-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Thule Roof Cargo Box Size?
- Thread starter noshadow
- Start date
No, I did not. My cross country skis are 189s. I bought the Yakima Fatcat 6 EVO ski rack. It does the job for skis and is a lot easier to store than a box when not in use. If I plan a trip where the ski rack is not going to cut it then I will revisit this. I really wanted to go the box route because it is so much more versatile than a dedicated ski rack. However, the ski rack is less expensive and meets my current need.
Tesla SC still has my car, so I can't go try out roof boxes until next week. Sportsbasement near me has a 30% off sale though, so I might just pull the trigger on a Motion XL and hope for the best.
FWIW - Don't be surprised if the Yakima Skybox doesn't fit. I purchased a Yakima Skinny Warrior roof basket since their website said it would fit. It did not, and Yakima Customer Service confirmed this. Yet, they still list it as compatible on their website. Pretty classic bait and switch to sell those Tesla cross bars.
I purchased a Motion XT L last week from REI. Roof racks came yesterday and installed quickly (25-30 min). Going to pick up the cargo box now and install. I'll let you know if it works out.
Johnny Vector
Member
You can adjust the opening height of the powered liftgate to make it easier to reach or to avoid low-hanging ceilings or objects (for example, a garage door or light):
- Open the trunk, then manually lower or raise the liftgate to the desired opening height.
- Press and hold the button on the underside of the liftgate for three seconds until you hear a confirmation chime.
- Confirm that you have set it to the desired height by closing the powered liftgate, then reopening it.
So I didn't get the Motion, I got the Force XT L. Installed at REI when I picked it up, only took about 5 min. Veryyyyy easy.
It fits great, could probably get away with the XL if you wanted.
Drove it back on the parkway going about 65 in the rain. Wind noise is definitely noticeable, but not awful.
It fits great, could probably get away with the XL if you wanted.
Drove it back on the parkway going about 65 in the rain. Wind noise is definitely noticeable, but not awful.
Attachments
Yeah, I think the Large definitely fits, but hoping to see if anyone got the XL.
Also, what made you go for the Force vs. Motion XT?
My local REI only had two cargo boxes in stock...the Force XT L and the Yakima carbonite 18 which i've seen some here say it doesn't fit. I could've ordered the motion, but they didn't think it would be in until mid January at the earliest. So that and the couple hundred more in price made the Force the choice for me. Doesn't match the car as well as the motion, but I'm fine with it.
The motion XL is a full 10 inches longer than the force L....might have slight overhang on the front windshield but don't think it would be that bad. I don't see my force L at all through the front windshield.
Good news! I got the Motion XT - XL and it fit like a charm. I can’t see the front from inside the car, and the hatch still has space to open. I keep my hatch from going fully up anyway because my garage ceiling is low, so not sure if it would clear fully open, but there’s enough moveable adjustment that I’m confident it would work.
I’ll take more photos tomorrow when the sun’s out, but attached is a quick snapshot.
Last edited:
It fits and it looks great...inspired me to return the force and get the motion XL. It looks to good with the finish, and good to know the XL fits now.
Yeah, the finish is a perfect match, especially with a black car I guess.
The back of the Motion is sloped outward, whereas the Force was boxier/straighter in the back, this gives the hatch a lot of space to open, so you can actually move the Motion further back (in theory) than the Force.
The glossy finish and the sloped back of the box is what pushed me to spend the extra.
I ended up getting this at an REI as well. I had to call around quite a bit, but finally found one in stock that wasn't too far away (only about 18 miles away). REI has a good return policy, so I knew I could just return it right away if it didn't fit and swap it. I think you'll have no problem returning it, though I hope you can find the Motion XL in stock! The winter is coming, I'm sure everyone's going to swoop them up for snowsports etc.
This looks great--thanks for your report and uploading the pic of the Thule Motion XT XL. I have the roof rack installed on my MY and would like to get a cargo box but I am still researching the options. Have you considered installing it facing backward for possible efficiency gains?
Tesla Model 3 with roof-rack box gets much better range if you flip box around - Electrek
Definitely not going to mount it backwards. I've seen the same articles and people talking about it, but the manufacturer literally has instructions not to mount it backwards. I'm not going to risk it.
If someone comes out with very scientific and researched results, then sure, I'll go for it, but just seems too far-fetched that it would work better totally backwards from what companies like Thule/Yakima designed them for.
I'll buy a new box in the future if they come out with a more teardrop design and show clear signs of improved efficiency.
At this point, I know it's going to increase drag, and that's a compromise I'm fine with.
Do you have the whistling wind noise too on your racks when you drive? I had to take mine off between use due to the annoying noise when driving.
If anyone is interested on my range impact with the roof box:
330 Wh/mile average on 1,500 trip with roof box + winter wheels
330 Wh/mile average on 1,500 trip with roof box + winter wheels
