Yakima Skybox 21 2006

Overall

This is the best roofbox I've ever had by a mile.  It is so massive you can probably fit more in it than your actual roof racks could handle.  You've got to be careful about how much weight you put in there though, as I'm sure you could fit 12-14 pairs of skis... which would probably exceed the weight limit of your racks the box is attached to.  So if you're planning to get this badboy, don't cheap out on the racks you put it on! 

Opening from both sides is key as the box is too big to reach all the way across.  Also makes it handy for those of us who can't decide which side of their car they like to get ready on. 

The gas mileage is a little noticable though.  If you keep it slow (around 100km/hr) then I didn't notice a huge increase in how much gas the car consumed.  However, if I go much faster it seems to really guzzle the gas with wind resistance.  Moreso than my last roofbox which was about half the size. 

I'll tell you though, this is one massive box.  When it came my Girlfriend and I managed to both lie in it, close the lid and have a pretty comfortable amount of room left over. 

If you're going on a car trip with some friends its invaluable though.  You can get at least 8 pairs of skis and even a few pieces of smaller luggage in there. 

So if you want the biggest baddest roofbox ever, look no further this is for you!



Performance

The box works well.  The latching system is sticky though, when you unlock it and turn the handle you've still got to push up really hard to get it to open.  There's something in the dual-side opening system that seems to be not quite dialed in.  Always works, but its just annoying to have to push so hard to open it. 

Having the top of the roofbox open both ways is the best thing ever though.  With how wide this thing is, you need it too, as it is really hard to reach the gear on the far side. 

Design

Designed very well, slick lines and it hasn't broken on me in more than a year of usage.  I will always levy my complaint about the latching mechanisim though, you really have to push it to release it. 

They include mats, cargo net and a light that you can attach inside for ease of use.  Also, the way that the box attaches to your roof is brilliant.  There are 4 large clips on the bottom, with 4 big handles inside the box.  You pop these 4 handles and just slide the box off the car, which can then be hung in the garage on the box hanger.  So when summertime rolls around one person could take this box off (once emptied) in about 30 seconds.  The clips run the opposite way to wind resistance too, so you really don't have to worry about it coming off.  Very handy to be able to take it off the car and replace it with bike/canoe/kayak/whatever racks in the summer. 

• Design
  Clean
  Busy
• Weight
  Light
  Heavy
• Durability
  Fragile
  Durable
• Style
  Uncool
  Cool
• Fit
  Slim
  Bulky
• Volume
  Tiny
  Huge
• Features
  Minimal
  Tons
• Usage
  Weekend
  World Tour
• Compartments
  One
  Many