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Home > SportRack A26395 Aero 1300 Roof Box
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SportRack A26395 Aero 1300 Roof Box
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Show more by Thule
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Average Rating:  (82 Reviews)
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List Price: $279.95
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Our Price: $259.95
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You Save: $20.00 (7%)
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Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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From our affiliated sellers:
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3 New from $231.86
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- 13 cu. ft. (368 liter) capacity
- Mounts directly to most OEM and aftermarket crossbars with included Quick Release u-bolt mounting kit
- Passenger side opening design includes a lock for secure and easy curbside access
- ABS construction is durable and UV-resistant
- Dimensions: 75"(l) x 23.5"(w) x 16"(h) / 33 lbs (15 kg), Maximum load of 110 lbs (50 kg)
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Product Description:
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Narrow, mid-volume 13 cubic foot capacity ABS plastic shell roof box hauls your cargo while leaving ample room on the rack for other accessories or equipment
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Too much gear to carry and not enough room in your vehicle? The SportRack ABS Aero 1300 Ski roof box offers additional cargo space for skis and gear. Also an ideal means to transport sports equipment, luggage, and other vacation necessities, this roof box will mount to any crossbar. With a passenger-side opening and locking mechanism for added convenience and safety, this box can carry up to 110 pounds of cargo and is perfectly compatible with minivans, SUVs, and small to mid-sized cars. Measuring 16 x 23-1/2 x 75 inches (HxWxL), this box sports a carrying capacity of 13 cubic feet (360 liters) and comes complete with a U-bolt mounting bracket kit.
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Customer Reviews:
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 Sportrack Aero 1300 is awesome!, October 20, 2008
By T. Wu (Norcal, CA)
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Much better than expected. I've only had this on my Toyota 4runner for a few weeks. Does not feel very heavy, nor does it affect my fuel/mileage so far. Easy to assemble. Also very easy to take on and off any standard crossbar.
The picture is actually inaccurate. Go to the officieal Sportrack website and type in ABS 1300 Ski model A26395. Or just type in the model number. You will see the actual picture is a much longer box. The typical Yakima or Thule Box that is similar sized will usually cost you about $350 to $500, you can buy the exact same one for only $200 on Amazon, under a mistaken picture. I am surprised they are selling this box at this price. I think it might be the price of the picture, which is a smaller dimension roof cargo box. The smaller box would not have fit my snowboard/skis, but the one that was shipped (model A26365) for $200 fit my gear perfect.
75" is definitely the length of the box in case you were wondering if it would be too long for your vehicle. Also, when the Sportrack box came in through UPS, i saw a "thule" symbol on the box.. Could it be the same company? who knows.. but the quality is exactly the same. Good lock on the box too. Oh and the model that came is one that opens on the passenger side only (for sidewalk loading). This was quite a deal! highly recommended!!
26 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
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 Fantastic no frills cargo box, January 13, 2011
By Lane (San Diego, CA)
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The Sportrack 1300 Roof Box is a great cargo carrier. If you need something to get your stuff to and from the mountains, campsite, grandma's house, or anywhere in between you can't go wrong with this carrier.
The rationale: We have a mid-sized SUV. With two adults and two children, our long road trips to the mountains could get pretty tight even if our skis/boards were on the roof. We felt a cargo box was in order to store our skis/boards on top along with some other baggage to keep the rear windows clear and the claustaphobia to a minimum. I'd seen boxes at our local REI but couldn't justify +$600 on a box. So after reading the reviews on Amazon we ordered the SportRack Aero 1300 Roof Box.
The price: Amazon's price with free shipping is tough to beat. Comparable lower-end cargo boxes at your local outdoors store are double the price for pretty much the same thing.
The shipping: Incredibly fast. Mine arrived a couple days after ordering. The units come fully assembled in a carboard box. Like another reviewer mentioned there was curiously enough a Thule sticker and address on the side of the box. Very odd indeed. SportRack could be a sub-brand they utilized to go after lower end of the market. Not quite sure. I'll cease caring about that now.
The materials: The box is made out of a moderately thick 2.25mm ABS plastic. It does feel a bit flimsy when first bringing it out of the box and opening and closing. However once the box is attached to your vehicle and closed it does seem strong enough to withstand wind, rain, and snow at 80mph freeway speeds (more on that later).
The hardware: Stong and adequate functionally but pretty ugly aesthetically. Compared to higher priced systems this is one of it's weaker spots from the looks and also the ease of adjustment department. You could paint it black I guess but out of the box it comes looking like you bought it at Home Depot. Not a huge deal. I ended up using some mounts I had from a Thule Ski rack that were able to mount the SportRack just fine. I think Yakima Mighty Mounts are similar and can also be bought for around $30 or so if you are really not into the included hardware. Regardless of the hardware you choose I think using the washers that come with the unit is a smart idea to increase surface area of the connection to your luggage racks.
The hinge: A bit flimsy but it serves it's purpose. Only opens one way -- towards the passenger side -- but I thought this was fine for my purposes.
The lock: Works pretty good. It actually has some good protection on the inside to prevent items from moving around in the box and preventing the lock from opening. I crammed a ton of stuff in the box and squished the box down. The lock won't lock and let you extract the key until all three locks engage. Pretty good failsafe means of ensuring the box won't open when barreling down the freeway. This is a good thing.
The volume: I think the specs state 13 cubic feet. I had a tough time dimensionalizing what this means so here is what I packed in it on our first trip to Mammoth mountain for skiing/boarding. One snowboard, one set of skis and poles, two sets of childrens skis, 4 sets of ski wear including boots in two large bags, a couple shopping bags of dry goods, two plastic sleds. We could've wedged more stuff in if necessary. I think the size is ideal for snow sports.
The install: About 30 minutes initially, maybe 10 once you have the hardware figured out and in place. I actually used a set of Thule cargo roof mount hardware that I had from some ski racks to mount the box to the OEM cargo racks on my Toyota FJ Cruiser. They worked just fine and were a bit less clunky than the included hardware.
The experience: We put this box through an absolute grinder on our maiden voyage with it and it performed perfectly. We travelled from San Diego to Mammoth Mountain (about 7 hours @ 80mph) during one of the biggest storms that hit the Sierras right before Christmas of 2010. I think it snowed around 13 feet during a 5 day period. On the way up and back we hit lane-change-inducing cross winds and pouring rain. Once at Mammoth it dumped heavy snow. Not a drop of water got inside the unit on our way up. On the way back there was a little moisture that accumulated at the bottom but I think it was from me purposely hitting some flooded areas of road a little fast. Again, not the SportRacks fault there. Zero wind noise could be detected. And the gas mileage impact was negligible. Rock on, SportRack 1300.
Minimum/Maximum Weight Issue: One caveat I must mention which is echoed by other reviewers as well as the product manual: the box needs to be loaded with 50lb to 100lb of weight before you can go freeway speeds. That window does seem a bit inconvenient for casual use where you may have the box empty or just with a few items. I drove it at 75mph for a 15 mile stretch of freeway with only about 25lbs in it and it performed fine. I think the 50lb minimum is to also offset strong cross winds or other inclement conditions. Anyway something to be aware of and consider before purchasing.
The durability: I'm not exactly qualified to comment on this aspect of the box but after our first Mammoth trip, loaning it to a friend for a Vegas trip, and using it moderately around town the box looks pretty much out of the box new. It is pretty easy to imagine using this for years to come with no issues. After all, its a big plastic box, what could go wrong.
The recommendation: Don't hesitate to buy this unit if you need to get to the slopes or just want to get some bags/stuff out of the way. It looks good on your car, is inexpensive, and gets the job done.
