Complete Thule Buyer Guidepost

I have to say that this cargo box was GREAT!! We got it rather quickly and put it together. It does help to have 2 people put it together but one can do it just fine. We drove through 5 states and over 2000 miles with no problems. My husband was able to easily put his golf clubs in the box along with other items. All positive and plenty of room but if I could have I would have ordered a wider box….that’s because we carry alot when we travel. Gas mileage…very little effect. I heard no noise as we were going 75 mph most of our trip. I recommend this to anyone that needs the extra room. I thought that we only needed the factory rails but you need the cross bars as well…(I am new to the cargo box thing).

I just got the Thule Sidekick. I have assembled and mounted it so far. I will travel soon so I will have more input when the time comes. Lets see what I’ve learned so far.

Assmebly was easy. The instructions are hard to follow but the product is originally from Sweden. Anyone who has assembled furniture from Ikea will know exactly what I’m talking about. There are English instructions that are lacking description and the pictures could be a little more in detail. I did need help aligning the hinges just like everyone else but it wasn’t difficult with another person.

The construction seems sturdy and with it filled will only get better. The materials are light but well put together. This is very important considering you are hefting this onto the top of your vehicle and if there was a mishap the weight would not do damage to the roof (I know, I did drop it on the top of my Jeep Liberty). There are extra holes so that adjustments can be made for mounting but there are extra vinyl stickers included to occlude the holes once you’ve found the right spot.

After reading other reviews about moisture getting inside, I have decided to put the less crucial items that I will need in the box with a layer of waterproofing (aka Gladbags) over them. The rest will ride in the vehicle. Until my trip from DC to Bangor, Maine in December I won’t know how this holds up but I will be back to tell you the rest once I am done.

This item arrived before the anticipated ship date. It was packed well in the Thule carton and had no damage. Assembly was a breeze and installing it on the hitch receiver is simple. The bolt for attaching to the receiver keeps the rack snug with no wobble. If you want to lock the rack to your vehicle you will need to purchase Thule’s optional lock (pricy at $50) or come up with something on your own. I just use a bike cable lock through the frame of the truck. It doesn’t have all of the features of more expensive racks bur overall it is well worth the money.

Assembly was a breeze -literally took a couple minutes.

Strong, well-made. I’ve put several bikes on it – including a tandem – without difficulty. The rubber “clamps” work well and are durable and quick to attach and detach. I’ve used bungee cords to further stabilize a bike, but feel it was really only necessary when I put a tandem on it – the rest of the time was probably just another example of my tendency to over-engineer (and live by my mother’s oft-reminder: “better safe than sorry…”).

I would agree with another review that it would be nice if the crossbar (that the bikes sit on) could be rotated up and down easier – but that’s mostly just a little noise and not anything big (it’s also easier solved with a quick trip to the hardware store for a quick-release type bolt/nut combo).

I’ve had several racks and this one is as good as any and better than most in this price range.

I wanted a cargo box for mounting to a sedan that was not so long that it overhung the front & rear windows, the 667ES Excursion fit this need. The ABS plastic construction makes this box fairly rigid as opposed to the thin plastic used with Thule’s “Sidekick”. The lid is hinged at the front making it a bit awkward to access the keyed lock button. But with it being rigid, once the lock is opened it’s easy to lift the lid open from the side. The lid opens tall enough to give adequate access from both sides and rear. It ships fully assembled. The roof racks on my car are fixed at 30 inches apart making it slightly too wide for the pre-drilled mounting holes on the Excursion. No problem though. I was able to use a Dremel tool to cut new mounting holes on the back side of the Excursion and fill in the unused holes with silicon. The quick mount mechanisms are a good design and firmly hold the box to the roof rack. Fuel economy appears to take about a 10% hit when driving with the box, and wind noise is noticeable but not obnoxious. Overall it’s a good solution for additional stowage space.

We bought this for our 2002 Honda CR-V. It mounted in minutes, and never made any noise or rattle or bounce or anything, during our 600 mile trip from Texas to Arkansas. HIGHLY recommended!!!!

Don Montalvo, TX