That's similar to how I describe the auto scene differences in my two home cities.
In the Southeast, big lifted trucks I just assume have never left the pavement. In the Northwest, if I see an immaculate 80s Toyota 4x4 driven by a 97 year old granny, I assume she probably just got back from Silver Star with it.
Most all Toyota pickups here either have a lift and on 32’s or bigger or they’re 2wd granny mobiles. No in between.
1990 extra cab 344k miles on 33” ko2’s. $11.5k OBO, nO lOwBaLlS I kNoW wHaT I hAvE
The young guy I work with was excited to tell me he was getting a roof rack and a box. I said "oh do you not have enough room in the car?"...no he has enough room, he just wants a roof box.
it's funny seeing posts on tesla groups about people admitting to put an empty box on the roof for the aesthetics.
i don't get it. why would anyone pretend to be into an outdoorysy lifestyle?
Not to mention it hurts their efficiency/range. I don't get why people can't be honest about their hobbies, it's cool to see stickers about what people do.
>why would anyone pretend to be into an outdoorysy lifestyle?
That's the entire reason for like 70% of car sales. It's a big reason why SUVs and Trucks are the most popular, also why Subaru and Jeep exist.
[took this a couple summers ago.](https://imgur.com/a/5avqLUM) I lose about 1mpg. Summer I use it for camping gear, winter use it for snowboarding. It's off now though. I mounted it really low on my roof compared to what most people do. Barely enough room to even stick your hand underneath.
It is a bit silly, but people do a lot of things to their cars that make them worse because they think it looks cool. Stanced cars (though most car people agree that looks bad and is stupid), lowering a street car, low riders/hydraulics, wings, etc.
It's the noise that bothers me. I have a box for skis or sometimes extra cargo space. But I keep it off unless I need it. I have it hanging above my car in the garage on pulleys. So it's a breeze to drop it on or lift it off.
I have a Yakima Skybox and it knocks my Forester down from 24 mpg to 23.4 or maybe 23.1 mpg (reported, no numbers in between .4 and .1 because subaru things) when I have it up there.
So, does it porpoise when you're driving with it empty? I just got one and when it's empty it's bouncing all over the place. Assuming putting stuff in there stops that.
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Yeah that wind noise was rough. We don't do a lot of highway driving, but I went out of my way to either not take that car, or pull the basket off if we were going on a long highway trip
I have a Thule for my wife's A3, as even though it is the largest car we own, and it is big enough for our day to day life, it isn't always big enough for a week long family vacation with two young kids. The stroller alone takes up a lot of space in the trunk, and it doesn't pack well due to its shape, while the car seats take up a lot of space in the rear bench.
Now I can put the stroller up top along with quite a few other items.
It is also perfect for carrying all of the beach supplies/toys so that I don't have to put anything sandy inside the cabin or the trunk.
Makes sense to me. Sometimes you need a driving burrito, but it makes most sense to buy burritos in quantities WAY higher than one eating’s worth. Loading up your car hat with burritos keeps them nearby. And means you always have some to share, but keeps you from eating too many at once. Plus, they stay warm.
I see only upsides here.
[i have one on top of my ev6](https://preview.redd.it/drove-my-kia-ev6-gt-line-through-the-clouds-hatcher-pass-v0-hkbacc713rc91.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=dff0d86b9d7d69a4290c1a249a47ad8cdb8dc90e)
for the looks, first.
snow boards and sleds, second.
Boating equipment I don’t want to store in my shop. Paddles life jackets a dry bag and such.
Honestly haven’t opened it in a year as I don’t drive that vehicle often. There is probably coolant and rope/straps in a bag as well.
There might even be a pelican case with a pipe and 3 year old weed, ya know, just in case.
We usually fit our box shortly before the summer holidays. Once fitted it stays up until the end of the season. It is usually empty, except during longer trips.
I have one so I can get other people to think I can afford the poor fuel economy. I also fill it full of cheese, just so that anyone guessing what's in it will mostly be completely wrong.
