Can I Drill Holes into the Trunx # TRX34FR with a Crossbar Spread Longer than 31 Inches?

Question:

I am very interested in this Trunx carrier. I have non-Toyota crossbars made by Autekcomma that are 32 1/2inch apart, center to center. Thats just a little bit beyond Toyotas limit for bar spread by about an inch. If I drill an extra set of holes for each bar, will that work? From the photos I cannot gauge how much room there is, front and rear, to do that. What do you think? Thanks

asked by: Tom R

Expert Reply:

I have a great rooftop box option for you, but we do not recommend drilling into the Trunx Cargo Box - 18 Cu Ft. # TRX34FR with a 32-1/2 bar spread. This is because the maximum allowed crossbar spread for the # TRX34FR with drilling is 31 inches apart. It is always strongly recommended not to exceed any limits put in place by the manufacturer because doing so can not only cause damage and void warrantees; it can also be dangerous. On top of that, we have not installed the # TRX34FR with drilling past a 31-inch bar spread.

With that being said, we have a great alternative that works perfectly with a bar spread of 24-36 inches apart with the exact same 18 cubic footage of space. That is the Malone Profile 18B # MPG911. This box fits crossbars between 1 and 3 inches wide and between 3/4 and 1-3/8 inches tall. I recommend measuring the width and height of your crossbars to make sure the box can clamp on. Also, to make sure that you can fully open your trunk with the Malone installed, I recommend measuring the center of your rear crossbar to the line where the roof and your trunk meet. If there is at least 21 inches of length on that measurement, you can fully open your trunk with the box installed on your roof.

It is helpful to note that if your rear crossbar can move forward while still staying within the limits of the crossbar spread requirements of the box, you add more length to your trunk clearance measurement.

expert reply by: Bob C