15 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
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 SportRack on Nissan Murano 2006, May 5, 2010
By W2 (Greensburg, PA, US)
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Arrived on-time and in good shape. A good sturdy cargo box with good length for full sized senior hockey sticks plus bags and many other things. Only opens from one side but I knew that going into the purchase. The cargo box is a bit longer than I had expected, it has to mount a little bit more forward than I would like in order to open the rear lift-gate. I did not like the way it mounts to the roof rack, too flimsy and hardware will scratch the roof rack. If the mounting was better I would have rated it higher.
11 of 12 people found the above review helpful.
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Great so far, March 31, 2010
By Brad (Atlanta, GA USA)
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Comes fully assembled except for the brackets that hold it to your cross bars. They are pretty simple to put in. I was a little afraid that it wouldn't fit the width of my factory cross bars on my Subaru Forester. They are a flat, "aero" design, but the brackets with this box fit them easily with room to spare. The bars would have to be REALLY wide to not fit. It is wide enough to use about 2/3 of the width of the bars on a Forester, and it fits about even with the top of the back window, with enough room for the hatch to open without touching, and about a foot behind the top of the front window. For less drag and better gas mileage, you are supposed to put it as far back as possible while allowing the rear door to open.
For those with thick bars, other reviews complained the included screws are not long enough. The screws are standard lag bolts with a square shoulder. A quick trip to the hardware store with one of them to get the same size/thread screw in a longer size would only take a few minutes and cost maybe $1 each for 8 of them. Not a really big deal. It might be nice for the manufacturer to include the ones they do for flat bars, and a set an inch longer or so for larger square or round bars, but it is simple enough to remedy.
It has a strap attached to the inside of the lid to make it easier to reach, pull and close, a nice touch I don't remember seeing in the product description.
I've bought a roll of self adhesive foam door weather stripping in an effort to better seal it off from the weather. The top and bottom simply overlap by at least an inch in such a way that wind wouldn't be likely to push any water up in there, but I'd like to try to make sure. I haven't used it in the rain yet, so I don't know how weatherproof it is without the weatherstrip I'm adding. I suppose I could put a sheet of plastic in the bottom of the box and load everything in there, then wrap the plastic over the top of everything before closing the lid. Any water that did get in would drain out around the screw holes. There are ridges in the bottom to keep all but soft bags out of any water that collected in the bottom.
edit: It turns out I didn't need to do the weatherstripping. The glue on the weather stripping failed and it came out, but I've never had anything get wet. No problems!
I bought this primarily so when my family goes camping or on vacation in a dark sky location, we can take our big telescope with us. We have an Orion 8" Dobsonian (the mirror is 8", the tube is bigger than that and is almost 4 feet long, and there are projections for attaching to the base, focuser, finder, etc.), and the tube in Orion's padded carrying case will fit with room for a duffel bag and my eyepiece case. The base goes in the trunk in the space the duffel would have taken. The base is too big to fit in this box. Works well for this purpose.
10 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Highly recommend, February 23, 2011
By Artie Vaughn
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Rarely, if ever, do I write reviews on products. Call me lazy, if you will. However, I felt compelled to share my experience with this outstanding item.
I purchased this item for a move that I was making across country. I'm active duty military and recently moved from Central Georgia to Northern California. I needed to increase the space that I could cram some of my stuff. I placed the order and shortly thereafter the carrier arrived. It actually came in a Thule box. Maybe sportrack is a division of Thule - who knows? But, I digress. I promptly placed the carrier on my Honda Element. Installation was super easy. I would recommend having someone help you, but I did it alone.
The rack held a lot of stuff. I am pretty sure I exceeded not only the weight capacity of my carrier, but the capacity of my Element as well. Soon after I installed it, I attempted to pull my car into the garage - bad idea. I heard an awful noise. I got out and realized that I had bent the hell out of this thing and scratched it all up. Not a good way to start. However, as soon as I backed out, it immediately popped right out without any assistance from me. Carrier 1 - me 0.
I left GA and took 8 days to drive to CA. I encounted weather from driving rain, 70 degrees and sun shine, to single digits with snow. I drove between 70-85 mph most of the way.
When I arrived in CA, everything in the carrier was just as I had placed it. There was no evidence that the carrier had leaked after all of the elements I put this thing through.
I highly recommend this item.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Great rack!, February 27, 2009
By sports fan (MD, USA)
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this is a great rack. We recently moved so i needed to transfer boxes back and forth, i put heavy boxes into it and drove for 30 miles(probably not recommended) but without any problems. I kept it out in the rain/snow/ice for a week. We had extremely windy conditions while driving 70-80 miles/hr, i had no incidents and no leeks inside. And the best thing is i rarely noticed its effect on the gas consumption.
One thing though, i covered the metal plates needed to fix the rack to the roof with a plastic piece so it doesn't scrape against the car rack-bars.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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exactly as expected, May 12, 2010
By MonicaS (utah)
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This rack is a great buy. I installed it myself (woman-5'4) on the top of our Caravan in about an hour, needed a ladder. We used it on a two week road trip where we experienced all types of weather including heat, snow, and pouring rain, everything inside was perfectly dry and protected. The quality is good, I wouldnt let anyone big sit on it or it might break but definitely worth what we paid, and much more affordable than thule or yakima. I suspect thule and yakima might be made from harder plastic and thats why they cost so much more but if you take care of this box it should last a long time. The lock works well but dont overload the box or its difficult to unlock/lock. We carried 3 large duffel bags, one small suitcase, two pillows, and one small barbie sleeping bag. It was like having an extra trunk. We really like this box and wonder why we didnt buy it sooner. We did notice a slight reduction in gas mileage but my husband was driving very fast most of the time, didnt hear any wind noise or rattling. Amazon had the best price as usual.
6 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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lock is poor quality, March 20, 2011
By LT (USA)
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I purchased this item back in January. I needed a cartop carrier for a vacation with the kids and something that would fit the family skis. This box is great. It does the job it is intended and there is minimal exertion on the gas mileage.
I do have one issue with it, and it's the only issue I"ve had that would keep it from being 5 stars.
The locking mechanism. Out of the fifteen or so times I've had to open or close this thing, at least ten of the times the lock wouldn't work. My key gets stuck in it and I can't do anything. I've tried WD-40, and the muscles of a teenager a few times which helps, but as I write this review, my cartop carrier is open, with key stuck in it....WD-40 all over every moving part.....to no avail.
I'm trying to figure out how to contact someone for help,....if it weren't for this issue, that carrier would have a 5star rating.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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GREAT VALUE, January 14, 2011
By Yellowfin203 (So Cal)
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I have owned a Yalima Sky Box since 2005 and it served me well. Over the Xmas holiday one side would not unlatch. I originally paid over $300 for the box, but now they are over $600. I returned it to my place of purchase and they wanted me to pay the difference to replace it......NO WAY. So I got a refund. Not happy about it, but I wasn't going to pay that additional sum. I went home and started searching for a replacement. Boy am I glad I came across this box on Amazon.com; and all the positive reviews were icing on the cake. The SportRack A26395 is smaller than my previous rack, but it is just as utilitarian. You can not open or lock the box without having the key, there is NO knob. The attachment system is a bit more cumbersome than having the internal clamping system, but it is effective and not hard to adjust to. ONE comment; assemble the clamping components on the SportRack prior to placing on top of your roof rack.(just be certain to measure the distance between your roof bars) I assembled the components with the box on the roof racks and it took me longer than it should have......totally MY mistake. Once the attachment system is tightened down on your roof rack, it is quite secure. I have no worries at all. My wife and I have a cabin in the Sierras and the roof box is always used to help haul stuff to and from the cabin; skis, poles, fishing equipment, groceries, the christmas presents....everything. The DOG takes up the back seat. fyi I have the box mounted on top of a BMW X3. The DOG has the pleasure of occupying the rear seat; one reason for requiring a cargo box. I currently have two sets of downhill skis and poles inside with lots of room left over. My skis are 177's and they fit with "some" extra length to spare; possibly a couple of inches....more if placed on a diagonal.
