Roof cargo box recommendations

[SSteveEV]

Adding this post from @Scottm

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/rooftop-carrier-efficiency.16173/

Roughly 3% efficiency hit

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[chrismc]

4 kids. + R1T = Which one of the kids do you put in the skybox?

2 of them aren’t mine ? We do have 2 kids plus a 60 lb dog sharing the back seats though!

 

[Swilly]

2 of them aren’t mine ? We do have 2 kids plus a 60 lb dog sharing the back seats though!

Fair enough! We have 4 + dog, so had to go the R1S route. Still may opt to put a kid up top from time to time.

 

[diehlryan]

You need a better Yakima dealer. I bought a Skybox 18 and the clamps didn’t work. My dealer called up their Yakima rep on the spot and said “wtf, you made these crossbars!”. Yakima rep immediately knew the answer- swap the Skybox clamps for the CBX clamps (no, they’re not the same) and you’re all set. Dealer had me squared away in minutes. FWIW, the Skybox 16 will not work due to a combination of the chunky crossbars and crossbar spacing. 18 and larger is ok.

Do you have a part number or anything like that?

 

[Windblade]

So after doing some research and speaking with Rack Attack, the recommendation is to go with Thule cargo boxes rather than Yakima (which is weird because Rivian has a partnership with Yakima), the Thule boxes uses a mounting system where it clamps from both sides rather than a single clamp. I have the Yakima large Carbonite box and I just cannot get the clamp to go around the bar all the way.

https://yakima.com/products/skybox-21-carbonite

Such a bummer, I'll need to find a different solution.

We're really happy with the Thule (didn't get the glossy finish but the mat). The clamps pull down nicely on the Rivian cross-bars. The unit made a 2200 mile trip including up in the mountains above Durango, Colorado and in 112 heat in Phoeniz with ease and now in Tennessee. The photo is of the fast charger at Purgatory with the Thule on top. The thunderstorms in Oklahoma and Texas had no impact (other than washing the bugs from the R1S).

 

[Rob O]

Adding this post from @Scottm

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/rooftop-carrier-efficiency.16173/

Roughly 3% efficiency hit

I’ll just add a link to my comments in that thread, since the range hit is definitely more than 3% if you are road tripping on open highways/interstates (i.e., long distances at more sustained speeds). Around town, local stuff, I don’t find it to be much of a hit (3% is probably about right).

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...e-atlantis-1800-xt-roof-box.16173/post-350822

Can’t speak to the impact on an R1S, which has different aero when it comes to the roof and air flow)

FWIW, I found it worked better (seemed to improve efficiency by a marginal amount) moving it to the middle of the cross bars. I drove 1250 miles with it mounted outboard (like below), then about the same in the center. I went from an average 1.92 mi/kWh to 1.94 ... but It was in no way a controlled experiment and may have been a total anomaly.

 

[shandel]

We're really happy with the Thule (didn't get the glossy finish but the mat). The clamps pull down nicely on the Rivian cross-bars. The unit made a 2200 mile trip including up in the mountains above Durango, Colorado and in 112 heat in Phoeniz with ease and now in Tennessee. The photo is of the fast charger at Purgatory with the Thule on top. The thunderstorms in Oklahoma and Texas had no impact (other than washing the bugs from the R1S).

Which Thule box is this? Thanks for posting.

 

[Ioman]

We're really happy with the Thule (didn't get the glossy finish but the mat). The clamps pull down nicely on the Rivian cross-bars. The unit made a 2200 mile trip including up in the mountains above Durango, Colorado and in 112 heat in Phoeniz with ease and now in Tennessee. The photo is of the fast charger at Purgatory with the Thule on top. The thunderstorms in Oklahoma and Texas had no impact (other than washing the bugs from the R1S).

