Roof Rack Case

So what are you guys using for a case that goes on top of roof racks? I need something fairly cheap and water proof to keep it all dry. Thanks!

 

I have a Plano and just got a Pelican Vault to bolt up top.
Keep your eye on craigslist and FB marketplace.

 

Plano

 

Harbor freight Apache cases. Best picture I have.

 

So how are you guys mounting them to the actually rack?

 

Nice truck! What front bumper? And is the graphic OEM or did you add that?

 

Drill holes through the bottom, carriage bolt up from the rack with a nut inside the case. I used some silicone too. Never had any problems.

 

Thanks man! Its a Pelfreybilt aluminum (front and rear) with Line-X. The graphics came on the XSP-X edition which was offered in the Southeast US.

 

Nice. I’m always interested in the wide array of “special edition” trucks Toyota put out.

 

Yeah I am too. I wanted the XSPX because it came with the all-weather seats, led accents, fenders, different wheels/tires, carbon look interior and a few other things. I purchased it from a Chevy dealership that really wanted it off the lot. The guy said it was causing people to think of Toyotas. Ha.

 

Yeah, my TX (Toyota Extreme ) came from a Dodge dealer who wanted it gone. Stupid low miles and some fun extras like leather seats. It was a rare find for sure.

 

That's awesome! I took a Greyhound bus one way for 4 hours to get there. I got it certified pre-owned with an extended warranty. It was a lucky find for sure. I've seen a few TX's out here! I love seeing stuff like that.

 

Wow, it is really quite the commitment to find a good pre-owned. Anyway, I'll quit jacking the thread now.

 

You're looking for permanent mounting, I take it? (IMO it's better to have temporary mounting when needed for trips to save weathering, wind drag, vehicle center of gravity, and risk of vandalism).

What's your target for fairly cheap? (Pay once/cry once can work if you expect to have it for many years.)

What kind of "it all" do you want to keep dry? (Heavy stuff works better down lower for COG.)

I've carried everything from Rubbermaid Action Packers to Pelican cases to Zarges boxes on my trucks. There are also Thule/Yakima roof boxes and waterproof soft bags from many suppliers. And then one gets into custom options...

For longer-term mounting, I like Zarges for their overall space, durability and lockability. Neither Zarges nor knockoffs like Alu-Box are cheap, though. I won't drill holes in a Zarges box, but I've seen bolt-on clamps that can make them more secure. (Paul May used to off a simple mounting option for t-slot racks, but those might not be available any longer). Aluminum boxes are not friendly for dragging over surfaces and the aluminum construction can leave black marks on some contents unless a liner is used. A Pelican case (or maybe a HF Apache case, although the range sizes of those is limited) is probably the next best choice. As far as what goes on the roof, it's good to keep heavier stuff like recovery gear and fluids lower than rooftop. Firewood is a good rooftop load, if where you're going allows you to bring in/take out wood.

At Bryce Canyon National Park last fall I met a German couple driving around the world in their Hilux. They had a RTT on a custom-made canopy and a home-made storage box also from checkerplate 5-bar safety tread plate over the cab. PV panel mounted in the front wind-deflecting part. He painted it in a two-component paint that was supposed to be more sand-colored than the yellowish shade it turned out. That's probably the ultimate approach to a long term roof box.

 

Plano case...got it thru craigslist:

 

As a minor hijack, @2013XSPX, could you show some pix of your all-weather seats? I don't think I know that factory option...

 

The first one I could find. Ha!

I agree completely with your points on mounting roof storage. I'm putting a Pelican Vault on this week sometime and will rearrange the Plano car and recovery tracks. I am sure it's not great for mpgs but I like keeping as little as possible inside the truck and it's just good fun.

I don't worry about thieves too much but on trips I do lock up.

 

Those look like Limited leather seats with an embroidered headrest, yes? I guess leather is more all-weather than TRD/Sport fabric.

Nice photo (although I didn't copy into this quote...)

 

How did you mount the case?

 

Tardy to the party, but just mounted the Roam on the rear of the @upTOPoverland TRUSS last night.

Used 3 u-bolts wrapped underneath the slats. Two in the front of the case (last slat) and one in the center of the rear of the case (second to last slat). Siliconed the washers inside the case and will dremmel down the extra threaded parts of the ubolts inside the case later, so they aren’t protruding.

The Roam struts are a nice perk. Also has a drain plug and a bottle opener on the passenger side of the case. Worth the $, if you want those conveniences.