Latest reviews about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

cargoboxking says "Best Value Cargo Box in Large Size" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

cargoboxking — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:23:30 GMT

First off, GREAT PRICE for box of this size. Comparable Thule and Yakima are at least double the price. Box loads easily, rides great with minimal wind noise and looks good as it is solid black in color and more ridgid plastic than many others. More waterproof than expected. Easy to install, I wrapped the u bolts and plates with black duct tape to keep them from scratching my cross bars and as long as you dont over tighten the stripping is not an issue. As far as MPGs-- of course there is a slight decrease because you have a large box strapped to the roof of your car, if you didn't expect that you shouldn't be shopping for cargo boxes.

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PhDnK9z says "X -Cargo Sport 20 best buy for tons of extra "must-haves"" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

PhDnK9z — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:51:19 GMT

I bought this 2 yrs ago and I put this on a Ford Explorer by myself. ( i'm 5'6 and 110lb female). It's not easy but can be done if careful. Because I travel a lot it stays on the car. It holds as much as you can stuff in it and now has about 4,000+ miles "on" it. Please note that my car stays outside so it has been exposed to blistering sun in the southern summers, to feet of rain, driven through countless high wind thunderstorms and even a tornado that went through the neighborhood in June of this year and has never gotten water inside! I have not noticed any wind noise and no impact on my gas mileage either. My brother has a Thule on his Durango, paid a good bit more money for it, and when we compared the two side by side, the X-Cargo held a lot more of the "bulky" items and cargo in general. I had to replace mine because a tree fell across the top and it cracked. I am replacing it with the exact same model. I can access it easily from the back bumper and I have it positioned as far...

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kcarlisle1 says "Love it! Has so much added space!" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

kcarlisle1 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:20:44 GMT

We have a family of six and needed to make a trip to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving and this provided the extra space needed in my 2005 Chevy Venture. We have 4 kids and two dogs so any space is a benefit. I really didn't comprehend what 20 cubic feet would add and when I picked it up it was huge. I did notice a little more wind friction when riding behind semi's but this occurs some without the topper. I did not really notice any real difference in my gas mileage. I generally go between 75 and 80 mph on the highway and all seemed well. We did not have to drive in any real windy conditions but if we had there would have been more push on the vehicle but again that occurs all the time. We fit 2 large suitcases, pillows, and 3 carrying bags with misc stuff in them. It did appear flimsy when taken out of the box but once mounted and loaded not at all! We actually had a completly empty trunk which allowed us to put our Husky/Rott mix dog in the trunk area for the ride rather than being squished......

sfieldsoccermom says "Excellent product!" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

sfieldsoccermom — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:14:09 GMT

Excellent product - especially for the price! The reviews were mixed, so I was not sure what to expect. This carrier holds a lot - suitcases and gear for 6 people with room to spare. Wind noise was not bad, and there was no banging and clanking - gas mileage did not decrease by much. The carrier is easy to install and appears to be well constructed. I would highly recommend this product!

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boken says "Worth it for the price" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

boken — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:01:18 GMT

Used it twice a year for trips for the last two years. Regarding installation, very easy. I wrapped the u-bolts with electrical tape so i wouldn't scratch my cross bars. Second, seal the extra holes with the provided tape or outdoor electrical tape.

As far as capacity on the last trip, i had five 32in duffle bags, 2 beach chairs, and beach play toys. If you pack the carrier smart, it can hold alot. The main thing to watch out for is around the hinges that your bags don't hamper the hinge mechanism. I saw a bunch of other people with the same carrier on our trips, and i noticed that their covers were bulging on the sides. That explains why people are having issues with rain coming in. I drove through rain from Irene and other storms, and didn't have any water in the box. So pack smart.

As far as noise, noticed a little, but closing the sunroom shade eliminated that. Gas mileage suffered a bit, but that is to be expected.

Overall, good carrier for the money. Thule...

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Jules88 says "X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier saved tons of room in the SUV!" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

Jules88 — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:18:24 GMT

Moved many of the big items to the Carrier which saved leg room in the SUV. With 2 car seats, portable crib, luggage, snacks, diaper bags, etc. We needed all of the extra storage we could get!