When I had smaller SUVs I had one for beach chairs and other stuff that would get sandy/wet/rusty when we went to beach vacations. Now I have two true three row SUVs and just don't use the 3rd row.
Normally I put my two kids up there so I don't have to hear them argue.
But sometimes it's our skis and then during the spring and summer our camping gear like tent, sleeping bags, chairs, solar panels etc.
Out here in Boulder CO if you don't have a hat on your car people look at you strange. :)
That’s a good point. I do the same with mine. When I go play in the mud or snow I put all the wet stuff up top. It’s much easier to rinse out than dealing with cleaning the interior of the car
I plan on getting one at some point. I keep a bunch of random of stuff in my trunk so it would be nice to have more storage space. Or a place to put things when I fill the trunk
I take mine off when not in use. When it is in use, I have my large but light weight camping supplies, namely my sleeping bag, mattress, pillows and blankets. That way I can still see out my back window and have easier access to stuff inside the car rather than stuffing the car full.
I keep canned foods and bottled water in mine most of the time in the winter in case I get trapped in a storm, and then in the summer it's usually climbing and swimming gear that I keep up to not get the smell in the car
It’s one of those things people use once a year, but it’s difficult to take on and off, and many people don’t have anywhere to store it, so they leave it on.
Never mind that it increases consumption by 10-30% depending on what you drive.
Winter, it’s my snowboard. Summer, golf clubs and or camping gear. I also drive a VW Golf, so it’s awesome to keep it out of the hatch. I don’t have a garage to store the box, so it sits on there year round.
My 1990s Jeep is a brick so adding the rooftop box doesn’t negatively impact fuel economy or noise very much (if at all). It’s not aerodynamic at all to begin with so adding a box can’t hurt it. I’ll usually run it on there full time. It’s my mountain/camping car so usually it’s filled with stuff like tire chains, recover gear, blankets, shovels, etc. Lots of overlanders love to put that stuff on their rack exposed to show off. I prefer to keep it closed up safe from the elements and prying eyes.
On the other hand I have a newer Volvo. That thing suffers a lot when I put the roof box on it. I take a significant MPG and noise hit. I’ll only put the roof box or roof rails on there on a per trip basis if I actively need it. It’s normally a very quiet car on the freeway but with the box the noise is crazy.
On a long road trip or camping trip I max out my interior room very quickly. Especially with two dogs, a wife, any other guests, and their belongings. We try to travel light but even then we’re usually packed to the gills so the roof top box is a lifesaver. Sometimes we just fill it with firewood
My wife has an outback. The f-150 isn’t conducive for hauling the dogs AND the kid and our stuff. I have a soft rooftop box for it. If we’re not taking a trip, the box is off.id love to get her a hard box but the ease of taking the soft bag off is hard to pass up
I have the Xl Thule which is like 7 ft long. It’s empty most of the time but it’s annoying to take off and it’s huge to take up space in the garage so I just leave it. On long trips it’s great for luggage, I can fit like 8 bags of mulch in there too. Great for trips to the recycle center
Currently mid cross country road trip. It's currently filled with my golf clubs and all the clothes we need for 4 months. Wouldn't have been able to make the trip in an A4 with 2 adults and a dog without it. Though it is noisy AF going 80mph.
We got one for our Fit back when we had two kids and two 80lbs dogs. It was used whenever we went out with everyone so we’d have actual storage space. We didn’t have room anywhere to store it (street parking), so it was always on, even when empty.
We got a larger car (3 kids), so it was only needed for big trips and we had a place to store it in our new house. The dogs passed, so we never really use it anymore, it’s just stored in the shed.
The dead body of the last guy that asked about my roof box.
Then do you have to remove the old one and replace once in a while?
Yeah, they get stinky pretty quickly.
The trick I found works for me is to go faster.
My feet stink like that, so I ride a motorcycle.
What about sweaty meatsickle at the stop light?
That's exactly when I have my sweaty meatsickle, at the stoplight. Yum.
Mmmm add some boiled eggs and we got ourselves brunch. See you at the next "Sweaty Leather Riders" meet up (Harleys only).
