What else are you going to do?
You have more gear than fits in your trunk, and roof boxes offer you a way to get that gear packed safely. They’re out of the way, fairly weather tight and appear aerodynamic. And yet, they come up short.
7 feet. The opening lip of a roof box on a Chevy Suburban is 7 feet off the ground. The average American man is 5’9”, the average woman is 5’3.5”. Loading the roof box requires a step stool at a minimum. Heavy gear or awkward shapes? Right now, you are balancing those loads overhead as you ascend a ladder to get into the box. Get to your destination and stand on the seat or maybe the tire? The front of your jacket is muddy before the trip even starts.
Eggs. Nothing you own is egg shaped. The aerodynamic exterior shell may cut down on the mileage drain of a roof box, but it also limits what fits inside. That interior is also interrupted by 4 clamps or knobs grabbing your crossbars. I can’t find a box with an interior height greater than 13”. Soft goods? Check. Hard goods, luggage, bulky rigid gear? They’ll need to go somewhere else. Those garage totes you store your gear in? Gonna need to empty and repack that gear in something else.
10-15%. That’s how much your highway mileage dips when you have a roof box on top of your SUV. If you drive 15,000 miles a year in an SUV getting 17 mpg combined, you are looking at spending over $400/year to have that box on top. Like to drive fast like the rest of us? Plan on closer to 18-20% mileage drop on the highway.
Parking. The average parking garage caps entry height at 7’0” to 7’2”. A Suburban with a low profile roof box is a minimum of 7’6”, and often over 8’. Either you climb a ladder and take it off every time you go downtown or you pray for street parking.
Look, I am grateful for my roof box. It has allowed me to have extra storage and spared me a second vehicle a number of times. It has held my skis in the winter, and camping chairs and sleeping bags in the summer. It is not, however, enough. Its shape requires detailed organization, which is hard to do because the opening is 7 feet off the ground. It kills your mileage and keeps you out of parking garages.
A better solution is inbound. It is time for family trips to be a regular rhythm, not an ordeal. The Wambolt Ready-To-Go (RTG) System will allow you to travel with the same boxes your gear is stored in year-round. One system for every location. Put it on the vehicle for the ride, and put it back on the shelf when you’re done. No more transitions. You pack at a height everyone can reach, keep your rear door accessible, and even let your dog keep his spot in the back.
See you out there,
Scott
Wambolt – Stow. Pack. Go.
