It doesn’t matter how hard we try, we always have too much stuff that we need to take when we go away on holiday or head off on our next sporting adventure.
It doesn’t matter how hard we try, we always have too much stuff that we need to take when we go away on holiday or head off on our next sporting adventure. It doesn’t fit in the car, yet we “need” to take it all. In addition to that, we need to fit 5 people in our vehicle.
How do you manage all this? Answer: A cargo box with masses of space.
The cargo box can fit in all your sporting equipment and your luggage. It sits nicely on the roof of your car, freeing up space in the truck for even more items.
Also, it means your passengers don’t need to hold on to anything during the journey, so it will make your travels safer.
In this article, we review the biggest cargo boxes available so you can take everything you want along with you on your next adventure.
- Best Hard Rooftop Cargo Carrier - Thule Motion XT XXL
- Best Carrier for Pickup Trucks - Marksign Truck Cargo Bag
Table of Contents
Overview of Our Favourite Biggest Roof Cargo Boxes
Last update on 2023-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
#1 Thule Motion XT XXL Cargo Carrier
This spacious and stylish cargo box is easy to use and looks super sleek. This is available in 2 colors, with a ginormous 610L volume (or 22 cubic feet). The dual-sided opening makes your gear easily accessible.
It may be huge, but it is easy to open/close irrespective of weather conditions with outer handles that are grip-friendly and supporting lid-lifters. It can carry a weight load of 75kg.
With it being so big you might be concerned about access to your trunk. However, it sits slightly forward on your roof, so there is full trunk access with no risk of hitting your cargo box.
- Easy to open/close in all weather conditions
- Grip friendly outer handles and supporting lid-lifters
- Load capacity of 75 kg
#2 Thule Force Cargo Box, Black 21 Cubic feet
This is another winning product from Thule that looks great and performs well. But we have placed this at number 2 because of how you need to mount it.
The cargo box needs you to open the mounting hardware first, then set the box on the roof bars centrally. It is a little more fiddly and requires more precision. However, installation still only took less than 5 minutes. And this was the only downside.
The install was again totally tool-free, as the box does have a pre-installed quick-grip mounting system. The durable lid is a diamond-textured AeroSkin one. The aerodynamic shape allows the reduction of drag and reduced noise.
The big SecureLock ensures the box is closed securely. The dual-sided opening makes your gear easily accessible from either side of the vehicle.
- Secure clicking mounting systems
- Exclusive diamond-textured AeroSkin surface
- Load capacity remaining about 110 lbs
#3 Yakima Carbonite Skybox
This spectacular gigantic 21 cubic feet cargo box weighs a mega 75 lbs. It also has quite a low weight load capacity for its size, 28 kg. At 21 cubic feet in volume, the Thule models have much higher weight limits.
The product also has a dual-sided opening, as well as a super latch for effortless opening and closing. It has a beautiful tapered exterior which reduces drag and noise. This product is mounted tool-free also.
For the install, simply do the following:
- Open the lid
- Release the clamps
- Loosen the thumbwheels
- Position the cargo box on your roof rack crossbars
- Slide it back so that the clamps engage the load bars
- Tighten the thumbwheels
- Then engage your lever clamps
Sound easy enough? Once you have installed it, the cargo box should not slide about on the bars. If it does slip, open the cargo box and tighten the levers to secure it.
The price is comparable to the Thule, so why look at the Skybox? Well, we noticed that the cargo box has lid stiffeners which add to durability.
We also found that the mounting was more straightforward than the Thule, however, it still only took minutes. So there are some other plus points.
- Tool-free installation
- 21 cubic feet
- Load capacity 28 kg
#4 Modula Racks Travel Twin 650 Litre Roof Top Cargo Box Silver
This cargo box has an internal capacity of 650 liters or nearly 23 cubic feet. It also comes with a 5 Year Warranty, which is assuring as it is a little more expensive than the previous products reviewed here.
It will fit most aftermarket and factory roof-rack cross-bars including makes like Rhino-Rack, Modula, Thule, Sport-Rack, and Yakima. This big cargo box features many of the goodies you need in a cargo box.
Let’s start with the dual-opening lid, which has a lock and allows loading from either side of your vehicle. Modular Rack also boasts their patented quick-release legs which make installation or removal quick and easy without the need for an additional person.
The unit opens and closes smoothly each time thanks to the premium hinge hardware. The durable, upgraded acrylic lid is tough. You can treat this with standard car care products, so your box looks new for many years.
- 3 Point Central Locking System
- Load capacity of 650 liters
- 5 Year Warranty
#5 Marksign Truck Cargo Bag with Cargo Net
So strictly speaking, this is not a cargo box. However, with a capacity of 26 cubic feet, we could not ignore this mammoth option from Marksign.
It measures 51 x 40 x 22 inches (or 130 x 100 x 55cm) and could possibly hold everything you might ever need during your travels. For those of you with trucks, this fits very nicely on any truck bed.
So that you can easily transport it, this product has four heavy-duty rubber handles. We looked through competing designs, and this product seemed a lot easier to handle. It is waterproof, and each bag comes equipped with a heavy-duty 4 feet x 6 feet’ bungee net to secure the bag on to your truck.
The net stretches out to 8 feet x 12 feet, preventing your bag from blowing up as you are driving. Marksign also includes 12 strong metal carabiners to ensure secure tie-down.
To ensure water does not get in, the cargo bag is electrically welded from 500D tarpaulin without any tiny holes. The zipper is coated with vinyl. The seals have flaps that use velcro to close, so you are sure to keep the rain out.
The material is UV resistant, so it will last over time. To add a little something extra, the cargo bag comes with extra drawstring bags for storage of the cargo bag and net.
This is the best big cargo bag for a truck. The price makes this cargo bag very attractive for those of you needing this extra space, however, be aware that the product is still patent pending.
- Fits any truck size
- Waterproof design (500D tarpaulin material)
- Comes with heavy duty cargo net
Conclusion
These are the best cargo boxes we have found that will give you more than enough space to take everything you need with you on your next trip.
Think about whether you will have another pair of hands available to mount it or remove it from your vehicle. Also, consider the weight of the gear you want to take with you.
Lastly, always remember to check the weight limit of your roof rack and your car roof, and apply the lower of the two before cramming all your gear into a cargo box and then on top of your car. You don’t want to damage your car!