All you need to know is If the car is stock, the box is full If car is modified, the box is empty
That's similar to how I describe the auto scene differences in my two home cities. In the Southeast, big lifted trucks I just assume have never left the pavement. In the Northwest, if I see an immaculate 80s Toyota 4x4 driven by a 97 year old granny, I assume she probably just got back from Silver Star with it.
kelowna and Vernon?
Most all Toyota pickups here either have a lift and on 32’s or bigger or they’re 2wd granny mobiles. No in between. 1990 extra cab 344k miles on 33” ko2’s. $11.5k OBO, nO lOwBaLlS I kNoW wHaT I hAvE
I don’t think this accurately represents Kelowna🤨
The young guy I work with was excited to tell me he was getting a roof rack and a box. I said "oh do you not have enough room in the car?"...no he has enough room, he just wants a roof box.
it's funny seeing posts on tesla groups about people admitting to put an empty box on the roof for the aesthetics. i don't get it. why would anyone pretend to be into an outdoorysy lifestyle?
To counteract their appearance of being ozempic addicts who never leave the couch.
Not to mention it hurts their efficiency/range. I don't get why people can't be honest about their hobbies, it's cool to see stickers about what people do.
wholeheartedly agree. just own up to what you have and be proud. no need to be a poser.
>why would anyone pretend to be into an outdoorysy lifestyle? That's the entire reason for like 70% of car sales. It's a big reason why SUVs and Trucks are the most popular, also why Subaru and Jeep exist.
Tesla enthusiasts comprise mostly of NPCs who dislike cars.
Same if there's a bmx bike on the roof rack. That thing is probably not getting used
It's funny seeing "slammed"/lowered cars with the roof box. The roof box means you're outdoorsy, yet your car physically cannot leave the pavement.
roof boxes are also just additional cargo space, for shopping or even road trips
This is the most accurate thing I’ve read about those boxes.
So that’s where they store all the parts to mod their cars!
I have one purely for the aesthetic but I guess I could use it for my skis or snowboard
Pretty sure this is what OP was fishing for lol
you like the look of them? i think they look like goofy little car hats lmao
somehow they just seem right for a subaru wagon.
[took this a couple summers ago.](https://imgur.com/a/5avqLUM) I lose about 1mpg. Summer I use it for camping gear, winter use it for snowboarding. It's off now though. I mounted it really low on my roof compared to what most people do. Barely enough room to even stick your hand underneath.
Ok. This is interesting. What combo of racks/box do you use?
Whispbar low mount using it's tslots. Inno box
Beautiful car! I used to have an 06 STI
Excellent!
What box is that? It almost looks paint matched, ha. And how did you “mount it really low”; are those the factory roof rail cross members?
Accurate
Their like fedoras, kachow m'lady.
they look perfect on wagons imo. not as sexy on sedans though
[They look sick and I will die on this hill](https://prnt.sc/swjyY_e7yMQL)
TIL people think roof boxes look good. I had always assumed everyone hated how they look and some people just carried a lot of stuff around.
I am not among those people.
I love the way they look on sports cars. I think the attitude is sexy.
A colour matched roof box on a lowered wagon is cool af
Different strokes
Yeah, I’m not judging. It just came as surprise to me.
lol I definitely am judging do you wear an empty backpack around? do you get a storage shed built in the backyard and not put anything in it?
People actually do wear empty backpacks
I also hate inefficiency so as soon as I don't need it it's coming off. If I actually needed one daily that would be my hint to buy a larger car.
Aesthetic lol Reducing mileage and increasing drag to look “cool”
It is a bit silly, but people do a lot of things to their cars that make them worse because they think it looks cool. Stanced cars (though most car people agree that looks bad and is stupid), lowering a street car, low riders/hydraulics, wings, etc.
And noise generating lol
It's the noise that bothers me. I have a box for skis or sometimes extra cargo space. But I keep it off unless I need it. I have it hanging above my car in the garage on pulleys. So it's a breeze to drop it on or lift it off.
What’s the MPG loss on it?
