Customer Reviews

Keeper 07203 Waterproof Roof Top Cargo Bag (15 Cubic Feet)

5 star:		(186)
4 star:		(72)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

My wife and I purchased this product for a trip of 500 miles across Texas to go on the existing roof rack of our Toyota FJ Cruiser. It is advertised to fit most racks and it fit ours perfectly. I think we had more than 15 cubic feet of luggage, dog food, and bedding stuffed into it as we were also bringing our two huge dogs (no, they weren't in the carrier!). Loading was easy and the zippers worked fine. The only problem we had was adjusting the straps. It took forever to take them up the first time we tied it down, but on the return trip it went much easier. The strap configuration seems awkward, but possibly can be adjusted before loading, which I'll try next time.

On several reviews of similar products wind noise was mentioned, like it was to be expected, but we noticed NO noise even when driving 80mph through west Texas. The ties never loosened and the load was just as secure when we arrived as when we started. But the best thing about this product is that it REALLY IS WATERPROOF. We drove through 100 miles of pouring Gulf Coast rain on the trip home, the kind where cars on the interstate are driving 40mph with their flashers on and waiting under overpasses for it to slack up. I just knew that everything was going to be soaked when we got home. I was amazed to find that NOTHING got wet - not even damp. The design of the zipper compartment(with flaps closed by velcro) worked perfectly. We were very pleased considering that some of the similar carriers cost alot more than this one.

My family and I were making a trip to West Texas to see family for the Christmas break and needed the extra cargo room. I researched and researched these bags before I selected this one (I also considered the Rain-X 161040). After reading the reviews on the Rain-X 161040 and the problems with the zippers, I chose this product. I was not disappointed.

We own a 2007 Toyota Highlander with a roof rack and sun roof and this cargo bag fit perfectly. I was able to put a small duffel, large duffel, medium-small carry-on suitcase, a large box that measures (14" X 10" X 25") and a smaller box. I also put a few smaller items to help fill it up. In all, it held most of our actual luggage which allowed us to put all of the Christmas presents in the back. I will admit that our cargo bag was stuffed. In fact,there were a few places where the corners of the box rubbed pretty tightly against the cargo bag material. I was concerned that during the trip the bag would rip due to friction and high winds. I was also concerned about the extreme cold causing the zipper to have issues (similar to the Rain-X 161040). We bought red bungee cords to help secure it, but after the trip up to Lubbock we realized it was wasted money - there was no need for the extra straps.

We had no troubles at all. The bag held up great, especially on the tight corners I mentioned. There was no sign of material wear. The zipper and other metal parts held up well in the extreme cold (well, extreme to us; 10 degrees F). The material is thicker than a typical rain tarp, but not so thick that its difficult to deal with. Zipping up the bag when it was full was not difficult. We didn't notice a big decrease in fuel economy. We typically get 22 MPG on the highway; with the bag, we got 21 MPG. We didn't notice any extra wind noise caused by the bag. I did forget to tie down the extra slack on one of the straps and it did flap a lot - but this was easily solved when we stopped for gas and I tied it down. After that, we didn't even know the bag was there. In fact, I kept catching myself looking at our shadow to ensure the bag was still up there. I do wish we had run into rain so that I could have tested the waterproof-ness of the product. Like others have said, it seems water proof. The zipper is protected by a flap (that velcro's over the zipper) that would prevent water from getting through the zipper. I have little doubt that it would have protected the items from water.

In all, I'm extremely happy with this bag. I like it because it held up in high winds and stores neatly in a small space in our garage. It's relatively inexpensive when you compare it to other models and easier to deal with than the hard shell cargo holders. It's quiet on the roof of our car and holds enough to help out when we travel to see family across the state. I'm glad that I made this purchase.

UPDATE (6/2/2010):
We finally used this on a trip that involved a heavy rain. Everything stayed dry. The rain was actually welcome as it washed the bugs off the carrier.