In summary, I highly recommend the SportRack A26395 Roof Box. You simply will not find a comparable box for any where near the money. (Yes, the shipping box does have a THULE tag on it)..The standard shipping was quite efficient, about 5 business days to Southern California.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Amazing!, December 28, 2010
By Will
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This rack is perfect. Thule makes it so the quality is top notch, no noticable wind noise, and is EXTREMELY durable. I drove this thing into my work parking garage (Forgot it was on), and the thing completely colapsed but was able to pop right back together somehow. Very impressed with it's quality, and would definitely buy again over the higher priced options out there.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Awesome Looking Carrier, April 7, 2010
By J. Nemeth (Abbotsford B.C. Canada)
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I purchased this cargo box off Amazon and the shipping was FREE and very quick as well as the price was the lowest I could find out there. I live in Canada so when I picked it up near the border the shipping box was HUGE, but we just attached it to our roof. The carrier looks AWESOME, and come fully assembled!! I have yet to use it, but have a trip coming up. If you live in Canada you must buy it from Amazon. I saved over $150 including tax, currency and everything compared to if I bought it in Canada.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Excellent rack for the money, April 30, 2009
By Siegfried Blechschmidt
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Was looking to purchase a rack for a trip from New York to Florida. Based on reviews and research, bought this one for the price. Carried two golf bags, A 6' PVC pipe, two end caps attached (with 10'& 11' surf casting rods inside), casting net & length of rope. No problems, no real noticable loss of gas mileage. Very good rack for the money!
2 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Love our Sportrack, May 18, 2011
By JD (Portland, OR)
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Purchased last year and still working great. Hinges and locks work well. Put on a Honda Odyssey and did not have much change in mpg. Holds a ton of stuff, was really surprised at how much we could get into this thing. Had some rain on some of our trips but our things stayed dry, we put a tarp along the bottom just in case but probably didn't need it. I like the side opening feature, I think this works better than the rear opening model since we have a rear opening hatch on the Odyssey.
Highly recommended!!!!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great value for great product, May 2, 2011
By Paul Skier (LAKE ORION,MI, US)
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Made in the USA, can't say that about many other products! I received my carrier in less than 10 days and installed it in less than an hour on the roof rack of my Kia Sedona mini van. Drove from Utah to Michigan through rain and snow and all was dry inside. Fit 3 pairs of skis with room for more. A quality unit at half the price of similar units from other brands. I can't be happier with the product quality, service, and free shipping. A suggestion for other buyers...save the plastic bag the unit was wrapped in to keep it clean during storage.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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love it, April 5, 2011
By Richie
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shipped fast,eazy to put on factory roof rack.
perfect size for my 2011 santa fe.holds alot of cargo,backpacks.
great price!!!!!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Cheap alternative to Thule and Yakima., March 11, 2011
By M. worrall (phx)
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This box is made from the same plastic as its competitors and has similar dimensions and appearance. It is not quite as pretty as a Thule box... but so what.
The only disadvantage vs the competition is the rather primitive attachment system between the box and your roof bars which is composed of 2 plates and screws.
That said, the attachment is completely secure and theft resistant -- just ungainly and takes a few minutes on a ladder to secure -- especially for a suv.
I would place some straps around the attachment plates if you need to secure skis. I was able to put in four pairs using stiff foam and strapping to secure them.
For occasional use (which I think applies to everyone) this box is just great.
It is also made in the USA not China.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Perfect for ski trip!, February 2, 2011
By ski4life
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Bought this for a ski trip and it worked great! Shipped faster than promised, had it in a week. Can't beat the free shipping either! Was a bit concerned that it would not fit on my vehicle's factory roof rack. I have a 2005 Hyundai Tucson which is a small suv and the crossbars are closer together than the min. distance listed on the SportRack website. However, it fit just fine without having to redrill the mounting holes like some reviews mentioned. There are 5 different mounting holes on the front and back to choose from so chances are you could make it work. My crossbars are really big too, like 3.5 inches across and aerodynamic in shape but the mounts that come with this worked well. Some others mentioned that the locking mechanism would not turn if stuff was up against it but my carrier had the locking mechanism enclosed in metal. Maybe SportRack listened to all the complaints and changed the design. I had the thing packed and had no problems getting it to lock. We had 2 complete pair of skis with boots, 2 good sized duffels, and 1 small duffel up there no problem. It's pretty easy to install too but I would suggest having 2 people to avoid scratching your paint as much as possible. It's not heavy but the way the easy mounts hang down you don't want to drag them across your roof cause it will scratch the paint. Altogether we drove 1600 miles through sun, rain, and snow and had no problems, even hosed it off at the car wash bay when we got home to get the road salt off and it didn't leak. Affected gas mileage a little bit, got about 2 mpg less, but could hardly tell it was up there. Drove most of the trip at 70 mph+ with no issues. So glad we decided to make this purchase, saved us a of room in the car, would recommend to anyone needing to free up space in the car for a road trip.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Serves the purpose, January 16, 2011
By LoveAdks
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Installed on Thule aero rack on Nissan Versa hatchback. No problem with opening the hatch. Concerned about the instructions which advise you should have 50 lbs. in the box or else not drive over 40 mph. No one I've talked to with other brands of boxes has this in their instructions. This has been driven empty or with about 20 lbs in it at speeds of 55 to 60 mph on trips up to 50 miles so far with no issues, and on this rack on this car there has been no noticeable noise increase. Not sure about mileage effects due to winter conditions. Used a small piece of foam pipe insulation between the mounting hardware and the crossbars to protect the bars from scratching, could still tighten it sufficently. Has been used for 3 weeks now and has not loosened. Holds x-country skis in a bag at least to 180 cm length, probably not too much more lengthwise. You do have to take care that what you have put in the box does not interfere with the locking mechanism, as has been stated in other reviews. This is the first box I've had, and it is sturdy enough for the intended purpose. The instructions about the 50 lbs is what causes me stress and made this 4 stars, not 5. Hopefully it is just their "insurance" language. It did say "Thule" on the shipping box, but I think the Thule boxes may be a heavier material. There are so many models - difficult to make a direct comparison. Made in USA a plus. We will see how it holds up over long term use.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Does the job for a lot less $, January 10, 2011
By Hutting
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I was skeptical since the price was so low but overall a very good product! Brackets look a little low rent but they are sturdy as can be and for the price, I still think this product more than delivered!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Ski Gear Storage, January 18, 2009
By Lori V. (Midwest)
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This product is a great car top unit that is a fraction of the cost of the popular brands. The features are great, such as the one hand opening and the key lock that doesn't allow you to misplace your keys. I have been using it 3 times a week since it arrived and I cannot think of a negative comment for this carrier. It installed very easily as well!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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it looks like a good product., January 17, 2011
By land
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it looks like a good product. However it can not fit into my Lexus 350 roof rack; I returned it.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Pain in the Ass to Install Compared to Thule, April 24, 2011
By regency reader
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We have actually used a Thule box so we have a basis for comparison. Definitely the Sportrack is noticeably flimsier, but that shouldn't prevent it from doing its job. The greatest downside to the Sportrack compared to the Thule is the installation mechanism that attaches the box to the roof racks.