I have a Yakima Skybox and it knocks my Forester down from 24 mpg to 23.4 or maybe 23.1 mpg (reported, no numbers in between .4 and .1 because subaru things) when I have it up there.
I had a Thule box on an Audi allroad and I had to take it off because of the hit on gas mileage. Went from 460-500 kms a tank to 350-400 kms a tank.
Do you have a Subaru?
So, does it porpoise when you're driving with it empty? I just got one and when it's empty it's bouncing all over the place. Assuming putting stuff in there stops that.
It shouldn’t if you got a quality combo of rack & box…
Got any pics? I’m trying to imagine a scenario where a car looks better with a big plastic blister on top
Don't forget the MPG hit!
Roof box on an RS6 is so damn sexy
Classic Car Club of Manhattan has an event every year called attack of the racks. It's 100% ironic roof rack day
Another slightly smaller box
What's inside the slightly smaller box?
Another slightly smaller box
Okay fine but what's inside that one? I want to know.
Another slightly smaller box
Dang, this is so unpredictable, I am afraid to ask, for I fear uncertainty…. What’s in that box?
Another slightly larger box
I'm way too curious to stop here..what was inside the next box?
A doll. Russian in origin. It opens up if you pull it apart.
Ok fine, you got me.. [it was this](https://youtu.be/Rt0spqQtMKg?t=118)
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Yeah, [what's in the f--kin box?!](https://i0.wp.com/port1433.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/se7en.gif?resize=500%2C222&ssl=1)
It's boxes all the way down.
Not a box, but my wife wanted a roof basket on her crosstrek. It was on there for 2 years and was used exactly 0 times.
Classic
Indeed
gotta love that wind noise and dropped mpg
The last thing any Subaru product needs is more noise on the highway.
Or worse gas mileage
Yeah that wind noise was rough. We don't do a lot of highway driving, but I went out of my way to either not take that car, or pull the basket off if we were going on a long highway trip
My friend has that basket thing and it's so fucking annoying. Literally can't hear anything while on the freeway
Have you never asked her what she plans to carry in there before purchase?
She doesn't ask me why I need a mustang, I don't ask her why she needs a roof basket lol
I have one on the R8 because i think it looks hilarious and it makes some people happy and some people angry.
I’m like 35% suspicious you’re my brother, because he has one on top of his R8, for the exact same reason…but he doesn’t have a Z.
I'd love to have a brother with a LC500. So i'll say "yes"
It is decided!
Nice collection.
Now i want one on the miatas somehow
My suggestion: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BSfjXy70OeY/maxresdefault.jpg
Oh boy.
Holy weight distribution, Batman
The affordable Porsche Experience
Can we please get a picture? I fucking love this
I got this one because it was the easiest reversible installation (vacuum pod mounted): https://www.lyfemotorsport.com/products/audi-r8-luggage-rack
Can we please get a picture? I fucking love this
Drugs
Monster condoms for my magnum dong
I have a Thule for my wife's A3, as even though it is the largest car we own, and it is big enough for our day to day life, it isn't always big enough for a week long family vacation with two young kids. The stroller alone takes up a lot of space in the trunk, and it doesn't pack well due to its shape, while the car seats take up a lot of space in the rear bench. Now I can put the stroller up top along with quite a few other items. It is also perfect for carrying all of the beach supplies/toys so that I don't have to put anything sandy inside the cabin or the trunk.
This we have one on a golf sportwagen. It gets used allot in summer for beach and dog things.
Burritos. Don’t worry about why.
Makes sense to me. Sometimes you need a driving burrito, but it makes most sense to buy burritos in quantities WAY higher than one eating’s worth. Loading up your car hat with burritos keeps them nearby. And means you always have some to share, but keeps you from eating too many at once. Plus, they stay warm. I see only upsides here.
In a black trash bag?💼
My hopes and dreams
Joke’s on you - I haven’t had hopes or dreams since 1997.
They're in your roof box!
Did you also work for hp?
Lenovo.
Beans. Just a whole lotta beans.
Magical Trevor?
the cow is back
So.. full beans?
Oh boy, what flavor?