Looks great! I wound up getting the gloss black Thule box

 

[SSteveEV]

I’ll just add a link to my comments in that thread, since the range hit is definitely more than 3% if you are road tripping on open highways/interstates (i.e., long distances at more sustained speeds). Around town, local stuff, I don’t find it to be much of a hit (3% is probably about right).

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...e-atlantis-1800-xt-roof-box.16173/post-350822

Can’t speak to the impact on an R1S, which has different aero when it comes to the roof and air flow)

FWIW, I found it worked better (seemed to improve efficiency by a marginal amount) moving it to the middle of the cross bars. I drove 1250 miles with it mounted outboard (like below), then about the same in the center. I went from an average 1.92 mi/kWh to 1.94 ... but It was in no way a controlled experiment and may have been a total anomaly.

Awesome photos and thanks for the info. I'm contemplating making a under box adapter from plywood so I can mount mine backwards above the bed. Right now the fittings/clamps/feet of the box won't go close enough to the end of the box to fit the crossbars without the box hitting the cab wall. Will post if I ever get around to that but hope the range for ski trips would improve.

 

[Rob O]

Awesome photos and thanks for the info. I'm contemplating making a under box adapter from plywood so I can mount mine backwards above the bed. Right now the fittings/clamps/feet of the box won't go close enough to the end of the box to fit the crossbars without the box hitting the cab wall. Will post if I ever get around to that but hope the range for ski trips would improve.

I ran mine backwards over the bed of my Raptor for years, and super bummed I couldn’t make it work that way on the Rivian. I even went to our local rack shop to test fit several different models (smaller/shorter) and none worked with the set (fixed) mount points for the cross bars. Even if they had, the smallest (shortest) boxes that still had usable volume would have all hung well over the tailgate. Only the Yakima Deep Space 10 works, and with just 10 cu ft is pretty small (plus it’s ugly).

 

[chrismc]

Only the Yakima Deep Space 10 works, and with just 10 cu ft is pretty small (plus it’s ugly).

Plus it leaks. I disqualified it based on that common theme in reviews.

 

[SSteveEV]

I ran mine backwards over the bed of my Raptor for years, and super bummed I couldn’t make it work that way on the Rivian. I even went to our local rack shop to test fit several different models (smaller/shorter) and none worked with the set (fixed) mount points for the cross bars. Even if they had, the smallest (shortest) boxes that still had usable volume would have all hung well over the tailgate. Only the Yakima Deep Space 10 works, and with just 10 cu ft is pretty small (plus it’s ugly).

Nobody wants an ugly box! Mine will hang over the tailgate with an adapter but my skis would too if I put them on a ski rack above the bed so I don't mind that if easier access and better range.
First I need to fab an adapter and then find enough ski buddies to need the extra storage ? Severely limited use case.

 

[DTown3011]

You need a better Yakima dealer. I bought a Skybox 18 and the clamps didn’t work. My dealer called up their Yakima rep on the spot and said “wtf, you made these crossbars!”. Yakima rep immediately knew the answer- swap the Skybox clamps for the CBX clamps (no, they’re not the same) and you’re all set. Dealer had me squared away in minutes. FWIW, the Skybox 16 will not work due to a combination of the chunky crossbars and crossbar spacing. 18 and larger is ok.

did you find any issues with the box overhanging your bed? Thinking of running a similar system this weekend to camp.

 

[chrismc]

did you find any issues with the box overhanging your bed? Thinking of running a similar system this weekend to camp.

Not at all, it works fine. The only new wrinkle is I started carrying a couple mountain bikes on upright racks over the bed so I have to have the box offset to one side and the bikes offset to the other side because the bikes stick up higher than the roof. I have a SkinnyWarrior on the other half of the over-bed rack.

 

[GoBlueR1T]

Thule Vector M

EDITED: Also asking @Rob O and @chrismc All of your set ups look great. Thanks!

Does the roof box clear the antenna? My Rivian crossbars arrived yesterday, and I tried putting my old Thule Pulse L up there but was concerned that the roof box was resting on the antenna. Thanks!

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