Thule Force cargo box (Large, model 628) mounted to 2012 Dodge Durango (Citadel) with satellite radio antenna and integrated roof rack option.
SHORT REVIEW:
Just completed 2000 mile round-trip vacation and this was a great purchase. Wish I bought it years ago. Easy to mount, easy to load. Secure. Many very thoughtful design elements. Solid at 80mph+ on highway and went through brutal rainstorm with all contents dry. Held 2 large (80-100lb+) dog crates (folded) plus a bunch of additional duffel bags. Length accommodates our skis & snowboards, too.
LONG REVIEW:
I spent a lot of time trying to insure this cargo box would fit our Durango. Dimensions for mounting are on Thule site or through Amazon site...easy enough to verify our roof rack (integrated Dodge item) would fit this cargo box and clear the gate. BUT, no one could verify if it would interfere with satellite radio antenna. So, I ordered the Thule Force Large and I bought a stubby antenna same time, just in case. I learned 2 things. First, the box fits perfect, can slide forward enough to avoid antenna by about 1". Second, don't buy a stubby antenna. It isn't needed with this combination of car/box, plus the cargo box sits so low, even with the stubby antenna mounted you cannot slide the box back...it hits the stubby antenna. I assume newer Durangos may have a 'fin' type satellite antenna that may be lower so the box could slide over? I don't know. But I do know I was deciding between Force L and longer boxes and the Force L was the right choice.
Mounting & Loading:
Mounting was simple, the clamps open up with twist of knob, then slide forward and back. Hoist it up there (I am 5'-5", I did it myself, cumbersome but not difficult), set on the roof rack, move the box around till you have it aligned the way you want, tighten the clamps. Couldn't be simpler. Dual entry helps on this, too, as I stood on right rear door sill to tighten 2 clamps, then same on left rear door for other 2 clamps. Easy to do with box opening from either side. Also, I specifically did not buy Yakima cargo box when I read I would have to purchase some other accessory to mount first. That seemed to defeat the point of buying our Durango with the integrated roof rack. The cargo box can only be opened by key, and key can only be removed when locked, so you cannot accidentally lock the key inside. Some other reviewers had issues getting it to lock, I did briefly then I balanced the load out a little and compressed items a bit and no problems. You can't overfill like a suitcase and then rely on sitting on it to close it. If you feel like you are forcing it to close it I found it didn't want to lock. Like anything else, you figure out what works. Note as well we used duffel bags, not hard sided luggage or roller carry-ons. I am sure those would work, but we had 2 folded dog crates in there first, which limited headroom above them, so duffel bags seemed better in our case and they worked fine so I will do same in the future.
Can't say enough about the entry & locking from either side. What a smart feature. On our way home some dude parked close to our passenger side, so I loaded from the driver side. No problem. Cool rotating strut holds the lid open regardless of which side you open from. Simple, elegant design and it works well.
I did see other reviews with concerns on rain entry and the lid not staying closed? We drove 80mph+ without any issues; you could see the front edge right through the sunroof so found myself checking it occasionally. And part of our drive we hit a wicked rain & wind storm (many pulled off), we kept on going and the contents stayed dry. I saw mention Thule may have done a design improvement to add reinforcing bar in the front (mine has this) and I guess they resolved it as we had no issues whatsoever with lid opening or water ingress at high speed.
Some questioned the sturdiness. I feel it is sturdy. Looks good I think, as well.
Some questioned the price for a 2 piece plastic box. It is pricey, no doubt. But after using it on this trip (it allowed us to bring our 2 Labradors on vacation and still allow my 15 and 16 year old kids to be comfortable in their seats) it was worth it for our family. As a family we drive a lot on our trips; from Chicago to CO and FL on annual basis....with skis & snowboards or loads of beach stuff. I am kicking myself I didn't buy this before.
We lost about 3mpg on the highway. Otherwise didn't notice it was there.
| Brand Name | Thule |
|---|---|
| Style | Cargo Box With Gopack Duffels |
| Size | XX-Large (21 Cubic Feet) |
