Recommended Roof Rack and Cargo Box for 2018 Toyota 4Runner

Question:

We have a 2018 4Runner SR5 Premium with factory rails, but no cross bars. What configuration of cargo box and cross bars do we need to maximize cargo space up top? We have 48inch Thule cross bars from a previous vehicle. Can we use those?

asked by: Bill

Expert Reply:

For your 2018 Toyota 4Runner that features the factory side rails, I recommend the Thule WingBar Roof Rack System, which consists of # TH711420 for the two 53 inch long WingBar Evo Load Bars and # TH710401 for the Foot Pack. This will give you a complete roof rack system with a sleek, low profile design and a weight capacity of 165 pounds.

Thule recommends a 53 inch long crossbar for your 4Runner, so your existing 48 inch long bars might be a bit too short to reach across the roof and securely mount to the feet.

Then when picking out a rooftop cargo box, the best option will depend on how much and what type of cargo you plan on loading. For a large capacity box, I really like the Thule Force XL Rooftop Cargo Box # TH6358B. This aerodynamic cargo box features 18 cubic feet of carrying capacity and measures 82-3/4 inches long, 33-3/4 inches wide, and 17-1/4 inches tall. It has a dual-side opening lid that will let you load and unload your gear from either side of the 4Runner and the Thule One-Key System to help secure your investment.

The one measurement I recommend taking when considering this or any rooftop cargo box is the distance between the front crossbar on the vehicle and the line where the roof and hatch meet. For the rear hatch on your vehicle to fully open without interference with this particular box installed, this distance needs to be at least 53-5/8 inches. This particular dimension is different for every cargo box, and will be listed on its product page.

I have attached a short video demonstration on this cargo box, along with a link that will take you to our available selection that you can look through.