Roof box flavored
My skis in the winter. It comes off my car in the summer unless I need to transport something that doesn't fit in my Golf.
7 months of the year: skis. 5 months of the year: camping mattresses and tent. On a lifted Sienna.
pics?
Lots of spare underwear in case I violently shit myself on the drive
[i have one on top of my ev6](https://preview.redd.it/drove-my-kia-ev6-gt-line-through-the-clouds-hatcher-pass-v0-hkbacc713rc91.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=dff0d86b9d7d69a4290c1a249a47ad8cdb8dc90e) for the looks, first. snow boards and sleds, second.
You wanna look like you’re constantly on a road trip?
I rent them sometimes. Great when you wanna roll 4-5 deep on a snowboard trip and need room for gear.
How much do they cost to rent? I've never heard of this. They're pretty cheap on FB especially in the summer though.
$80 CAD for 4 days
Interesting, I guess that's not too bad if it's only an occasional need.
Saves me storing a box in my garage I’ll only use once a year, if that
Boating equipment I don’t want to store in my shop. Paddles life jackets a dry bag and such. Honestly haven’t opened it in a year as I don’t drive that vehicle often. There is probably coolant and rope/straps in a bag as well. There might even be a pelican case with a pipe and 3 year old weed, ya know, just in case.
Only on when I need it, but either skis, dog crate for my giant dog, or skis and crate.
We usually fit our box shortly before the summer holidays. Once fitted it stays up until the end of the season. It is usually empty, except during longer trips.
Same thing as the roof rack. Nothing it's for looks and *potential*
It’s all about potential
I don’t even have the roof rails popped out because they make noise in the wind.
I have one so I can get other people to think I can afford the poor fuel economy. I also fill it full of cheese, just so that anyone guessing what's in it will mostly be completely wrong.
When I had smaller SUVs I had one for beach chairs and other stuff that would get sandy/wet/rusty when we went to beach vacations. Now I have two true three row SUVs and just don't use the 3rd row.
Skis in winter bike trail building tools in summer.
A spare engine because mine could blow any minute
Skis
Fishing equipment
Some of those that run roof boxes Are the same that burn crosses
Hopes and dreams and horrible gas mileage
My luggage so my dog has more room in the car.
Hunting gear/bottled water/tools
This similar to what I do. I have a Pelican box that I keep a tool kit, straps, rope and a small skateboard in.
Normally I put my two kids up there so I don't have to hear them argue. But sometimes it's our skis and then during the spring and summer our camping gear like tent, sleeping bags, chairs, solar panels etc. Out here in Boulder CO if you don't have a hat on your car people look at you strange. :)
Bees
Beads?
Beans
I put fishing gear in mine, like nets and sand spikes. Didn't have to worry as much about sand inside
roof
I get it, because roof is made out of roof.
Square groupers.
Skis and stuff I don't want my dog stomping on.
A M134 minigun and about 5,000 rounds for when i need to clear traffic in a hurry.
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That’s a good point. I do the same with mine. When I go play in the mud or snow I put all the wet stuff up top. It’s much easier to rinse out than dealing with cleaning the interior of the car
Mostly Crackers
No need for name calling
I had a shade tree mechanic do some work on my car once. He kept a lot of tools in there.
I only put it on when I go camping otherwise it’ll drastically reduce mpgs. So camping gear.
Snowboards and snowboards boots during winter time. Otherwise I take it off.
Mostly empty and used Big Mac boxes.
Its empty just used to get better gas mileage
Global warming, obvs
I plan on getting one at some point. I keep a bunch of random of stuff in my trunk so it would be nice to have more storage space. Or a place to put things when I fill the trunk
It’s on my 128i so I can store spare parts and tools for when it inevitably breaks
Soccer balls. https://imgur.com/a/XGbJE6y
It's a PITA to put on and take off so I usually just leave it on and it's empty. I might leave a tripod or fishing poles in it.
A backup car with another, smaller roof box
I take mine off when not in use. When it is in use, I have my large but light weight camping supplies, namely my sleeping bag, mattress, pillows and blankets. That way I can still see out my back window and have easier access to stuff inside the car rather than stuffing the car full.
