I like this Yakima SkyBox Skinny, however you will...

I’ve written loads of critiques about roof rack equipment or road-going gadgets at this level in my travels. In reality, I might go so far as to say that it is my favourite modification that I’ve ever made to any automobile I’ve owned. Nonetheless, for the previous week, a brand new toy has lived up there, and it did so throughout my most up-to-date 1,000-mile street journey to bay-fish in South Texas. Its identify is the Yakima SkyBox NX Skinny, and it is nonetheless there as we converse.

I’ve had different roof containers earlier than, however regardless of all the Yakima products I’ve indulged in over the previous few years, this one takes the cake as my new favourite for a motive that I by no means actually anticipated — gas economic system.

My common MPG did not budge

Not even Texas pace limits might make a distinction

After I first put in the field, which was a surprisingly straightforward course of (extra on that later), I believed that I might lose some gas economic system. That is the everyday trade-off with roof containers, and has been the trade-off for my complete time, proudly owning and utilizing them on totally different autos. You get the additional area, however not the gas economic system you are used to. Checks and balances, and so on., and so on.

This is because of the truth that you have now bought an extremity protruding out into the air that was not current when your producer examined the automobile in its wind tunnel. These are apparent details that I beforehand regarded as unavoidable.

Therefore, I went with the Skinny SkyBox versus a bigger mannequin. In my head, I believed “possibly this may save me half a mile per gallon, possibly even one if I am fortunate,” however nonetheless thought I might dwell within the low 20s-per-gallon and be stopping a number of instances alongside my route. That was certainly not the case, and I noticed the identical mileage that I used to be used to with out the roof field as I did beforehand.

I averaged round 28 miles per gallon coming and going, which was a shock to say the least, provided that the Texas pace limits did not see my common pace drop beneath 75 miles per hour all the journey.

How a lot does it truly maintain

Spoiler alert: far more than you would possibly suppose

I used to be in a position to match three luggage the scale of airport carry-ons within the SkyBox, one small bag, some collapsible fishing poles and a collapsible plastic stool (which I extremely advocate discovering room for in case your car has a raise package) very comfortably. If you happen to journey with super-large luggage which can be the identical dimension as checked baggage, they could be too tall for the Skinny, however if you happen to’re a bag particular person, the SkyBox Skinny would possibly simply be your jam.

The graceful laborious plastic lining inside appears like it will be straightforward for issues to slip round on, however with my rack loaded down nothing moved an inch. Even my fiancée’s laborious plastic-covered bag confirmed no indicators of scuffing or vibrating. I might see one thing sliding if it was saved up prime by itself, however if you happen to’re a fabric bag traveler like me, that should not be an enormous situation.

Set up was a breeze

Hats off to whoever designed this method, as a result of it really works

The SkyBox arrived in a single piece, and amidst the Texas warmth, I forgot to take photographs of the field itself, but it surely measured about eight toes lengthy. The product ships entire, so there isn’t any extracurricular constructing after the very fact.

It comes unlocked, with just one facet designed to open at a time. The keys are saved contained in the field throughout transport, together with the round device pictured above. That is the one device you have to take away or connect the field to your roof rack, which makes the method straightforward sufficient for only one particular person to perform. Compared to the universal roof rack I own, the field was simpler to put in than the rack itself.

You first must unscrew 4 clamps from contained in the field, which is what I am doing within the first picture. This loosens the clamp and its sliding mount in an effort to modify them to your wants and specs. Then, after you have positioned the field on prime of your automobile within the desired place, tighten those self same clamps down till you hear a click on, after which it is hands-off. It truly is that straightforward.

I’ve put in containers earlier than that required three totally different units of Allen wrenches, and it was an hours-long affair generally if I used to be on my own. This took all of 20 minutes, and that was with a West Texas water break blended in.

Why would you purchase the Skinny?

For these of us who want to make use of their storage, it makes probably the most sense

I’ve already been requested by loads of buddies why I might somewhat have the thin than a bigger, much less compact roof storage field, and my reply is easy — hail. Consider it or not, we get our justifiable share of it right here in West Texas, and as such, it is a gamble to go away any automobile parked on the street. I needed a field that might comfortably slot in my storage whereas mounted and would not make me sweat pulling out and in on my approach to and from work or touring.

My 2022 Volkswagen Taos is a bit taller than it was from the manufacturing facility because of the raise package, and the tires do not assist in that regard all that a lot, both. Couple that raise with the roof rack being elevated from the roof itself, and the bottom of the SkyBox Skinny is a good quantity larger than if it had been laying flat on the roof of a traditional Taos.

Regardless of that, nonetheless, I nonetheless have loads of room to open the SkyBox and retrieve no matter could be inside with out the worry of hitting my storage door when it is open and above me. On bigger containers I’ve had up to now, this was not the case, as I might both must shut myself within the microwave that’s my storage to get something out, or unload exterior earlier than pulling in. All in all, the SkyBox Skinny simply makes this entire course of simpler, and it earns severe brownie factors for that.

And in reality, that is most likely what I like concerning the SkyBox skinny greater than anything — its ease of use. It was straightforward to put in, it is easy to dwell with, and it is easy to make use of. Yakima merchandise may not be the most affordable in the marketplace, however they’ve hit one other residence run with this one.