{"id":286,"date":"2010-03-01T20:08:16","date_gmt":"2010-03-02T04:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.adrianandgenese.com\/blogger\/?p=286"},"modified":"2012-08-14T19:20:24","modified_gmt":"2012-08-15T03:20:24","slug":"diy-roof-rack-cargo-box-for-any-car-roof-rack-yakima-thule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.adrianandgenese.com\/blogger\/2010\/03\/01\/diy-roof-rack-cargo-box-for-any-car-roof-rack-yakima-thule\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Roof Rack Cargo Box for any car rack system (yakima, thule)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post will show you how to build your own DIY roof rack cargo box.<\/p>\n

Roof Rack kits are way overpriced. The companies who make them gouge your wallet by selling everything separately and for much more than they need to be. Even on ebay, used prices for rack kits are expensive (doable, but\u00c2\u00a0IMHO still expensive), and if one wants to go beyond just the typical roof rack, and add say a cargo box, the initial cost of doing so is almost $700 brand new!<\/p>\n

So when my wife and I had our first child (boy, 6 lbs 5 oz. born nov 18th), we quickly realized that we needed more space in our car to carry the usual odds and sods that babies tend to need while out and about. So our dilemma was either to get a larger used\u00c2\u00a0car (10k etc.), or to get a rack system (sub 1k)\u00c2\u00a0and see how much space it would provide us. We opted\u00c2\u00a0to try\u00c2\u00a0the cheapest solution first.<\/p>\n

\"Finished<\/a>

Finished Cargo box and Yakima rack installed<\/p><\/div>\n

I picked up a set of yakima crossbars, 6 lock cores, and Q-towers off craigslist, and purchased the correct Q-clips from rei and another sale off craigslist\u00c2\u00a0(to build the base system for my corolla, one needs crossbars, q-towers and q-clips). The total came out to be $190 for all of the above (new would be around $375), still expensive but acceptable. After initial installation and test drive,\u00c2\u00a0the next step was to stop the obnoxiously loud wind noise which was created by the crossbars while traveling faster than 35mph. A quick google search turned up that to do so cheaply (meaning not buying the $70 wind\u00c2\u00a0fairing), all one had to do was to take a thick\u00c2\u00a0nylon bungee cord ($2)\u00c2\u00a0and twist it around the bars (car manufacturers\u00c2\u00a0use this same principle\u00c2\u00a0on their radio antennas to alleviate wind noise as well). This worked beautifully, as all wind noise caused by wind running through the crossbars was eliminated.<\/p>\n

After the base rack system was installed and all obnoxious side-effects minimized, it came time to\u00c2\u00a0“build” the cargo box which would hold\u00c2\u00a0some of the bulky objects one would pack for a weekend getaway. Fortunately, I found a suitable container at work. It was a used Abex pop-up exhibit travel case which was somewhat aerodynamic and made of durable plastic since it was made for shipping and travel. One can pick up similar shipping cases (which do not need to be abex branded)\u00c2\u00a0for pretty cheap off ebay, I did a search and found them for about $50-100 with shipping included (search ebay for ‘shipping case’).<\/p>\n

I then purchased two\u00c2\u00a01″ x 1.5″ x 0.125″ T6061-T6 extruded aluminum tubes cut to 36″ long (my front\u00c2\u00a0crossbar distance\u00c2\u00a0from the rear crossbar is 32″) \u00c2\u00a0from onlinemetals.com ($30), and some U-bolt hardware,\u00c2\u00a02″ bolts, stop-nuts, and\u00c2\u00a0large fender washers\u00c2\u00a0from lowes ($16). I was pretty impressed that the U-bolts fit the yakima crossbars perfectly and snugly. I then measures and\u00c2\u00a0drilled 4\u00c2\u00a0holes in the aluminum tubes\u00c2\u00a0to run the U-bolts through, did a test fit on the rack crossbars for fitment, and then proceeded to mount the aluminum tubes onto the cargo box.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

U-Bolt and Aluminum tube Installed<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u00c2\u00a0eyeballed the\u00c2\u00a0placement of the tubes onto the cargo box, and drilled two more\u00c2\u00a0holes for each aluminum tube. I then marked the centerpoint of those holes onto the cargo box and drilled four holes into the cargo box. These four holes would allow me to run the bolts through from the inside of the cargo box through the tubes, and allow them to be securely attached.<\/p>\n

\"All<\/a>

All four bolts and stop-nuts installed through and secured<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Bolt,<\/a>

Bolt, fender washer, and nut installed (added electrical nut to protect car paint in case it hits top of car).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Top<\/a>

Top of bolt and large fender washer inside cargo box<\/p><\/div>\n

After the installation of the bolts, the cargo box needed to be weatherproofed a little. I used some door weather-stripping that i had laying around and lined the lip of the seam where the cover would\u00c2\u00a0butt against. After that, the cargo box was finished!<\/p>\n

\"Cargo<\/a>

Cargo box mounted on yakima roof rack (notice the nylon bungee cord wrapped around the crossbar. I doubt it needs to be there with the box mounted since the box would stop the wind from whooshing over the bars. I was just too lazy to remove them)<\/p><\/div>\n

I have since taken a trip to Tahoe in the middle of heavy wind\/rain\/snow\/freezing temperature\u00c2\u00a0storms and have yet to have the cargo box fail on me. The four bolts with large fender washers securely hold the box to the aluminum bars. The weather stripping keeps the water and snow out, and the box is aerodynamic enough to keep my gas mileage at 28mpg (without passengers\/cargo I get about 30-31 mixed driving. The mpg hit might be\u00c2\u00a0because as I was carrying 5 passengers and their cargo as well). The wind noise is very acceptable, and\u00c2\u00a0just noticeable at speeds of 75mph.<\/p>\n

\"Box<\/a>

The cargo box in some harsh conditions<\/p><\/div>\n

Overall, for saving some money, this is a project that is well worth it (spent less than\u00c2\u00a0$250)\u00c2\u00a0. My sister in law even mentioned that she thought it didnt look any worse than commercially built cargo boxes\u00c2\u00a0and worked just as well!<\/p>\n