SportRack A26395 Aero 1300 Roof Box

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Product Feature

• 13 cu. ft. (368 liter) capacity
• Mounts directly to most OEM and aftermarket crossbars with included Quick Release u-bolt mounting kit
• Passenger side opening design includes a lock for secure and easy curbside access
• ABS construction is durable and UV-resistant
• Dimensions: 75"(l) x 23.5"(w) x 16"(h) / 33 lbs (15 kg), Maximum load of 110 lbs (50 kg)

Product Description

Narrow, mid-volume 13 cubic foot capacity ABS plastic shell roof box hauls your cargo while leaving ample room on the rack for other accessories or equipment

SportRack A26395 Aero 1300 Roof Box Review

The Sportrack 1300 Roof Box is a great cargo carrier. If you need something to get your stuff to and from the mountains, campsite, grandma's house, or anywhere in between you can't go wrong with this carrier.

The rationale: We have a mid-sized SUV. With two adults and two children, our long road trips to the mountains could get pretty tight even if our skis/boards were on the roof. We felt a cargo box was in order to store our skis/boards on top along with some other baggage to keep the rear windows clear and the claustaphobia to a minimum. I'd seen boxes at our local REI but couldn't justify +$600 on a box. So after reading the reviews on Amazon we ordered the SportRack Aero 1300 Roof Box.

The price: Amazon's price with free shipping is tough to beat. Comparable lower-end cargo boxes at your local outdoors store are double the price for pretty much the same thing.

The shipping: Incredibly fast. Mine arrived a couple days after ordering. The units come fully assembled in a carboard box. Like another reviewer mentioned there was curiously enough a Thule sticker and address on the side of the box. Very odd indeed. SportRack could be a sub-brand they utilized to go after lower end of the market. Not quite sure. I'll cease caring about that now.

The materials: The box is made out of a moderately thick 2.25mm ABS plastic. It does feel a bit flimsy when first bringing it out of the box and opening and closing. However once the box is attached to your vehicle and closed it does seem strong enough to withstand wind, rain, and snow at 80mph freeway speeds (more on that later).

The hardware: Stong and adequate functionally but pretty ugly aesthetically. Compared to higher priced systems this is one of it's weaker spots from the looks and also the ease of adjustment department. You could paint it black I guess but out of the box it comes looking like you bought it at Home Depot. Not a huge deal. I ended up using some mounts I had from a Thule Ski rack that were able to mount the SportRack just fine. I think Yakima Mighty Mounts are similar and can also be bought for around $30 or so if you are really not into the included hardware. Regardless of the hardware you choose I think using the washers that come with the unit is a smart idea to increase surface area of the connection to your luggage racks.

The hinge: A bit flimsy but it serves it's purpose. Only opens one way -- towards the passenger side -- but I thought this was fine for my purposes.

The lock: Works pretty good. It actually has some good protection on the inside to prevent items from moving around in the box and preventing the lock from opening. I crammed a ton of stuff in the box and squished the box down. The lock won't lock and let you extract the key until all three locks engage. Pretty good failsafe means of ensuring the box won't open when barreling down the freeway. This is a good thing.

The volume: I think the specs state 13 cubic feet. I had a tough time dimensionalizing what this means so here is what I packed in it on our first trip to Mammoth mountain for skiing/boarding. One snowboard, one set of skis and poles, two sets of childrens skis, 4 sets of ski wear including boots in two large bags, a couple shopping bags of dry goods, two plastic sleds. We could've wedged more stuff in if necessary. I think the size is ideal for snow sports.

The install: About 30 minutes initially, maybe 10 once you have the hardware figured out and in place. I actually used a set of Thule cargo roof mount hardware that I had from some ski racks to mount the box to the OEM cargo racks on my Toyota FJ Cruiser. They worked just fine and were a bit less clunky than the included hardware.

The experience: We put this box through an absolute grinder on our maiden voyage with it and it performed perfectly. We travelled from San Diego to Mammoth Mountain (about 7 hours @ 80mph) during one of the biggest storms that hit the Sierras right before Christmas of 2010. I think it snowed around 13 feet during a 5 day period. On the way up and back we hit lane-change-inducing cross winds and pouring rain. Once at Mammoth it dumped heavy snow. Not a drop of water got inside the unit on our way up. On the way back there was a little moisture that accumulated at the bottom but I think it was from me purposely hitting some flooded areas of road a little fast. Again, not the SportRacks fault there. Zero wind noise could be detected. And the gas mileage impact was negligible. Rock on, SportRack 1300.

Minimum/Maximum Weight Issue: One caveat I must mention which is echoed by other reviewers as well as the product manual: the box needs to be loaded with 50lb to 100lb of weight before you can go freeway speeds. That window does seem a bit inconvenient for casual use where you may have the box empty or just with a few items. I drove it at 75mph for a 15 mile stretch of freeway with only about 25lbs in it and it performed fine. I think the 50lb minimum is to also offset strong cross winds or other inclement conditions. Anyway something to be aware of and consider before purchasing.

The durability: I'm not exactly qualified to comment on this aspect of the box but after our first Mammoth trip, loaning it to a friend for a Vegas trip, and using it moderately around town the box looks pretty much out of the box new. It is pretty easy to imagine using this for years to come with no issues. After all, its a big plastic box, what could go wrong.

The recommendation: Don't hesitate to buy this unit if you need to get to the slopes or just want to get some bags/stuff out of the way. It looks good on your car, is inexpensive, and gets the job done.

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