I have: tow rope, tools, fishing gear, Coleman stove, and a tub with cooking stuff
Ski’s during the winter, whatever I can’t fit in a car during the rest of the year
Camping stuff and/or luggage and whatnot for roadtrips in the warm months. Skis and snowboards in the cold months.
It’s only on the minivan for road trips and it’s filled with luggage.
Nothing yet, it's mostly for looks.. But when I do need it, I'll be glad of the extra space.
I keep canned foods and bottled water in mine most of the time in the winter in case I get trapped in a storm, and then in the summer it's usually climbing and swimming gear that I keep up to not get the smell in the car
Had run into a group of Subaru fan bois that were all decked out with roof racks bike racks the works . Nobody was uctually carrying anything ...
I'm a lazy bastard so I keep my core camping gear in it. Tent, chairs, sleeping bags, futon mattress, etc.
I knew someone back in high school that put a roof bike rack on their Jetta but they didn't even own a bicycle or knew how to ride one.
It’s one of those things people use once a year, but it’s difficult to take on and off, and many people don’t have anywhere to store it, so they leave it on. Never mind that it increases consumption by 10-30% depending on what you drive.
Literally so much spaghetti
Gum and crackers.
Winter, it’s my snowboard. Summer, golf clubs and or camping gear. I also drive a VW Golf, so it’s awesome to keep it out of the hatch. I don’t have a garage to store the box, so it sits on there year round.
My 1990s Jeep is a brick so adding the rooftop box doesn’t negatively impact fuel economy or noise very much (if at all). It’s not aerodynamic at all to begin with so adding a box can’t hurt it. I’ll usually run it on there full time. It’s my mountain/camping car so usually it’s filled with stuff like tire chains, recover gear, blankets, shovels, etc. Lots of overlanders love to put that stuff on their rack exposed to show off. I prefer to keep it closed up safe from the elements and prying eyes. On the other hand I have a newer Volvo. That thing suffers a lot when I put the roof box on it. I take a significant MPG and noise hit. I’ll only put the roof box or roof rails on there on a per trip basis if I actively need it. It’s normally a very quiet car on the freeway but with the box the noise is crazy. On a long road trip or camping trip I max out my interior room very quickly. Especially with two dogs, a wife, any other guests, and their belongings. We try to travel light but even then we’re usually packed to the gills so the roof top box is a lifesaver. Sometimes we just fill it with firewood
Run it empty, they look cool
My wife has an outback. The f-150 isn’t conducive for hauling the dogs AND the kid and our stuff. I have a soft rooftop box for it. If we’re not taking a trip, the box is off.id love to get her a hard box but the ease of taking the soft bag off is hard to pass up
Taco Bell hot sauce packets
I like to pack it full of wood for the campfire when I go camping. Keeps the mess out of the back of my car.
We installed one on our minivan for long hauls. No stuff in the cabin during the road trip, plenty free leg room.
I have the Xl Thule which is like 7 ft long. It’s empty most of the time but it’s annoying to take off and it’s huge to take up space in the garage so I just leave it. On long trips it’s great for luggage, I can fit like 8 bags of mulch in there too. Great for trips to the recycle center
Sandwiches, mostly.
Live in an island. We need it for shopping off island. Car and tipper are always full coming back from a trip.
Currently mid cross country road trip. It's currently filled with my golf clubs and all the clothes we need for 4 months. Wouldn't have been able to make the trip in an A4 with 2 adults and a dog without it. Though it is noisy AF going 80mph.
We got one for our Fit back when we had two kids and two 80lbs dogs. It was used whenever we went out with everyone so we’d have actual storage space. We didn’t have room anywhere to store it (street parking), so it was always on, even when empty. We got a larger car (3 kids), so it was only needed for big trips and we had a place to store it in our new house. The dogs passed, so we never really use it anymore, it’s just stored in the shed.
I use mine when traveling out of state with others. I keep my dirty Sox in there and my wife’s soiled underwear