I drove across the US 2200 miles and used this for additional storage. It has a ton of space and I filled it all! It was very easy to attach to the roof of my SUV and stayed put the entire drive. The only down side to it was that when I was securing it to the top one of the straps broke so I just tied to the rack instead and had no problems. For the price it definitely gave me a great deal more storage.

bought this cargo bag about 3 weeks ago to move from Chicago to Miami. Checked all the other competitors available online and decided for this one because of positive reviews. When I got it, first thing I noticed was that the box was pretty small which made me concerned that I had bought a useless little bag. Once out of the box, the bag unfolds into a very nice sizeable one.
Best use for not very heavy packages (otherwise you'll dent the roof) and bcf w sharp edges - they may put a hole in the bag.
PROS: It's thick enough not to tear while you're filling it - definitely waterproof (got several areas of rainpour on my way to FL and stuff inside was 100% dry when opened it) - no issues with the zipper (some other bags had poor reviews for this reason)
CONS: They could've done it a little longer as your car's roof can hold a larger size bag (have a 2008 Explorer). Otherwise great product

This product held two large suitcases similar to ones purchased at Wal-Mart and two small bags. Drove from Jupiter, Florida to Utica New York. I used two ratchet tie downs in an "X" shape across the bag to be sure of nothing coming loose. At speeds as high as 87 m.p.h., none of the straps were loose upon arrival. Hit lots of bugs and minimal rain, suitcases were clean and dry!

I bought this product because it was cheaper than other brands that were not labeled waterproof. I drove from Michigan to Virginia during a heavy winter storm. When I got home, the bag was completely caked in salt and ice but the contents remained dry.

WOW - this holds alot - we even had extra room. We will pack more in the carrier next time. We are using this on camping trips. It rained and everything stated 100% dry. The straps work wonderful. I can't stay enough about this product!

I was skeptical buying a cheap soft rooftop bag like this one, but after reading the reviews, I decided to take a chance. I am not much of a rooftop-cargo carrier myself, but had to carry a lot of things from VA to IL and back. That's almost 650 miles one way, with official highway speeds of 70 miles/hr. (Needless to say, I did a little over that).
This bag was pretty easy to place and secure on the roof, could carry an unbelievable amount of cargo, and held up extremely well throughout the trip. I did encounter a couple of hours of pouring rain, and upon arriving home, was surprised to find the contents dry!
If you are the occassional cargo carrier, look no further. This is a great bag, and will do as good as any other $200 bag.

This arrived in time for a big trip, and we were able to fit so much into the cargo bag. I don't know what we would have done without it. It worked great thru a long trip and lots of tough weather.

UPDATE - Ok... it does leak. I certainly would never call it "Water Proof" it is more "Water Resistant" so you definitely want to pack things in garbage bags if you want to keep the contents completely dry.


We have been considering a roof top cargo bag for several years. It seems like we are running out of room when we travel. Our solution had always been to just be more judicious in what we packed, but now that we have a baby we began to run out of options. Enter the Keeper Waterproof Roof Top Cargo Bag.

Some General Notes

+ This thing holds A LOT of stuff. In fact, it really is like a second trunk. We were able to fit two big duffle bags into the cargo bag and still have plenty of additional space.

+ Now quite proof - more like "Water Resistant". The cargo bag only has one zipper which is hidden under a double-flap that velcros together. On our trip we only experienced a light snow, but everything remained dry.

+ The Zipper works pretty well - I have noticed in many duffel bags (and backpacks) that the zipper is the thing that typically fails. So far we have not had a problem with this cargo bag (I will update my review if it does fail)

Other things to consider

If you are purchasing the Keeper Roof Top Cargo Bag you may also want to consider Sherpak SuperMat Roof Mat for the protection of your roof. The Supermat also provides an anti-slip surface and should also help with gas mileage since it works as an additional wind barrier (between the cargo bag and your vehicles roof).

- This thing will wreck havoc on your gas mileage. For us we lost about 3-4MPGS and that is with the Supermat.

- Not the easiest thing to tie-down. The fasteners and straps are mediocre at best so it was a bit of a challenge to get this thing tight to the roof.

- Consider packing during the day - the bag and the fasteners are black, so without the use of a flashlight it is very difficult attaching this thing at night

One more piece of advice, once the cargo bag is loaded make sure you do a test drive at the maximum speed you intend on driving. Once you return doube check all of the straps and do a little secondary tightening.

Final Verdict - While it was a little difficult fastening to the roof the Keeper Cargo Bag met my expectations.

4 Stars