Have you ever heard of Tom Mix? He was a famous Hollywood stuntman in the 1920s and 30s. I wrote about him for AJ a few issues back. He suffered an astronomical amount of injuries in his work, but what really stuck with me was how he died: He was in a single-car accident and a strongbox of money and jewels flew from the back and hit him in the head, killing him instantly. Ever since, I have not been able to drive with stuff in the back of my car and feel safe. Strapping down your junk is overlanding 101, but how many people actually do it? It’s a bit of a pain and then it’s a bit of a pain accessing your stuff. But what’s also a pain is getting your neck broken by a flying French press.
After an extended bike trip with my SUV loaded to the gills, I decided I needed a rooftop cargo box. My friend Justin, who’s owned a few, said get as big as you can. It was solid advice. I chose the Yakima CBX 18 ($1,099), the second-largest Yakima box. The “18” refers to 18 cubic feet. On my first trip I stored two giant camp chairs, firewood, two sleeping bags, a four-inch Exped sleeping mat, water, shovel, axe, my bike duffel, kitchen kit…and more. The only things I kept inside were food and a cooler (which, yes, was strapped down).
I’ve owned both Thule and Yakima boxes. I picked the Yakima for four reasons: it’s easy to attach to crossbars, opens from either side, has a reasonably sleek profile for the size, and I was happy with my last Yakima box.
Mounting: The CBX has four curved clamps that extend from the bottom. They slide on tracks and open/close with a dedicated tool—like a four-sided Allen wrench. Position the box on the crossbars, open the clamps, slide the clamps under the bars, then tighten. A simple torque system helps prevent over-tightening. It’s dead-simple. Mounting took about 15 minutes whether solo or with help. The empty box weighs 65 pounds; I lifted it onto the roof by placing a thick moving blanket over the tailgate end and sliding it up at an angle.
Benefits and quirks: Bi-side access is a real convenience with a 38-inch-wide box—especially for heavy items on the far side. Yakima’s single-key system is handy. The CBX18 is 17 inches tall, so don’t expect to fit in most garages unless you have tall clearance. My main gripe is securing the lid: the 91-inch plastic shell can flex, so the fore and aft latches can be finicky. I had best luck closing gently in the center, then pressing front and back over the latches until they clicked.
Mileage: Expect a penalty. My Lexus GX470 went from about 20 mpg highway to 18.5 mpg with the box.
Bottom line: The Yakima CBX18 is worth a look, but so are boxes from other major brands. There’s no single best box—match your needs (will it stay on all the time? only for winter gear? garage clearance?) to the box you choose rather than picking a brand blindly.
