X-Cargo Xtreme Car Top Carrier
Product Details
Specifications
Specifications & Dimensions
| Dimensions: | |
|---|---|
| Height (in.): | 16 |
| Length (in.): | 76 |
| Weight (lbs.): | 37 |
| Width (in.): | 33 |
| Product Overview: | |
| Cargo Box Type: | Cargo box |
| Color/Finish: | Black |
| Material: | ABS |
| Mounting Point: | Roof Top |
| Storage Capacity (cu.ft.): | 16 |
| Weather Resistant: | Weather resistant |
| Weight Capacity (lbs.): | 100 |
Reviews (50)
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5.0 / 5.0
Purchased this cargo carrier a while back, it has been great! Holds more than you think it would and is extremely easy to hook up and take off.
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5.0 / 5.0
"Just bought one when i was spending my vacation time in New Jersey. Installed it in my Ford Escape, needed help from another person and a step tool, other than that brought it home(Canada) full of stuff and shopping items. Worth the price. Good looking style. I called it space ship."
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4.0 / 5.0
I was a bit reluctant to purchase this cargo carrier after reading some of the negative reviews, and even more worried when I first installed mine and saw it making the same nerve-racking 'oscillations' that eventually destroy the carrier that others were talking about. However, with a very simple modification, this cargo carrier works perfectly and is dramatically more stable, so I thought I would share. The fix is to add two 4 ft slotted angle bars inside: (here's a link to the part: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202183536/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=slotted+angle&storeId=10051) that span from the front to the back of the box, attached where the rack bracket bolts fasten, and done on both the left and right sides. So for about $30 more, it is signficantly stronger, and even doubles as a rail for hooking bungee cords or other tie downs to secure the load inside. After this modification, I can now drive at freeway speeds, even with an empty box without worry and very little if any vibration. I wonder why they don't just manufacture these this way... So in summary, if you're slightly handy and are willing to make this modification, this is an excellent cargo carrier for the price and I'd recommend it. If you'd rather not have to make modifications, you may want to try a different carrrier.
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4.0 / 5.0
Pros: `Sturdy `Stylish `Roomy `Adjustable `Keyed lock `Aerodynamic `Anti-theft quick-release mounting hardware Cons: `Minor wobble at very high speed when empty, otherwise stable `Minor dampness to contents during very heavy rainstorms, otherwise dry
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4.0 / 5.0
After reading all of the other reviews I was skeptical and a little aprehensive, but for the money I had to take a chance on it and boy am I glad I did. For starters, it has the same bottom of the Thule at least even though the top is different than the Thule. I decided to mount it to my Yakims rack and ended up not using the mounting hardware it cam with. I can see how some cannot seem to get it to mount securley but you need to be smart about how you do it. I used the mounting plates that it came with and bolted them to the carrier bottom, then used some Yalkima feet and one single 5/16" bolt through the center. This makes it come off and on in about one minute and is extremely secure and will not wobble. The trip was just under 1500 miles and had rain, snow and heavy wind; not a single drop of water on the inside. If you overstuff it you will have a gap at the front. This will happen with any brand that does not have the hinge or a lock at the front of the unit.
If you have two people to help mount it that is great but it can be done by yourself too with a litte patience. I used it on a Honda Odyssey so a step ladder was all that was needed for accessing it. Buy it and just take your time, you will not regret it.
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2.0 / 5.0
I bought this in Feb 2010. I took it on a road trip from Colorado to Arizona and didn't have a problem. I then went on a road trip from Colorado to Utah in Jun 2011 and the car top carrier wobbled the whole way at highway speeds. People were looking and pointing like it was going to fall off. I pulled over and redistributed the weight, but nothing seemed to work. I then went on a camping trip, upon returning and removing the carrier I found the plastic part of the carrier had cracked. Of course it is outside of the 1 year warranty. This carrier was removed after every trip and never stayed on top of my 4 runner when not in use. X-Cargo also recommends not using the carrier unless at 50 pounds are in it. I would caution a person before buying this carrier. Thule and Yakima seem to have better warranties and people are able to leave them installed when not in use.