The Thule has very simple, easy-to-use, hassle-free locking grips that are already attached to the bottom of the carrier. You just grip them to the roof rack and you're done. Takes less than 5 minutes for 1 person to attach. This Sportrack comes with separate screws and plates, and it is just a major pain in the butt to have to align properly, then manually screw in. It took my boyfriend about an hour. The first time is going to be the hardest and most time-consuming because of the required alignment of the screws to the plates. After the first time though, as long as you don't completely dissemble those screws from the plates, re-installation should be faster but still nowhere near as fast as the Thule. I'd say give yourself an extra hour before your trip to install this sucker. And take deep breaths, otherwise you'll be swearing like a foul-mouthed sea captain.
We haven't gone on our trip yet so we can't review the rack's performance, but the installation hassle alone is definitely making us consider returning it and spending the extra $200 on a Thule or finding a discounted used one locally. With all the planning and work already involved in preparing for a road trip, we don't really want to stress and get frustrated over the cargo box.
If you can't afford to pay more, then this is definitely a good deal. But I'd say if you have some $ to spare and plan to use the box at least 4 times in its life, the extra $ spent on a Thule is worth it.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Great deal, February 1, 2012
By Muley
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After a lot of research and shopping around, we bought this box mostly because of the price. We got it the day before leaving on a 6000 mile road trip, so had no chance to test it under anything but actual conditions. We chose it over a Sears model and a "Swiss" model, both more expensive, because of all the good reviews. It worked flawlessly on our stock Outback racks, easy on and off, although being 6'1" helps with that a lot. No leaks, little or no wind movement discernible with about 150 pound load. Latching can be a challenge, as the pull down strap will sometimes be in the way of the center latch, but that's not the fault of the carrier. All in all a great buy compared to all the other ones we looked at.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Bought SportRack Aero 1300 to hual my Paragliding gear, September 13, 2011
By John Ullrey
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I bought the Thule SportRack Aero 1300 Roof Box to haul my paragliding gear on top of the family mini-van (1999 Chrysler Town & Country). The mounting system is very simple in design, but worked without any problems. The first time you connect the mounts takes the longest, after that you leave the mounts connected to the box. I was able to fit all my gear plus another small to medium sized suitcase inside. I didn't really notice any difference in how the van feels on the road, even at 80 mph on the interstate. According to the manual you need to have a minimum of 50 lbs and a max of 100 lbs in the box when driving over 40 mph. The manual warns against driving at high speed with the box empty. When empty the box is light enough (about 35 lbs) that I was able to take the box off and put it back on by myself at our vacation destination. The manual recommends having two people do this, since it is a bit unwieldy balancing it by yourself. This product worked great for me and I recommend it.
The only complaint I would have and it is a minor one, is that the mounting clamps are bare metal and tend to scratch the paint on the cross bars of the factory equipped roof rack on my mini-van. I'm not too worried about it, since no one else will ever be able to see them. I would think it is possible to add some thin stick on neoprene padding to the inside of the clamp plates.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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I like it...., August 16, 2011
By chris
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This car top carrier is a gift from the God's. Makes my life so much easier. In hind sight I probably could have gotten the next bigger size but this one works fine. Easily holds two sets of golf clubs. Is just barely wide enough for my kids Boogie Boards.
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Glad I bought it!!, August 10, 2011
By lm_muzquiz
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I looked around a lot before committing to the SportRack A26395 Aero 1300; read the reviews, and finally decided to take the relatively low-cost plunge. It arrive in two days and you must be careful, as others have noted, to look for the little clear bag (with keys inside) taped to the inside of the larger clear bag that contains the roof box. This little clear bag could be better packaged so you don't miss it like I did! I tried to pry the box open because I heard the other hardware inside and assumed that the key was also inside (blaming the FedEx guy for locking the key in the box in a package blunder). Fortunately, a friend of mine noticed the little bag and we stopped trying to pry the box open!!
I carefully read the directions and mounted it to my 2001 RX300 with few problems; it took almost an hour though, from the time I finished reading the directions to tightening the last wing nut. I'm a 44 year old, 5'3" female so I did need a ladder to reach the interior wing nuts and complete the installation.
The roof box is lightweight enough so I could easily lift it and place it on top of my RX300 without scratching the roof of my car. The mounting hardware is cumbersome but easy enough to figure out; thoroughly reading the directions prior to beginning helped me a great deal!! It took me a bit to get it positioned the way I like it on my SUV so, that accounts for some of the time it took to complete the installation.
I haven't taken it on the road yet but I have already loaded it and have fit a lot more than I thought I would! In fact, I'm going to toss a few more lightweight items in to fill the empty crevices...why not? Right?
Bottom line, I'm very glad I bought this; installation went well and it looks really good on my RX300! Great value!
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Worked great!, July 29, 2011
By Scott - Chantilly, VA
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This topper worked great on my Mazda CX-9 for our relocation trip from Miami to Washington, DC. It freed up a lot of space, allowing me and my wife to comfortably travel with two kids. This topper is a little less sturdy feeling than more expensive brands; however, it held up great and did thd job.
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Great box for the money, bit flimsy but works well, July 24, 2011
By voodoo (USA)
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I used to install Yakima/Thule racks for a few years at a local bike shop, back when I was in college. We also sold the Yakima/Thule cargo boxes, of which I owned several various models at different times. Fast forward a few years, and I found myself in need of another cargo box. While at the Volkswagen dealer for a pre-trip tuneup, I saw a Thule box in the showroom with a nice markup selling for just over seven hundred dollars. Instead I purchased this Sportrack Aero 1300 box for an upcoming 9 hour trip to the beach and installed it on an old Yakima round bar rack on my wife's Jetta. Having a newborn we had just doubled the amount of gear we needed to travel with and I knew we'd be tight on space without it.
When I received the box, my first impression is that the top lid and hinges were a bit flimsy, but having read several Amazon user reviews I had felt confident enough to order and try it out. Installation was super easy, albeit with very basic and quite ugly hardware. Of course this is one of the areas that saves you a bit of money over a brand-name box.
I drove around town for the next few days with the box on the roof, just to make sure there were no issues before taking our road trip. I noticed immediately that when empty I could hear the hinges inside the box rattle around a bit, and visual observation through the sunroof showed the box flexing back and forth at speed. However, even at speeds past 75 mph the box held tight and did not move on the rack. I figured it would be a bit more stable once loaded.
For our trip we threw 4 full size duffle bags and a stroller into the box, and they fit with a little room to spare. This is a good-size for a small family of 3 such as ours. On the road I no longer heard the hinges rattle, but the box still flexed back and forth especially if you got caught behind a semi-truck. We drove the 9 hour trip and had an absolute downpour on the way there and back. The rain on the way back was actually so hard that most everyone pulled onto the shoulder, but after stopping for gas later a quick check revealed the box had kept all the water out and everything inside was nice and dry.
While we were at the beach condo there were 3 other cars in the parking lot with SportRack boxes on top, although all were larger than the Aero 1300 we had. For the price it's hard to beat this box. It's better than a soft-side bag that you strap to your roof, and looks much nicer than the Sears brand Snail-type cargo boxes that are popular. It is flimsier than a Yakima or Thule brand box, and the hardware is not aesthetically-pleasing but you could fix that if you wanted by purchasing a kit from one of the other companies. Someone else mentioned on here that this is probably made by Thule and I agree, but it's not quite as nice as the boxes they put their name on.
Still, a very nice box and well worth the money.
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Great Value, July 11, 2011
By Rob
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We've used the sport rack several times for camping and long trips on our Subaru Outback. My biggest complaint is the hardware used to attach it to the vehicle. They are kind of ugly and are very noticeable, but that's a minor issue. We only lost 3-4% MPG when using it so it's pretty aerodynamic. I haven't used it for skis yet, but all of our gear appears to fit without problems.
