Largest Yakima Skybox Roof Cargo Box for 2011 Yukon Denali for Transporting Skis

Question:

Looking at purchasing a Skybox for my 2011 GMC Yukon Denali. Was interested in which model you recommend to carry at least 7 pairs of skis, poles, and some additional luggage. Looking to free up space inside the vehicle for travel. I believe my vehicle has the roof rack and crossbars, do I need to purchase any additional components?

asked by: Barbara H

Expert Reply:

Thank you for the photo of the roof rack on your 2011 GMC Yukon Denali.

These elliptical-shape bars will work great with the Yakima Skybox 21 rooftop cargo box # Y07337 so long as their size does not exceed 3-1/2-inches wide x 1-11/16-inches tall and so long as they can be positioned apart between 24- and 42-inches (measured from the center of one bar to the center of the other).

The rear hatch will be able to open fully without interference with the box so long as you have at least 57-inches from the center of the front crossbar to the seam where the roof and hatch meet. The USA-made Skybox 21 will accept skis up to 84-1/2-inches long and it includes locks. This is the largest-capacity Yakima box we offer. All such boxes are shown on the linked page.

Since your Yukon is a tall vehicle I recommend you consider adding a step to make loading and unloading easier. We have a few different options including tire-mount steps like # HE4040 but the item I recommend is the compact and lightweight folding Telesteps step # TE97FR which comes fully-assembled.

The Camco step unfolds to instantly give you almost a foot of extra reach for your loading and unloading processes and since it is not limited to placement on a tire you are free to use it at any location around the vehicle. You can get two of these for the cost of just one of the other steps. I own this item and it is handy around vehicles as well as around the garage and house for getting to those tall shelves. Please check out the linked video to see details on this inexpensive item.

If you need more cargo carrying capacity, especially for items heavier than skis, you might also consider a hitch-mount cargo carrier like # C18151 which has a 500-lb capacity and which folds up for convenient storage.

You'll want to check the Yukon owner's manual to confirm the total weight load the roof can handle; make sure the combined weight of the Skybox and your cargo does not exceed the vehicle capacity.