Customer Reviews

Thule 682 Sidekick Rooftop Cargo Box

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this with some skepticism, having read other reviews that gave it low marks, and also having bought Thule products in the past and cursed them as I tried assembling and installing them, what with missing pieces and the like.

Happily, this box is fine. It does seem flimsy when you're assembling it, and it even seems that way when it's open on top of the car. It seems to be engineered to be as light as possible, which it is, and that can be unnerving until you get it fastened down and locked closed.

Assembly: It's awkward. It took two of us, me and my 2 year old! Seriously. It's a bit hairy for one person to get it right, since you have to match the hinges with the sides of the "clam shell", and their fit doesn't seem quite right until you tighten them up well. Still, it went OK, about 20 minutes for me to do, far better than a Thule roof racks I installed some years back, where I was dealing with bent and missing parts. If you do this alone, you need to brace it well at an angle as you hook the top and bottom together. Much easier with two people.

Installation: Dead easy on the factory roof rack. (We have a Pontiac Aztek.) THERE IS NO NEED TO BUY ADDITIONAL BRACKETS, though when viewing ads for this, you might think so at first glance. The package includes 4 U-brackets which attach to your roof racks and are held inside by hand-swivel bolts (whatever they're called). One thing I added while doing the installation was to put duct tape over the inside holes for the U-brackets. There are several holes in each sequence, and you only use two out of 4 or 5; the others are exposed. Covering with tape might help keep spray out.

Performance: Pretty good! We drove 2300 miles with this unit, of which about 300 were in driving rain. During the worst rain, we did have dampness and some droplets of water at the bottom front inside, but the gear was sitting up on ridges and was fine - bag in front was damp but not wet. If you have cloth bags that press to the very bottom, I'd put them in plastic if you'll be hitting heavy rain (and ours was VERY heavy, and at 70 mph driving speed).

We noticed an increase in wind noise at high speeds, and in our rough tests, it knocked about 2 mpg off our gas mileage at 75 mph, but on a 50 mph stretch of several hundred miles we couldn't tell a difference.

Removal takes literally five minutes. You undo (by hand) four pairs of swivel bolts, and lift it right off the roof. Reinstallation is about the same.

Overall, we're extremely happy with it and very glad we bought it.

Yes, this box is not as thick and heavy as the larger pro-line boxes....and that's precisely why I like it! It provides about 50% more storage space for my Outback wagon and looks nicely proportioned to the car (not like those bigger monster-sized boxes would look on top of a small wagon).

While some folks have said it took 2 people to assemble, I was able to do it myself just fine. It's also lightweight enough to put on and take off of the car by myself as well (I'm a middle-aged female). Once you start loading it up, it doesn't wobble around anymore and provides a good secure, dry enclosure. I was able to haul a tent, chairs, sleeping bags and other camping gear in it with no problems.

Well worth the money. Very nice product!

This item was fairly easy to assemble. Would be easier with 2 people but I put it together in less than 30 minutes. It was easy to mount onto the roof rack as well. Bought this for a long car trip but wanted to take a trial run with it of about 500 miles round trip. On the trip we ran into some rain and a couple of quick downpours. The carrier held up well. I had a couple of drops of water on the inside and that was my fault. It was obvious that it was from the unused holes in the bottom for attaching it to the roof rack and I forgot to use the covers for those holes. Overall it help up great and expect it will do well for our trip to Florida

This was perfect for our trip to Disney World. We able to stash the stroller, beach toys, toy trucks and much more that would have eaten up our trunk space. Assembly does require two people, particularly when installing the hinges. We had rain for about 400 miles and only a few drops made it inside. Highly recommend it as a great buy.

I had some concerns purchasing based on other reviews, but overall, I was very happy. This was purchased for a trip from the Boston area to Orlando FL in April 2007. On the way down, we travelled through an enormous Nor'easter that flooded most of the east coast and substantial winds. When we arrived, everything was safe and dry, I was pretty surprised.

Assembles easily with 6 nuts and bolts, but you might want to have someonbe there as a free hand to hold the cover in place. Attaches to the vehicle with 8 wing nuts for the roof racks (we have a GMC Envoy, no problems with the racks, don't buy any extras).

It does feel a little flimsy when not attached to the vehicle and it's open, but at the end of the day, it's performance that matters, and it performed better than I thought it would. For the price, it's a very good value for the money.

