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OEM Crossbars and Thule Cargo Box fits in my garage
You guys might have seen my setup in prior posts, but just wanted to show you i was barely able to squeeze my car into my garage with a particular Thule Cargo Box. I have a regular moonroof RX and i'm using the OEM Lexus Crossbar, Lexus Part # PT278-48160
Cargo box i'm using is a few years old, but its Thule Sonic 633B
My garage entrance height is exactly 82.25" high. I can pull into my garage with literally only 1.50" of room to spare. So, my car's total height with my Thule cargo box is approximately 80.75" high
^^ That box looks like someone put my box inside a trash compactor and turned it on and squished. it....Hhahaha. Oh, ya i can't fully open my rear tail gate all the way, even though the box is pushed up as far as it goes, but it opens sufficiently. BTW if that's a new box, go put a coat of wax/paint sealant on it....
^^ That box looks like someone put my box inside a trash compactor and turned it on and squished. it....Hhahaha. Oh, ya i can't fully open my rear tail gate all the way, even though the box is pushed up as far as it goes, but it opens sufficiently. BTW if that's a new box, go put a coat of wax/paint sealant on it....
I used to have long cargo box like yours on my 4Runner and I hated my tail gate hitting it, so this one fits my snowboard just barely and considering no one is taller than me I went with the medium. I do wish it was slimmer and not so high, Thule does not make a size Med box that is thinner though.
Good call on the wax sealant, it is a new box. I went a little crazy on Thule's website.
Lexus OEM crossbars won't work with Pano roofs. I think Thule is the only game in town right now for those with Pano roofs. You might want to check yakima to see if they have for sale yet...
Lexus OEM crossbars won't work with Pano roofs. I think Thule is the only game in town right now for those with Pano roofs. You might want to check yakima to see if they have for sale yet...
Someone have mentioned previously that factory bars works in pinch mode but no one has shown any pics yet.
Someone have mentioned previous factory bars works in pinch mode but no one has shown any pics yet.
OEM Crossbars torque wrench specs are only 8Nm or 71 in/lbf. Yes that's inches, not foot pounds. I wouldn't certainly use the Pinch method with those miniscule torque specs.
OEM Crossbars torque wrench specs are only 8Nm or 71 in/lbf. Yes that's inches, not foot pounds. I wouldn't certainly use the Pinch method with those miniscule torque specs.
On a recent 180 mile roundtrip to a local ski resort, i did 23MPG with a Thule Cargo box on the roof. Note, a lot of the trip up there was uphill on the highways, and downhill on the way home.... I drove mostly between 70-80MPH
Parking spot in my garage is a tight fit so a hitch mount bike carrier wont work for me. So, i got the Thule Sidearm to mount on the OEM Crossbars.
A few problems i ran into after installing the Sidearm.
1. I forgot how tall this SUV is and i need a step ladder to load the bike onto the carrier.
2. I was only able to load it after help from my wife since i cannot "clamp down" just one wheel without the bike tipping over. Note, i only tried mounting my wife's bike who has skinnier tires. I will try mounting it with my bike tomorrow which has wider/beefier tires. I had to stick my body out of the sunroof to use the front wheel clamps...
3. I had the same issues removing the bike and it required the assistance of my wife.
Ok i figured out how i can mount the bike on my rack by myself without any assistance. However, i still need a step stool since the roof is so tall.
I need to put the mounting arm so its facing the outside of the vehicle. Which will mean mounting the bike mount on the driver's side facing backwards.
The mount on the passenger will have the bike facing forwards like this
I was wondering if any one has put a cargo box on their roof - and if so - which model and size did you get?
i am torn between the "Thule Force Medium" and "Thule Force Large"
Id like to have the extra room from the Large box - but i am worried that it will interfere with the hatch opening all the way. Based on me measuring - it seems like the large would be too big - but i saw pictures of a comparable Yakima box on a RX350 fitting just fine.
So i was hoping someone on these boards has better photos or can share their experiences.
I'm interested in purchasing a roof cargo box to carry my snowboards and I've been looking at Thule Pulse Alpine or the Thule Motion XT Alpine. Both of these have a low/flat profile which is basically all I would need to carry my snowboard and some other various items that I can fit in the cargo box. Has anybody installed a roof cargo box? If so, did you use the Lexus crossbars and if so, was it easy to attach to the silver rails that came with the car? I have a '16 with the panoramic roof and I've read that the Lexus crossbars won't work with the pano roof. Can't I just install the Lexus crossbars and not open the pano roof? If you didn't use the Lexus crossbars, did you use the Thule crossbars and if so, which ones did you buy to install with the silver roof rails?
If you have recommendations, please let me know. I'm looking at the Pulse Alpine and the Motion XT Alpine because they have a lower profile so I'm hoping it'll have less of an impact on mpg and will also fit easier in parking garages and parking structures.
04-25-16, 02:05 PM
OEM Crossbars and Thule Cargo Box fits in my garage