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5.0 / 5.0
Worked perfectly. The installation is not difficult at all and is completely intuitive. The mounting brackets are all-metal. The Thule apparently uses bulky plastic brackets? I did need a helper to hold the bolts on the far side while I snugged them but it still took less than five munutes to install from start to first-bag-in. Drove at high speeds up to 80mph with no noise, no shifting and no apparent impact on gas mileage. Mounted to a Honda element I found only a 1 mpg difference from other trips. We drove 1600 miles with this thing fully loaded without an issue. There was no noise when we drove with it empty either. We'll never travel again wtihout this on top of the car. Virtually all of our luggage fits inside, protected from weather. This roof-top carrier is a great value.
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5.0 / 5.0
Don't understand other negative reviews. We bought this to move a lot of our belongings to our vacation home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We attached it to the top of our Avalanche and packed it to the limit. We traveled to and fro Puerto Vallarta twice using this and NO PROBLEMS, NO TROUBLES at all! Aerodynamics was great, weatherproof and security was great, never wobbled or made wierd noises like some other reviewers are saying. Definitely recommend this product.
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2.0 / 5.0
I ignored the reviews convinced we'd find a way to keep it stable and it was on sale ! On a week long trip with heavy items in it the wobbling was at 65mph but otherwise okay at other speeds. This last trip - mostly filled with duffle bags full of clothing the carrier went crazy (2011 Highlander and installed per the instructions). I doubt returning it will work so I'm going to look for a carrier wind shield and hope that does the trick or try out some bungee cords. I drove with it empty today and at 70mph it started wacking the top of my car (vs just flapping up and down when loaded). Lovely. I'm not sure Thule roof carriers are any better but I do wish I had bought the Thule carrier that is installed on the back of the car.
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1.0 / 5.0
Don't buy this car topper unless you are a lucky gambler. Odds are against you 2:1. Most likely the topper will wobble and if it does, it WILL crack from the strain if you continue to use it. If you notice it wobbles and return it, you get smacked with a 15% restocking fee. One out of three chance it will work for you. We used ours for only THREE trips before it developed a large crack down the side. Sears stood by their waranty and said it was out of the 1 year warranty and they did NOTHING. How many trips do you take in a year? We were out $300. Just because the topper fits on your vehicle doesn't mean it should be on your vehicle. I fault Sears and Thule for recommending this topper for our Nissan Quest. Yes it fit, but areodynamically it doesn't work. Shame on them for not testing their product on the vehicles before recommending it. If you already own this topper, be sure to cram an old towel under the front end to lessen the wobble.
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4.0 / 5.0
It worked fine on our '02 Honda Odyssey with Thule cross bars on the factory rails . Setting up the mounts was a bit tricky for the first go around next time will be 1/4 the time. 2 people are better than one, but I managed alone. I found the large support plates that go above the cross bar and below the cargo box to be clumbsy, so I used short bolts and nut through the extra holes and bolted them drectly to the bottom of the cargo box. If I had double stick tape, that would have worked too. It elimimates 90% of the battle. We did not experiance any wobbles or rain leaks on out maiden 500 mile voyage during July 4th. It holds way more than I thought. Nice to keep the Bike gear in the box and not rolling around in the back after you unpack. I could actaully see out the rear window on this trip.. Yeah! The cardbaord box said it came from Thule and was sent directly to the Sears store. TJR Southern Maine.
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1.0 / 5.0
This car top carrier wobbled and shook just like other on-line reviews! I am very disappointed with this item and would not recommend. It was also nerve-wracking to worry about the carrier flying off during transit.
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2.0 / 5.0
the unit is sturdy and well constructed. Inexepnsive compared to its cometitors but very diffciult to install. Installation and removal are a problem if you want to garage tall vehicles. Set aside an afternoon for installation.
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5.0 / 5.0
Last year at the last minute I realized I needed a large cargo carrier but didn't want to spend a lot of money,after searching the web for bargains I found the x-treme cargo carrier at sears.purchased it on-line and picked it up that afternoon,easily mounted on my trailblazer and had plenty of cargo space.Best money I ever spent.excellent equipment and had no problems with this item,very satified.
