Fit of Yakima Skybox 18 on Saturn Outlook Fitted with Yakima Roof Rack & Fly Rod Holder

Question:

Im interested in a Yakima Skybox 18 for my Saturn Outlook. I have Yakima crossbars installed and a Big Sky Rod Box fly rod box on the passenger side. My question is this - can I install the Skybox on the drivers side such that the left side of the box is mounted on the portion of the crossbars that protrude to the left of the rod mounting feet? I believe I will need to do so to have space for both the Skybox and the fly rod box. Thanks in advance for your help.

asked by: Jed J

Expert Reply:

You can mount the Yakima Skybox 18 Rooftop Cargo Box # Y07336 on your Yakima roof crossbars so that one side of the box mounting hardware sits outside of the rack's foot assembly.
In order to do this you will need to ensure you have enough bar space next to the fishing rod box. You'll need to have no less than 27-inches total of available crossbar for the Skybox 18. This dimension is the combination of the 21-inch spacing between the box's mounting slots plus the 6-inch distance from the box exterior to the nearer slot. As long as you have at least this much available space you should have no problem mounting the Skybox 18 offset to one side of the roof.

Do keep in mind that the Outlook will have a finite roof weight capacity listed in the owner's manual. This is the total capacity for all items on the roof, which in your case includes your Yakima roof rack (figure about 10-lbs), the Rod Box and its contents (let's estimate that at 10-lbs), and the weight of the Skybox 18 (52-lbs empty). These items total to 72-lbs, so if your roof were to be rated for 120-lbs total load, then you could safely load cargo in the box of up to 48-lbs (120 - 72 = 48).

Often owner's of cargo boxes choose a step to make loading easier. We offer a handy and cost-effective folding aluminum step # TE97FR that might interest you.

expert reply by: Adam R