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Very useful, July 3, 2011
By Diana (United States)
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It was amazing how many things need to go on the trip when traveling with a baby. It was not to hard to install and really helped with the space issue we had. We might get a 2nd one since it looks like we can fit another one on top of our SUV.
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Solid box for the price, March 21, 2011
By Jo
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Can't go wrong with the price worth every penny easy install.. Only downer I could say is the clamps r a little on the low end side not as clean looking as orher brands but for the price I still would say its a good buy works great for freeing up interior space.
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Good cargo box, March 14, 2011
By Busy Mom (Wisconsin)
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We are using this with a 2009 Honda CR-V. We used it for a ski trip and it worked well. Just don't make the mistake we did by putting this on top of the car in the garage - our garage doors are not tall enough for us to get out. We had to unload, remove the box and reload. We enjoyed the extra space in the car on the trip. We will only use this 5-6 times a year, so we did not want to pay twice as much for Thule Roof box. Delivery was super fast.
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Great extra space, March 8, 2011
By afroman (Wichita, KS USA)
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This product lived up to my expectations. It helped to provide us with the extra space we needed without hurting our gas mileage. I especially liked the additional few inches of height. With a little re-engineering of my ski rack, I was able to fit both on my 2005 Toyota Sienna. I recommend this to people looking for a viable, cheaper alternative to Thule. Keep in mind that it may be a bit short for longer skis, but for us it was fine. We easily put 2 snowboards, 2 pairs of skis, 4 pairs of poles (with the other 2 pairs of skis on the ski rack). Some forethought into a way to stack the skis might be necessary if you wanted to fill it to capacity.
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The Bomb of all Roof Boxes !!, February 23, 2011
By Michael J.
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I recently purchased this box after much research. Although it is $200+ less than most Thules of its size, it performs all the same functions. Took a ski trip to Vermont last week & fit 2 pair of adult skis & 3 kids pairs as well as 5 sets of poles, all 5 pairs of ski boots & 2 slippery sleds !!! What a space saver & at half the price. Thinner material as others but held up for approx. 14hrs of 75mph highway driving with no problems what so ever. Love this box !! Glad I bought it only wish sooner !!
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Love it at the price!, February 22, 2011
By PAJ (Seattle, WA)
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Short and simple this is great value.
No frills roof box with good quality at a great price.
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Aero 1300 Roof Box, February 1, 2011
By Wilson
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Just what I hoped for. Almost half the $$$ of a Yakima or Thule.
Might be a little lighter wieght than the others but just fine for my uses.
I fit 5 pairs of skis and a snowboard in it for a long ski weekend to Jay Peak, NO problems on the Interstate and NO change in gas MPG.
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great sportrack, January 28, 2011
By Aracely Flores Frayn
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Great product. It has plenty of space for bags and stuff. The delivery was very fast. It is exactly what we expected!
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Works great, January 19, 2011
By S. Morris-II (Arlington, VT)
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This carrier is one of the better that I have owned (and cost less) The only downside to it is their are no tie downs in it.
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Quality Alternative to a Thule or Yakima Rack, December 31, 2010
By mogieloc
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Solid rack for the price, not very high quality plastic but it's easy to mount and holds a large amount of equipment. Considering a Yakima or Thule rack of the same style retails for around $500 this is a steal.
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Plenty of space!, December 29, 2010
By Brennan J Kuhns
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Passenger side spring-loaded opening, got 3 sets of skis, snowboard, 3 sets of poles, and plenty of room to move around!
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sportrack, December 25, 2010
By Erich
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I just got around to installing this box today. It installs easily and the product is good quality.
My only complaint is they short shipped me 4 mounting bolts and I had to run around town looking for replacments.
Erich
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OK for the money, December 21, 2010
By jeffc
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Rack purchased from Amazon recently. Arrived promptly-Thanks Amazon! Have used it on recent trip and it performed flawlessly, mounted to my 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. It fits perfect. Only drawback: would have wanted a little sturdier build-quite flimsy but seems to hold up fine so far.
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Great Buy, November 23, 2010
By HAISM
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This is a great buy compared to all of the others I looked at. For $200 it works the same and looks the same as the $400 boxes. The same box is sold with various labels for other brands...
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nice for the price, November 14, 2010
By John Hickman
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I got this roof box to use to carry my snow boards for the winter. It works great for the price. However I did have to modify the cargo box to fit my vehicle. I have a Nissan Armada and it did not fit the roof rack when brought in all the way. I needed to drill new holes this was very easy to do and with the mounting kit given it fits just fine.
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LOVE IT!!!, October 6, 2010
By Greyk9s (Meridian, Id)
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Needed extra room to travel with the kids and dogs. Love our new Rack. You can get so much "stuff" in it, and get it out of the way on a long trip. Was kind of a pain to get on. Had to re-do it when I finally figured out the instructions. Was much easier when I had help. It's completely waterproof. Not only did we take it to Seattle, but also ran through a "no touch" car wash. Not a drop in the Rack.
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Sportrack Aero 1300, September 25, 2010
By Lidia Vickery (Pottersville, NY United States)
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Exactly what we needed to add more space for baby related items on road trips. Attached easily and securely to vehicle. Solid build. No noticeable wind noise whatsoever when driving. Great product!
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Perfect - why pay twice as much for the famous brands?, September 21, 2010
By J. Adams
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I bought this two years ago, when my in-laws were going to drive with us from LA to Grand Canyon. Put it on top of the Sienna, got 6, then 7 people in, with luggage. It holds lots of stuff. I was afraid of hurting fuel economy and swaying in crosswinds, but I usually couldn't tell the difference at all! I got 20 mpg+, and no handling issues! Since then, I've used it to carry camping gear, which kept the dirt out of the car, and stuff stayed dry in there even driving through rain.
Attaching the driver-side mounts is a stretch from the passenger side, but no big deal. Simple wingnuts to attach it, and hinges and locks work well.
I suppose the materials are maybe cheaper than the Thule or Yakima, but it does everything I ask, for $200 vs. $400-$500. I'm totally satisfied, and smile whenever I see those other brands on someone's car!
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Great product for the price, September 7, 2010
By Darcy
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What a space saver w/ 2 adults, 2 kids and a 100 lb mutt don't know what we did before! Used it 3x so far the longest ride 9 hours @ approx 85mph and you don't even know it's up there. We didn't notice a big change in our gas mileage think the shape helps with that. It's even long enough to fit all ours skis & snowboards! No "cons" that I can come up with.
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Fantastic Price Great Carrier, September 1, 2010
By Terry (AZ)
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I initially searched the OEM carrier for my tribeca, and it was just too darn expensive for just extra space. Read reviews, and found that the price was too good to pass up so I bought this sports rack carrier, this is my first experience with carriers, so i don't have anything else really to compare to. It is just as pictured and described. Someone said the decals are just too large for advertising? well its just that decals, so you can just remove it yourself easily, I did. I am a petite 5' woman and installed this all by myself, but my car was almost too tall for me to load it over, any taller and I would have needed some help. it took about 5 minutes to uninstall the carrier, the drawback is that you'll drag the mountings on your roof and scratch it up over time. Overall I'm very satisfied.