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2.0 / 5.0
i bought this unit since i have owned the older more boxy sears carriers of the past. I got this one on sale and it was a lot cheaper than the thule. I mounted it on a cadillac escalade and as long as i was only going 55 mph or slower it was ok. Above 60 mph the unit,regardless of how securely mounted, would rock noticeably and unacceptably and could not be used. I took the unit off and drilled new 1/4 inch holes in the box farther forward and farther rearward and remounted the unit. The on center distance between the front and rear attachment clamps is approximately 52 inches now. I can now go 70+ mph( loaded or not loaded) with no front-- rear wobble. I dont know it is even on there. I am sure sears does not want you to do this but at least the unit works. I can put it on by myself (skinny 55 yo guy) and do not find the mounting an issue. If you can not spread your roof racks 52 inches you would not be able to do what i did and still attach unit. overall its hard to recommend it
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1.0 / 5.0
I went to get the Thule 1600 but all three sears stores were out of stock so I had to settle for this one as I was about to take a road trip. Took it home and mounted it on top of my Sequoia. It is a pain to install since it opens from one side and a tall vehicle such as a Sequoia is nearly impossible. After about an hour, I was finally successful. During the trip, the box kept wobbling and shaking so much that fellow motorists were honking and pointing towards it. I had to pull over and secure it with wraps but that defeated the purpose. Was travelling to NJ from MD so once I got there, I took it to a sears and they said its mounted fine but could explain the wobbling. Needless to say, I returned it as soon as I got home and got the Thule. It is only $90 more and it opens from both sides and DOES NOT wobble at all. These are things you buy once in many years so I suggest forking the extra $100 and going with the Thule. You will save yourself tons of hassle. oh and did I mention the flimsy lock? On the side of the highway, when I was adjusting load to see if that would help and tie it down, the key would not turn to lock it. It took me an hour and some WD40 from a cop who had pulled over to assist me to get it to move. Don't know why the cop had WD40 in his car but thank god he did.
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5.0 / 5.0
Let me start off by saying I hate sears with a passion and swore that i would never give them business again. However, someone gave us a gift card and we needed a topper. I had it installed at the sears service center but it's really easy to do on your own. I now use this as a permanent fixture on my QX4 so that i can have additional cargo space at all times. Avoid shopping at sears at all costs.
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4.0 / 5.0
So far so good. I have only used it on one trip. I installed this alone, but it would be much easier with two people. It can be a little difficult to install initially, but the way the mounts are designed it can be fairly easy to remove or reinstall. I have the Thule rapid tracker cross bar and mounts so I just leave it attached to the cross bars, and it only takes about 60 seconds for me to install or remove. It has no wind noise. If you pack something too large in the front, it will not allow the front to close completely and therefore exposing your things to wind and rain. I think that is what happened with the individual who gave this a one star. It would have been nice if they had designed it with a latch in the front to prevent this from happening. I only used this carrier for about 6 months until my wife pulled a "Griswold" by driving it into the roof of a parking garage shattering it into a million pieces.
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4.0 / 5.0
I purchased this carrier because of the pricing comparison to the Thule carriers. I also think this is manufactured by Thule anyhow and resold by Sears. We used this carrier on top of our Honda Pilot on our trip to Myrtle Beach and I was able to mount it on the Pilot myself. It performed wonderfully...it is large and very spacious which allowed us to enjoy the extra room in our car. We ran into a really bad rain storm and our cargo stayed dry, there was only a teaspoon of water that was in the recess area. I was initially concerned that the wind noise would be an issue but once on it was more quiet than the rack itself, I barely noticed it was even on the car. The only issue I had was the back screw attachment was really hard to reach on our taller car. It would have been nice to have the hinges open in both directions so attachment would have been easier. Overall, I would consider this a great buy...of course this was it's first test...if there are any issues in the future I will be sure to update.
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4.0 / 5.0
We used it on top of our '07 Honda Odyssey for a short trip (~150 miles) with mostly interstate driving. The real test will be in a few weeks when we make a cross-country trip. I'm happy with it and I did not have any issues with water or noise. The installation is a bit of a pain as I'm now afraid to scratch the roof paint when I take off the bottom clamp. I installed it by myself, but a second set of hands and eyes would make it easier and faster. Gas mileage seemed only mildly affected especially considering the van and cargo carrier were both fully loaded. The shipping label on the box indicated these are made by Thule. Also, the key can't be removed unless the lid is closed and locked. I understand why, but it was somewhat of a pain since my car keys were on the same key ring...it's an easy fix though.
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4.0 / 5.0
We purchased this topper about 2 yrs ago and have used it for several long trips and it's perfromed without a problem. It did take a bit to get it setup for our 07 Pacifica, aligning and positioning it so the hatch will open, but after that was done it's a snap to install and uninstall. I usually do both the install and uninstall myself and have yet to experience any problem. The unit has kept our luggage dry while driving through some torrential rain storms in the Carolina's and Florida.
