,000miles and it holding up w/ no real signs of wear. Doesn't shake, vibrate or make noise even at speed but it did knock almost 3mpg. The faster you go the worse it gets. I expected this but it's good to know how much it will take off. Handling is also slightly worse and wind is much more noticeable but again these are to be expected.

Just returned from a four day camping trip, over 400 miles of Interstate, Highway and City roads. This is my first cargo box and this was the first trip wtih the Yakima 18 Skybox. Zero issues and it worked very well. Four recreational sleeping bags, an 8 man tent, four camping pillows and three kites fit niecely into this box. Easy to install and rode very well on the factory roof rack of my '07 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. I bought this over the Thule as it seemed a bit more sturdy and it does open and close easier with one hand than the Thule did at REI. Zero issues with wind or ride quality on the car and I lost maybe a half mpg. Love this box and am glad I bought it. We could not do car camping without the extra room it gives us.

The Skybox is very useful for snowboarding and recreational stuff. The bigger the box the more you can put into it. It is relatively stable yet durable. It is very easy to install. The first time adjusting it takes about 30 mins, but after you have it adjusted just 2 mins to take off. and 2 mins to put on. I used the box with the Yakima Q-Tower system. Much better than getting a hitch platform and having to worry about stuff getting stolen off of it. I recommend buying the Skybox it is without a doubt a spacesaver and great recreational product.

This box is a much better construction than the equivalent cargo box for Thule but the installation process does not allow for a fairing to cut down on wind noise. Wind noise isn't terrible but would have been nice to have the option. Install on the Thule was a little easier but the construction of the box outweighs the slight difference.