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Even better than expected, August 17, 2010
By sably
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I purchased this box for my 2006 Mazda5 and it exceeded my expectations. Other reviews mentioned flimsiness and I can confirm this initial impression. This being the only box I've ever purchased or been "hands on" with I don't know how it compares to a Thule or Yakima. I can tell you that I intially had horrible visions of this thing breaking through it's mounts at highway speeds and my family's luggage being scattered across the highway. Fortunately that fear was never realized. Instead I can say that after 20 hours of highway travel there were no problems to report. I coupled this carrier to a set of Inno roof racks, the assembly of which was made somewhat challenging by directions that came only in Japanese. The box, in contrast, went together easily and mounted to the square racks very securely. The box looked great on the Mazda 5, it produced no discernable noise, and I noticed no decrease in fuel economy. I couldn't even tell it was there. I was impressed by how much I was able to pack in this thing and although having travelled through a considerable amount of rain, not a drop of moisture entered the carrier. I think this box is an incredible value and it was made even more so by Amazon's Super saver shipping, arriving in just 2 days! I would definately recommend the Sportrack Aero 1300.
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Excellent roof top box for the money, August 16, 2010
By aslogar (strongsville)
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Come'on, for the small price you can't beat this carrier. Thule and Yakima will cost 2 to 3 times more.
Had no problems installing on our CRV. Fit nicely, and was sturdy. We loaded it for a weeklong camping
trip of sleeping bags, bike helmets and sleeping pads, to ensure we stayed below the weight limit.
Went thru a couple rain storms, and none of our stuff got wet.
I plan on using this in the winter for skiing trips, so I added some carpet padding on the bottom,
to protect from hard objects, like skiis and poles. Will let you know how that works.
Yes, I also put too much stuff in ours, and the locks got blocked, and thought I might break the key
when I was locking it, but just make sure nothing is in the way of the locking mechanism.
Oh, one more thing, we have a sunroof, and when its open, it is a bit noisier with the box on top.
But that would be expected since the wind blows agains the box. Not a big deal.
Hope that helped.
Alex
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Great Cargo Box, August 8, 2010
By Marylander
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Great fit for my 10' Highlander. Tightening it onto the crossbars was a bit hard since the clearance has to be small. I had to stand on top of my rear right tire to fit onto the passenger side. A small ladder would also do nicely. Did not regret the purchase at all.
One suggestion to SportRack, make this available for opening from the driver side too.
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Good equipment, August 8, 2010
By murray500 (Central Indiana USA)
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After a bad experience with a Thule soft bag carrier (see review under my list) I went with this roof box.
It works great and is priced very competitively.
It has three lock finger locations which hold the top closed very well.
The clamps to the roof rack bars showed no tendency to loosen at all.
Took 2000 mile interstate trip mostly at 75-80 mph.
Minimal effect on noise and mileage.
Made in USA too.
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First time user, August 4, 2010
By lastatman
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I received mine last week and tried it for the first time. Used it for excess luggage that didn't fit in the car. Happy with how it worked. It took about an hour for me to set it up for the first time. Now that the bracket saddles are in place, I expect that with a little practice I should be able to mount it on the rack within ten minutes, max, each time I need it. Felt sturdy, and from what we could see from the side-view mirror, it did not flap, vibrate, or shake in the wind while going 60-70 mph (unlike a few others we passed with visible movement).
My only negative comments - and I consider all three minor - are:
1. The instructions say you shouldn't exceed 40 mph if you have less than 50 lbs of cargo, as it is not sufficiently weighted down. The max weight is 100 lbs. So that window (50-100 lbs) is fairly small, in my opinion.
2. The locking mechanism is exposed to the inside which can make it difficult to lock if you stuff the carrier (like I am prone to doing). I had sleeping bags that were pushed against the mechanism, which runs along the inside to three separate points where the locks engage. I was able to turn the key halfway and then it seemed to get stuck, giving me concern I would break the lock or key with additional force. Fortunately that didn't happen. I will have to allow for more clearance going forward.
3. For a full-size SUV, I needed to stand on the rear tire and do a balancing act to secure the brackets. This took a bit of effort that some people might not want or be able to do.
On the positive side, is also fits nicely on my wife's small SUV, and it was much easier to install from the ground.
All-in-all, for the price, I am very satisfied with this purchase.
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A great price for 13 cubic feet, July 31, 2010
By Alan Mazer
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We needed some extra storage for a week-long camping trip and this was far and away the cheapest solution.
Pros: Fit perfectly on our Honda Odyssey. I was able to install and uninstall it by myself, just by standing on the sliding-door frame. Very easy to load and unload. Nice lock. No obvious noise or decrease in gas mileage. Well-built. Looks like it will last a long time. Side-opening. (I don't know why anyone would want rear-opening but that seems to be a large part of the market.)
Cons: Only one. 13 cubic feet wasn't as much space as I would have liked for a week's worth of camping gear. We still had to leave some stuff home.
Summary: I don't think I could have found a better way to add space to our minivan. It's a quality product attractively priced. Just make sure that 13 cubic feet is really enough space for you. I saved hundreds of dollars over a larger unit in a different brand so I'm fine with it, but I still wish I had the money for something bigger.
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Good Product, Reasonable Price, July 25, 2010
By anonymous
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As far as functionality, this product is fine on all fronts. It attaches sufficiently, it is easy to open and close, and it keeps your gear safe and dry. The brackets, while secure, could look a little nicer, but for the price you pay it's hard to complain. I was skeptical about spending so much less than one of the big brand names (Yakima, Thule, etc), but after receiving and using this alternative, I am glad I saved the money.
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Bigger inside than it looks from the outside., July 19, 2010
By Bluegrass Gazer
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We recently celebrated the arrival of our second child, which immediately made our 2002 Honda CRV much smaller. We frequently go on trips to my wife's parents, who live about 2 and a half hours away. To fit all four people and a Labrador in our car, we had to put the dog in the back and find somewhere to put the luggage.
I've been thinking about a "torpedo" type carrier for some time now. I'm glad I found this model.
Positives:
Light and relatively easy to mount on the car.
The locks are made of steel and fasten in 3 points across the unit, making for a secure lock when closed.
No sound while using this on the highway.
I can fit my largest and second largest suitcases inside with room for another smaller bag.
Looks good on our silver and black Honda CRV.
Drove through rain and no water made it inside.
Negatives:
Barely fits on our factory roof rack. I should really drill two new holes in the unit to make for a better fit. While the mounting system is simple and secure, it should probably have been designed for racks that are farther apart. This is nothing a 3/4" drill bit won't solve. Don't let this scare you away from this product. As you can see I still gave it 5 stars!
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Perfect Roof Box!, July 11, 2010
By EMO (Herndon, VA USA)
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We purchased this box for our two week car trip to Canada this summer. We just got back after driving over 2000 miles and the SportRack Aero 1300 Roof Box was perfect. There was plenty of room for our two large roller duffel bags plus some small things. We had been looking at the much more expensive Thule and Yakima, but settled for this one since it was less than half the price. The mounting brackets are not as fancy as the name brands, but it does the job just perfectly. Our average speed was 75mph and we never heard or felt any noise or vibration. This roof box met all our needs and we had no problems.
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2007 Hyundai santa fe, May 31, 2010
By anonymous mom (Vista, CA)
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Bought this unit for my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe and after a slight modification, it fit perfectly. Hyundai's roof rack system doesn't move far enough forward so I had to drill a sepearte hole into the roof box. Took it on a 250 mile trip crusing at about 70mph and never heard any wind noise, nor did it bounce or move. Solid constrction and I was pleasantly surprised how much cargo I could actually get into this unit. Nice feature with the pull strap and the double hinges makes opening easy. Installation is easy as one person can attack it to the roof on their own.
Good value, solid unit, easy to use.
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Well worth the money!, December 16, 2008
By Mark T. Donar (Ft. Leavenworth, KS)
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This is a great carrier - especially for the money. It installs easily (both on a Honda Element and GMC Envoy XL) and is easy to load/unload. I looked at just about every cargo box before I stumbled across this one. For us, the 13 cu. ft. is a great size.