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5.0 / 5.0
Aside from the way it attached to my roof rack this was the perfect fit for my needs. We just returned from a 4100 mile trip during the month of June. We travelled through rain and as you can see a bunch of dirt and dust! None of it entered the carrier. Not sure who makes this, but I wouldn't be surprised if Thule made them. Make sure you have the roof real estate to use this one, its longer than it looks. I highly recommend it. Strongly suggest you have help when you install. I did it by myself and it's doable, but you'll do less cussing with just a little help. The metal that's used to attach to the cross beams should be padded and you can add little strips or inner tube or othe rubber to isolate it and allow you to tighten it down. Other than that, this thing worked perfectly.
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4.0 / 5.0
Overall I really like this carrier. It's lightweight, I can lift it on top of the van without help; however I need a ladder to secure the backside attachments to the roof. It holds quite a bit of gear, doesn't feel like any drag when driving, and keeps our gear dry!
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1.0 / 5.0
I recently purchased this car top carrier for a trip over Memorial Day. To be brief, this item is terrible. On the highway, the wind forced the front to open about 4-5 inches, exposing our luggage to the elements. We were following some friends who were able to tell us how far it was opened. The wind rushing through the carrier put additional stress on the mounting areas and eventually caused the mounting hardware to begin ripping the plastic. This allowed the carrier additional flexibility to bounce in the wind so it would bang the roof of the car. It didn't matter where I moved the carrier, frontwards or backwards on the car, it was always the same problem. Had we driven much further, the carrier would have eventually ripped completely off the front mounting hardware. This is a very poorly designed car top carrier and I would not recommend this item to anyone. If there were a lock on the front of the carrier, maybe this would not have happened. I considered drilling a hole myself and using a bolt to secure the front, but since it was ripping apart at the mounting holes, I decided to return it.
Sears has a policy of charging a 15% restocking fee if the item has been used. This is designed to discourage people from buying the car top carrier, using it and then returning it. I understand that policy in most cases, but in this case the item is defective and there is no way they can restock it. I did not want a replacement because it's a piece of junk and the same thing will happen again. Shame on you Sears. You sell a ****** item and then when it breaks you charge 15%.
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1.0 / 5.0
If you will ever need to remove this carrier while on vacation (or to put your vehicle in your garage), do not buy this carrier. I consider myself very mechanically inclined, but because of the poor design of the clamps, I was unable to attach this carrier working alone after 45 minutes. Each attachment point has 7 pieces of hardware and sometimes needs a hand both inside and outside the carrier to tighten. Because the shell opens on only one side, it is nearly impossible to reach the internal wing nuts to tighten the carrier on the driver's side, even with a ladder. Removing/reinstalling this once I were to reach a vacation destination would be extremely challenging.
For less than $100 more, I found a 16cf Thule carrier with quick clamps and dual side opening. It took less than five minutes to remove the Thule from it's packaging and completely finish the installation. It makes me wonder if the design engineers for X-Cargo ever tried their design themselves. The X-Cargo is not worth savings compared to better carriers.
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5.0 / 5.0
Had it for a month and driven over 1,400 miles. Use it on 3 extended skis trips & driven through blizzard, heavy rain down pour, 60 mph cross wind, even hail. This cargo box protects our gear with NO worries. Easy access, desgin is flawless. Steady as a rock. My fuel mileage didn't change. I believe it is even better. Other than driving through a dreadful 60mph croos wind, I didn't even know it's there.
Got a great deal with ours. Download a coupon online for $25 off. Then when Sear took it out of the box to install it on my roof, I found a small 2" crack on the rear end fresh from the cardboard box. The manager took another 15% off. I said, "You got a deal."
Thule make this box & sell theirs with a fancy mounting systems but charge a $200 (over the reglar price) premium over the X-Cargo box. I bought this box and used the savings to buy gas for my SUV for those 1,400 mile ski trips. I actually got to drive all those miles for free. That's 4-1/2 tankful of fuel. You know I have a big smile.
These box aren't made to be waterproof. They have to have some room for that plastic to expand & contract. I use it for skis & snowboards so it doesn't matter to me at all.
