Recommended Waterproof Storage for Boat Roof

Published 03/27/2020

Question:

Im looking for a cargo carrier that will attach to the fixed cross bars that run side to side and are 40 inches between. The width of the carrier would have to be no more than about 30 inches but length could be about 72 inches. Any suggestions?

asked by: Terry G

Expert Reply:

I have a solution for you, but there are a number of different reasons that a cargo box is not going to work on that roof. To start, all of the boxes that would allow you to have 40" space between the cross bars are going to be extremely long; the Yakima SkyBox 21 # Y07337 will accommodate up to 42" crossbar spacing, but is 92" long and 36" wide. All of the boxes available that are short enough and narrow enough that are able to fit in that space require between roughly 24" and 35-3/8", similar to the Thule Force XT # TH6356B which measures 74-3/4" x 24-3/4" x 16-3/4".

Outside of the space available, I'm not really sure that you'd be able to get a box on bars that have a curve in them like that, since these boxes are designed to sit on a flat crossbar.

For that reason, the best solution I can offer in this situation would be using a roof bag that is designed to sit in a cargo carrier. I recommend using the Rightline # RL100S50 which measures 36" long and 30" wide to provide you with 10 cubic feet of waterproof storage for a variety of different items. You could mount this bag directly the existing platform to provide it with a secure connection that will withstand rain or waterspray.

I've linked a short video review of this bag that you may want to have a look at. I've also linked our entire selection of rooftop bags for you in the event that you'd like to see if there is something else that you think might fit.

expert reply by: Erik B