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 DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS SITE, August 12, 2011
By Melissa Diaz-Matos
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My box arrived late and locked. Why would a storage box with all the parts inside come locked? Once I was able to get in to the box (crow bar) I got the parts out. Lo and hehold no key. Now instead of packing i have to go buy a new box.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Where's the Key?, July 16, 2011
By Julia
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The SportRack arrives locked -- be careful not to throw away the keys (2) with the plastic overwrap! Search for a tiny, same-colored plastic bag with the keys before you toss away the packaging! The SportRack itself seems sturdy and very similar in quality to a Thule we borrowed for a 3,000 mile vacation last year (which worked beautifully). Looking forward to breaking in our new SportRack this summer!
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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sportrack aero 1300 roof top, July 27, 2010
By CQ
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Fast delivery, and good product for the price ...
Few like nothing on top when driving, thanks for aerodynamic shape ...
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Smaller than I expected, June 14, 2010
By Steveareeno
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The carrier is narrower than I expected (will be using it for camping gear) even though I new full-well how wide it was when I bought it. Overall it appears to be decent quality and sturdy. Haven't road tested it yet though. When I do I'll come back and update my review.
Don't loose the keys, it appears that is the only way to open it (no latch).
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Narrow, July 11, 2009
By Harbor Freight Tools
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It is a nice rack. I thought it would be a little wider. I have a toyota 4runner and it is about half the size of the roof. Still happy with purchase. On the flip side it makes it is to carry and store...
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 Not so happy, April 25, 2011
By smp
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Received in 2 days as promised. The bars on my SUV were too thick so the screws were not long enough. Had to run to Home Depot and buy 8 new sets of longer screws, washers AND wing nuts because the screws that come with the SportRack are in metric which is not so easy to find. The rack is flimsy and a pain to attach. When I did get it on my vehicle I drove around a bit at about 60mph with it empty. Didn't make any sound. No problems. But then I filled it. Can't get the key out!!! I read in another review that you can't remove the key until all 3 areas are latched. Well, I lined them up carefully. Did not overfill. I checked by trying to lift each area. Appears to be latched appropriately. Argh. Key still won't budge. It locked and unlocked fine until I placed items in it. Sprayed some WD40. Still stuck. Very unhappy that I paid a total of $285 for this item. Can't return it as my niece and nephew used the box it came in as Noah's Ark for their stuffed animals and drew all over it in crayon!
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Nice box but ugly hardware, February 21, 2010
By jln (jln)
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Its bolts are not long enough to fit on OEM cross bars of my 01 xterra. I bent the bottom brackets and it works great. It has good air dynamic shape that I don't observe much wind noise and mpg drop so far. Drawing back are it won't fit my garage and most of shopping garage (expected this b4 bought it). I also don't like the ugly and shinny bottom brackets from looking behind (may paint them blk). The letters from its rear should be smaller for sporty look, not for advertising.
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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looks good!, February 15, 2009
By Angela M. Riley
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we havent actually put this on our car to use it yet, but we received it very fast, and it looks GREAT!
0 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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Better then expected, May 17, 2012
By JMAN
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So I bought this SportRack A26395 1399 Roof Box a few weeks ago when it was $229 and I absolutely love it. I used to have a much larger SUV and occasional borrowed a friends Thule cargo carrier for ski trips and moving the kids in and out of college. Now I have a Honda CRV and I'm subjected to a very limited interior space. I quickly realized that I needed to purchase a cargo carrier. I was a little worried about the size of this box and the fact that it was only in the $200 price range. As it turns out, it couldn't have been a better fit. This rack is sturdy and fits my little SUV perfectly. The only thing I noticed is that nowhere on this rack does it say Thule, and the clamps are just okay. I would rather the Thule claw-like clamps for a quick installation in the colder weather, rather then fumbling a bit and dealing with frozen fingers when trying to put it on in the Winter months. However, I believe I have it down to a science now as it only takes me less then 10 minutes to install. I have used it twice now for moving the kids back from college, it has held multiple pieces of soft luggage & small crates, which really frees up space inside the vehicle for passengers, dorm fridges, microwaves, etc. I can't wait until ski season as I'm sure it will be equally great for skis, snowboards & boots. Don't hesitate on this one...its worth it and the price is still great even at $259!
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****LOOK FOR ANOTHER RACK****, May 16, 2012
By Andrew Reiff (long island)
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I BOUGHT THIS RACK BECAUSE IT LOOKED GOOD, PRICE WAS REASONABLE AND IT WOULD FIT JUST RIGHT ON THE RACKS ON MY 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. WE PLANNED TO LEAVE MAY 5, 2012 FOR A WEEK IN FLORIDA. THE NIGHT BEFORE WE FILLED IT UP
WITH SOME BAGS, DOG BOWLS, PILLOWS, SANDALS, 2 CAMERAS, 2 WALKING STICKS, ETC. NOTHING HEAVY OR BULKY.
AT 7OCLOCK THE NEXT MORNING WE SET OUT TO FINISH PUTTING A FEW MORE THINGS IN AND LEAVE. WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE
RACK THE KEY WOULDN'T TURN. NOT TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. I COULDN'T EVEN GET IT OUT. WE BOTH FUMBLED WITH THE KEY/LOCK FOR HALF AN HOUR. FINALLY IT OPENED. BUT I COULDN'T GET THE KEY OUT.
WHILE I WENT INTO THE HOUSE, TO CALL AROUND TO POSSIBLY RENT A CAR, MY WIFE GOT UP ON THE STEP LADDER AND REMOVED
EVERYTHING WE HAD PUT IN THE SPORTRACK. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO REPACK EVERYTHING INTO OUR OTHER CAR, WHICH WE HAD NO INTENTIONS ON TAKING, WHEREVER ANYTHING WOULD FIT.. STUFFED IN CORNERS, UNDER THE FRONT SEATS, NEXT TO AND AROUND THE SPARE TIRE. I CAME OUTSIDE AND COULDN'T SECURE A RENTAL SUV ON THAT SHORT NOTICE. REMEMBER, WE
ALSO HAVE 4 DOGS GOING ALONG ON THIS 800 MILE TRIP. WE NEEDED ROOM FOR THEM TOO.
MY WIFE MANAGED TO GET EVERYTHING IN THE OTHER CAR (LUCKILY IT WAS BIGGER THAN MINE) A JEEP SAHARA.
I MANAGED TO PULL OUT THE KEY WITH A PLIERS AND PARK THE CAR IN THE GARAGE WHILE WE LEFT IN THE HER CAR ALMOST 2
AND A HALF HOURS LATER.
A VERY BIG HASSEL AND I AM VERY DISPLEASED WITH THIS PRODUCT. THE LUCKY THING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WAS THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN 200 MILES FROM HOME AT A FREAKIN' GAS STATION OR SOMETHING. WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO UPS SOME OF THE ITEMS BACK HOME. THERE DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ROOM FOR EVERYTHING IN THE CAR THAT WAS INSIDE THE ROOFRACK, FOR SURE.
THIS IS NOT A RACK YOU WANT TO BUY OR TAKE A CHANCE WITH. BELIEVE ME.
I DID CONTACT 'THULE' WHO MAKES THIS RACK. HE TOLD ME IT WAS AN ENTRY LEVEL ROOFRACK (WHATEVER THAT MEANS)
AND THAT I MAY HAVE FILLED IT TOO MUCH AND THE "SAFETY" WAS ON ***??? WHO KNOWS?
TO BE SAFE SHOP AROUND, PAY A LITTLE MORE AND GET A REAL QUALITY RACK EVEN IF IT'S NOT A GOOD LOOKING ONE.