After doing some research and reading reviews on various cargo boxes, I decided on the reasonably-priced Sidekick. I'm glad I chose this particular cargo box for a couple of reasons: 1) it is solidly-built and well-constructed; 2) it is affordable - particlarly if you only plan on using it a few times a year; and 3) it is not too big, as many cargo boxes tend to be - 8 cubic feet is plenty for family trips to store things you don't need until you get to the beach, for example.

Assembly was pretty simple. I recommend you read the instructions ahead of time and get a few tools ready. I needed a helper for a few minutes while I got the hinges fastened (my 5 year-old did fine!) but otherwise it was a one-person job. The pair of locks work well and seem solid enough.

Just so I had no surprises on our first trip, I put the cargo box on my Dodge Magnum and drove around with it for a few days in town. It is a solid product...no wind noise to speak of and doesn't affect the way the car drives at all. In summary, it looks fine, works fine and costs hundreds less than most cargo boxes.

One final suggestion: measure the height of your garage door to make sure your car (with box mounted) will fit! It is so much nicer loading the car for a trip the night before and leaving it in the garage rather than loading up the morning of...in the driveway. Just as an example, my Magnum is a big car and I have 5 inches clearance under my standard-sized garage door opening and under the door opener.

The Thule Sidekick was the perfect size - not too big, not too small. It did not appear clunky-big on top of the car, nor was it too small to fit anything in. The assembly was a snap (did it with only one person - no problem). It withstood freeway speeds in Oregon rain without even letting a drop of moisture into the box. Highly recommended.

We purchased this particular model for weekend trips. It fits a full size roller suitcase and another large duffle bag which for us, frees up the back space of our suv so our labrador can join us.

Great item.

Bought this unit based on the size specifications listed (and the awesome price). After a lot of research I purchased it for my 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe thinking we could mount it in the garage and then fill it up before our winter trip. Well, it was at least 3" too high for our doors so instead of being mounted and loaded before our trip south it went into the back of the SUV, filled it up, and left. We mounted it while in Florida for the trip back. It held tons of stuff and sealed well and stayed waterproof through a torrential downpour while on the interstate. Had to drill out new holes (easy) to mount it on our existing roof rack tracks so it wouldn't interfere with the satellite radio/nav antenna and also mounted it slightly to the passenger side. We also used some nylon cord to secure it to the tracks (we're belts & suspenders kind of people) but it didn't move, sway or rock at all during the entire trip. Locks are secure.

My advice--check the size specs and add at least 3-4 inches for height. You're probably not going to get your SUV back in the garage after it's mounted (our Santa Fe is tall--it's AWD) and you might consider some long cargo straps for that added sense of security. It also will probably cut down your MPG by at least 2-5 MPG, but it's worth it for the extra storage space. I'd give this unit a 5 star rating for price/space/reliabity, but only 3 stars for accuracy in the size description. It'd be great for car/sedans (like a Suburu Forester) but it's too tall for the standard SUV to get in your garage. Five stars for the great Amazon price and speed of delivery!

We purchased the 682 on short notice because it served a need, and the price was right. Product was order and expedient shipping was requested. The cargo box arrived on the expected/promised day and was reasonably easy for me to assemble, though I could probably be considered an expert. Most would fare better, even much better, with an assistant - especially with connecting the top to the bottom.

Mounting to the roof of our 2004 Dodge Durango proved impossible without purchasing the horizontal crossbeams from Dodge. Which I had to do. For another $200. It would be helpful if the product description made mention of this, as any vehicle this would be attached to MUST have horizontal (width-spanning) bars, and for most cars these are aftermarket.

Once I got the braces from the local dealer and mounted those, the cargo box mounted with reasonable ease, with caveats. For one, mounting this thing to a high vehicle absolutely REQUIRES a six or eight foot ladder. It could not be mounted any other way without doing significant damage to vehicle and sanity. Also, it really needs to be mounted empty, and filled later. Some may not realize this.

Some complain the product is "flimsy." This is by design. We're putting something on the roof of the car, and filling it with stuff - the idea is for it to be as light as possible without sacrificing strength or utility. It is exactly as it should be.

Overall, a product I never thought I'd own, but I am happy with the purchase, and we will use it again and again. I would buy this exact product again without concern.