Are the Thule Cargo Boxes Water Tight to Prevent Water from Leaking Out

Updated 10/03/2013 | Published 10/02/2013

Question:

Are the Thule roof boxes water tight from the inside out? I windsurf and would like to put my sails in a box but do not want the salt water to drip out onto the car roof. Will they leak around the mounting points? I store the sails in a board bag right now which contains some of the water but not all. Thanks

asked by: Justin

Helpful Expert Reply:

Most rooftop cargo boxes are not water tight. There are small voids in the floor of the cargo box around the mounting clamps. The Thule Pulse cargo boxes like part # TH614 that you referenced does have rubber strips around the openings, but small voids are still present.

One pleasant feature of the Pulse cargo boxes is that the center of the cargo box is raised. This will allow water to pool in the lower sections toward the front and rear. There are no holes in the lower sections. I made a short video showing the interior of the Pulse cargo box for you to check out.

expert reply by: John H