I STILL HAVE A RACK FROM 1988 FROM SEARS.. IT IS BEAT TO S--- BUT THE FREAKIN' LOCK STILL WORKS !!!
BUY SOMETHING ELSE. REALLY.
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Great Box For The Price, May 5, 2012
By J. Poulos (NJ)
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Bought this to increase cargo area of my Nissan Xterra. Out of the box the Aero 1300 seemed flimsy but I dont know how much thicker the pricier models are but once installed and filled it stiffened up considerably. My only gripe is with the hardware. It works, it holds tight but is ugly. It also looks as though it really wants to scratch the roof of your vehicle. I also had to buy longer m6x1.0 carriage bolts as the crossbars are thick on the Xterra. I placed it as far back as I could as directed and barely noticed any increased wind noise. My SUV is not very aerodynamic so it may or may not be noisier on a sleeker car. As for MPG penalty I didnt really notice any. Got 19.8 MPG on a recent road trip and the highest I've ever gotten was 20.6 and local driving had MPG as high as 18 which is excellent for my vehicle. The Aero 1300 is narrow and looks streamlined and not clunky. I was able to load an umbrella stroller, a carry on bag, and two medium duffels along with other stuff filling the voids. I bought it for a good price and am pleased. Key cannot be removed until lid is securely locked. Keys are wrapped on the outside of the box- keep an eye open. The only thing that kept this from five stars is the clunky hardware. Easier on and off would be better but then I guess it would cost more. If this is the size you need dont hesitate to purchase it.
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Happy skier, March 27, 2012
By bruce
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I've looked at a lot of roof boxes, most priced at about twice what this one cost. I'm very happy with this one. It is easy to install and remove, closes and locks securely, and easily held a snowboard and 4 pairs of skis. On a recent trip from RI to Canada there seemed to be no appreciable reduction of gas mileage in my Forester. Can't speak to long term durability yet, but seems sturdy and well constructed.
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good buy, March 13, 2012
By jim
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Bought the Sports rack for ski equipment and space storage. Havivng a smaller car I needed the room. It has more than met that goal. It was easy to get mounted and ready to go. No noise from it empty or full and no change in fuel mileage, which was my concern before purchase. It has been in use for a few weeks through a few trips and works great.
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SportRack A26395 Aero 1300 Cargo Roof Box by Thule with low price!, February 12, 2012
By danvo (canada)
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The SportRack A26395 Aero 1300 Cargo Roof Box is a perfect cargo carrier.
Firstable, it's made by Thule!
Not heavy and very easy to install by one person. About 45 minutes, maybe less once hardware layout.
The hinge works good. The lock works pretty well. It has the three digit number stamped on the on the lock matching number on two key. A strap attached to the inside of the lid to make it easier to reach, pulldown to close.
Solid, very nice box and well worth the money.
It's perfectly fit on my 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander and Thule Complete Crossroad Carrier System 45050
[...]
Thank you for reading my review
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WONDERFUL, February 9, 2012
By william jones
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It fit just great on my HUMMER H3. and was real east to install only took about 10 minutes from box to vehicle.
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Great Unit for the Price, January 28, 2012
By M. Carroll (IL)
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The SportRack construction is sturdy, it travels well with minimal drop in gas mileage and after driving through a day of downpours, only a few drops of moisture made their way inside. The only improvement the manufacturer could make would be a quick lock mechanism for attachment to the rails. The manual screws require 10-15 minutes to attach and detach, but otherwise, we were very happy with the product, the quick shipment and the Amazon price. We wish we had purchased this sooner, as it makes long roadtrips in our Pacifica more bearable with room to stretch out in the car filled with teenagers and a big dog.
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Nice concept, poor execution..., January 3, 2012
By MattInSat(Beach)
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Product shipped fast and seemed of good quality. However, It does not fit factory rails. The clamps can only connect to rails at certain widths. There is no other adjustment outside of drilling new holes for the hardware. The design of the clamps are very arcane. Do not buy unless you can make very fine adjustments to the width of your cross-rais. Also, the remaining holes will allow rain to enter the box. It comes with plastic stickers to prevent this, but c'mon... "stickers"? For $70 more you could get a Yakima Rocketbox 15 which holds more and attaches easily to any croosbars.
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Great box, great price!, December 29, 2011
By LordNoah (hood river OR)
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This box is great looking, superb build quality and about half the price of similar boxes by Thule and Yakima. Ive been using it the past few months and love it. It can handle 5 snowboards ranging in sizes from 145-165, and still has plenty of room for boots, jackets and whatever else you want to pack in there. The hinges are solid, mounting was a breeze. The cross bars on my Audi Q5 are really thick and I wasnt sure if the mounting hardware would fit them without modification, but they fit great and were simple to put on. This is a great box that should last a long time.
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Perfect fit for my 2007 Toyota RAV4, September 27, 2011
By Kevin Wu (Austin, TX United States)
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I purchased this box for my RAV4 because I wanted more space and protection for my snowboards during the long snowboarding roadtrips I take annually. I recently completed a 3,600 mile roadtrip to tour Colorado and back, and I was able to take my 2 dogs, 4 passengers, 2 Aerobeds, and all of our bags. That left the main cabin fairly spacious and comfortable for all 6 occupants. I was able to achieve up to 26 mpg, even on the twisty mountain switchbacks all over Colorado. In the past I have traveled with Thule racks holding my snowboards and could barely achieve 22 mpg on the same routes to Colorado from Texas. I feel the drag that the Thule racks create, but this SportRack box didn't create any drag effect during my drive. It's almost as if it acts like a dorsal fin of a shark slicing through the air and stabilizing my forward motion.
This box is perfect for the RAV4, I was able to set the box biased towards the rear of the vehicle to ensure it didn't create any frontal drag. It looks like it fits almost in the slipstream of the vehicle, and I am able to stand on the back bumper to load/unload the box from a different angle because of the RAV4's swing-away rear door. SUV's with hatchbacks cannot take full advantage of this angle. The box also accommodates 4 snowboards with bindings attached, which will be invaluable in the winter time. The keys were taped in a bag to the SportRack itself, and wasn't loosely packed as other reviewers have mentioned. The system is identical Thule's, which prevents the key from being removed if the box isn't completely locked. You can take a look at the bigger sizes on SportRack's website, but they won't fit most skis or snowboards because they are much shorter in length than this 1300 model. Anybody can install this without tools, and it's also light, durable, and looks great. I figured out how to install/uninstall it without needing a towel to protect the top of the car; it can be done if you leave the bindings tightly installed while in storage and only loosen them when they're sitting on top of the car already so that they can individually swing out and under the crossbeams.
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Great Roof Rack Storage!, September 19, 2011
By Dennis Tracy (West Coast)
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Great price, quick delivery. My first mounting to the racks on my car was a little awkward with the provided hardware. I decided to place a blanket on the roof to prevent any scratches (good idea!). Subsequent installations were easy.
Put on the SportRack, loaded it and set out on a 2000 mile trip. I didn't even know it was there. No noise, no change in gas mileage, no problems. I did add 2 straps I have from my kayak as security. That is a good idea also.
I did buy the 1300 model (a larger model my perform differently) and it is great. I would recommend this to others.
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Adult scooter, September 18, 2011
By Kory
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This is perfect for getting to and from short distances. I plan on taking it in vacations and camping. It's light and easy to breakdown. The only reason I gave it a four is because my female size 9's can't fit on together. Other than that....get it. You won't be sorry.
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Nice, September 2, 2011
By Daniel Wittman (CODY, WY, US)
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This product works great. I put it on top of my F150. I ski and also travel about 5k miles each year on various trips. I looked at a lot of carriers and the size of the SportRack 1300 for the price is well worth it.
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