Recommended Roof Cargo Box for 2011 Subaru Forester with Factory Roof Rack
Question:
What do you recommend for a hard rooftop carrier for a 2011 Subaru Forester with the factory roof rack and factory cross bars presently set at 27inch front to back distance. We are moving our daughter cross country and will need to use the car top carrier, in addition to towing a U-Haul 5x8 trailer.
asked by: John P
Expert Reply:
We have a large number of roof mounted cargo boxes available that will work great on the factory roof rack for your 2011 Subaru Forester. The best option for you will primarily depend on how much storage space you are needing.
I recommend looking at the Yakima SkyBox NX 16 Rooftop Cargo Box # Y95AV. This aerodynamic box will provide 16 cubic feet of carrying capacity and nice dual-side-opening lids that offers easy access from either side of your vehicle. The box features built-in locks along with 2 keys that will help protect your valuables. It will fit crossbar spreads between 24 and 36 inches. As long as the factory crossbars on your Forester are no more than 3-1/2 inches wide and 1-11/16 inches tall, this box will work great. One additional measurement to consider is the distance from the center of the front crossbar on your vehicle to the line where the roof and rear hatch meet. You will want this measurement on your vehicle to be at least 47 inches so that there will be no interference between the cargo box and the rear hatch door when it is open.
For a more economical option, I recommend looking at the Trunx Rooftop Cargo Box # TRX34FR. This box offers 18 cubic feet of space but doesn't have quite the same aerodynamic design as the Yakima box, which may lead to some more wind noise when driving. It works with crossbar spreads of 22 inches but can be expanded to a maximum of 31 inches by drilling additional mounting holes into the box. The front crossbar to hatch door line measurement mentioned above will need to be at least 35 inches for this cargo box to avoid interference with the hatch door.
I have attached video demonstrations on both of these products along with a link that will take you to our available selection of roof cargo boxes that you can look through.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Yakima SkyBox NX 16 Rooftop Cargo Box - 16 cu ft - Black Nano-Texture
- Roof Box
- Aero Bars
- Factory Bars
- Round Bars
- Square Bars
- Medium Length
- Medium Profile
- Large Capacity
- Dual Side Access
- Black
- Yakima
more information >
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