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4.0 / 5.0
Recently planned a road trip with my family of four and my mother and mother-in-law, had cargo bag that was old and leaking, decided to purchase box type. Researched for a while and found that the company that produces the X-Cargo is the same as the one that produces for "OTHER COMPANIES". Found it very easy to install on my Grand Caravan, however while it was park in the driveway the day before the trip, freak accident, car lost its tire, hit side of minivan, not drivable. We had to scramble to rent a vehicle, got a Ford Expedition, At most ten minutes to change vehicle, very easy to set up for a totally different vehicle. Did not notice we even had it on top, don't now how it changed fuel mileage, not use to Expedition, but got about 16 to 18 MPG. Also had some rain, no water found inside. Very well worth the price!
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5.0 / 5.0
We purchased our X-Cargo X-Treme Car Top Carrier in 2005 and promptly installed on my 2004 Honda Odyssey. My wife, three kids, and I were driving from Northern Virginia to Port St. Lucie, Florida. It rained the moment we got in the car until halfway through South Carolina (about 7 hours). When we finally arrived at our destination, everything inside of our X-Cargo was desert dry, but to achieve a similar result you should take one precaution. As is the case with all hard shell car top carriers, there must be bolt holes on the bottom to accommodate the roof rack attachment hardware, therefore I applied very small quantities of caulk to the bolt heads to seal these opennings. The result was no water penetration at all into our carrier. Never have and I see no reason why I ever will.
Over the next 16 months the carrier stayed atop my car (with a full size collapsible crib in it - see below re: weight) with not a drop of water inside. Multiple trips to the Outer Banks during this time revealed no problems whatsoever. I finally removed the darn thing and put it into storage when we were transferred to Indonesia in December 2006. Fast forward to the fall of 2008 and we are back in the U.S. preparing for our next assignment in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. As we are due to drive to Ciudad Juarez, one of the few things we remove from storage is our X-Cargo carrier. As much as we appreciated our carrier, we went ahead and bought another (yes, we now have two of these things) so that my wife could have one on her minivan (we now have two Chrysler Corp minivans) as well. I know this may seem excessive, but two big dogs, three cats, three kids, two nannies, and an insane amount of luggage will fill up two minivans pretty quickly. They have both performed flawlessly. After all the research we did and the experience we've had with our X-Cargos, my wife and I actually laugh at folks who buy a Thule for twice the price and half the space.
Words of wisdom - 1) If you use the metal braces provided with the installation hardware, I have no idea how you break this thing during installation as a previous reviewer reported. I'm not even sure it's possible if you install even close to correctly. 2) Do follow the instructions and keep some weight in the container whenever it's on your vehicle (use empty suitcases - a collapsible crib, anything) - especially at highway speeds. The X-Cargo is quite large and extremely light-weight and I can imagine it shaking/vibrating if empty while travelling at highway speeds (though I've not experienced this). 3) A day prior to installing the carrier on your vehicle, run a small bead of caulk along the metal installation hardware that will be in contact with your roof rack. It is my belief that the little extra rubbery connection (instead of metal on metal contact) between the roof rack and the carrier hardware helps to hold the carrier a little more securely (I guess this would be true with any carrier).
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1.0 / 5.0
This carrier seemed like a great deal. Made by Thule and fit more than four travel sized bags. 45 minutes into our trip to Kansas City from Minneapolis, the carrier began to oscillate at the front and the back. This continued the entire trip. Had to get bungee cords to hold it down. Once we arrived home, we realized it was cracked where it was bolted to car. Sears gave us the run around saying we didn't install it right. We followed directions carefully. They said it was put on too tight-- not one mention in the directions about over tightening anything. After going to a second Sears Auto store, I got them to return the product (not even 2 weeks old.) The manager told me they have problems with people returning carriers after vacations and they track it by store, thus the runaround.
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1.0 / 5.0
We purchased this carrier for use on a Toyota Sequoia. After venturing off, we realized that within a few miles of reaching highway speed that there were issues with this carrier. The carrier woudl intermittenly oscillate once we reached speeds of about 65 mph. At times the osciallations would continually increase as though there was some resonate-type behavior occuring. As the magnitude of the oscillations increased so did the noise. Periodically, the oscillations would settle down and the carrier would ride smooth. Adjacent drivers often pointed and honked to alert us to the undulatiing carrier on our roof. We stopped several times, adjusted the load, and confirmed that it was securely fastened to the stock Toyota roof rack, to no avail. Finally, we placed three tiedown straps over the unit and secured them to the roof rack, and it seemed to retuce the movement.
After 800 miles we reached our destination, unloaded the carrier, and returned it at the nearest Sears store. Sears credited us for the purchase and was very understanding of our situation.