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yelirc70 says "X-Cargo 20 worked beautifully" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

yelirc70 — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:50:22 GMT

This carrier was lightweight and easy to mount on the roof ( 1 person installation on an SUV was no problem). I made no wind noise and did not leak a drop of water, even at 70 MPH throught a driving rain. It did, as previous reviewers reported, cut our fuel efficiency by about 2 mph's - but the extra room in the vehicle was well worth the sacrifice. We were able to pack 3 medium size suitcases, 1 duffle bag, and some shopping bags with plenty room to spare for a 4,000 mile trip. This carrier worked beautifully. My advice is to not waste your money on the more expensive models - this one will do the job. It felt a little flimsy when I first opened it, totally empty, on the garage floor, but it proved itself to be more than sturdy on our road trip. I look forward to many years of enjoyment!!!

p.s. it does rattle ever so slightly when empty, so it's a good idea to keep some weight in it at all times. The rattle was not annoying or really noticeable - just thought I'd mention it as other...

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ceilidh says "4 years and still going strong" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

ceilidh — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:45:09 GMT

We bought one of these 4 years ago when we first bought our short wheel base van. With 3 kids at the time (and now 4) we had NO place to put luggage when we traveled. Instead of getting a bigger van for over $100 more a month we spent $200 and got this.

It's not as 'pretty' as the more expensive ones...being taller and wider but ours has held up amazingly. We purchased the 4 pack of Thule duffels at the time that fit it perfectly....if our stuff can't fit in those 4 bags they can't go in the box.

We drive 700 to my parent's home at least 3 times a year and have only gotten a TINY aount of water in it ONCE when driving through a downpour. Since there are 'channels' under your bags...any water that might get in will be far away from you luggage. If you stuff it full of loose stuff...I SUPPOSE it could get wet. I suggest buying some large duffel bags for packing.

Our car dealership had our van in for work and 'forgot' the box was on the roof and crushed it on the lift. We popped...

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carguy101 says "The x cargo sport 20 car carrier is a great value " about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

carguy101 — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:14:09 GMT

A few weeks ago I picked up this carrier from sears, I paid 240 $'s for it after taxes with some haggling of the store manager. The carrier came in a big box ready to mount with just a few hardware pieces. I have a family of six and was able to stuff two large suitcases two medium suitecases and a large stroller ontop of the suitecases with some room around the edges to spare, and yes it closed with no problem even i was shocked. I found only a few problems with car carrier the first is the mounting hardware. I drive a 04 quest that comes with a painted roof rack. The hardware that comes in the box has no coating to protect your vehicle from scrapes, once more the plastic nuts are flimsy and had me retightening them every now and again. To protect my car I used some rubber hoses over the U bolt and son scrap clouths over the flat ware so i had no issue with scratching. The other problem was that at speeds or in cross winds this thing realy bangs around...

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Affirmed says "Great Experience!" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

Affirmed — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:22:14 GMT

First carrier we ever owned. It is especially large, easy to install and take down. Used it on an 8 hour drive round trip vacation and loved it. Even over-stuffed it for the trip home and still no problem. Would definitely buy again. Very happy with it. Saw very little, if any, impact on gas mileage. Cannot say a negative thing about it. As long as you treat it well, it will be fine. Don't go banging on it or hitting it or forcing it to do things, and it will work for you too.

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famof3kids says "Great product, worked as expected" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

famof3kids — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:59:31 GMT

Good product for the price! ABS is thin making it a little flimsy, but, just be careful with it. Really big. We were able to pack: two large folding beach chairs, a folding chair cart, three small reg folding chairs, all beach buckets/shovels/toys, beach umbrella, three fishing poles, 4 small beach surf floats, and a beach bag with towels. After going through a hard rain storm, there was only a small puddle of water inside the container. Be sure to use the supplied patches to cover the holes you won't use to attachement. It is so large, that at interstate speeds, above 70mph, you sometimes get a lifting feeling. Next time I will put one pull strap over the top of the whole carrier attaching it to the side rails, just to feel more comfortable about it. No issues, left us with lots of room inside the van! We experienced a 4 or 5 mpg decrease, but, had much happier kids as they weren't crowded inside the van....

goalfinger says "X-Cargo Sport20 easy to install and holds a lot of gear." about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

goalfinger — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:18:49 GMT

The Sport 20 was easy to install for one person. It took me 15 minutes to install on top of my 2000 Durango. It held enough gear for vacation for 1 week for 7 people with room to spare. The gas mileage did not seem to be affected, we still could get the same range on 1 tank of gas, and we drove through the mountains to get to our destination. We drove through a torrential down pour for 45 minutes at 60+ mph and our gear stayed dry. The price was definitely worth it. We would have had to take two vehicles and made more stops, and with the price of gas, we saved over $400.00.

The gear was 3 large suitcases, 1 medium suitcase, 1 small suitcase, beach gear, and lots of odds and ends.

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RIMomof3 says "The X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier is a GOOD BUY!" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

RIMomof3 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:18:42 GMT

We bought this carrier for a 2003 Ford Expedition to travel ~1700 miles (total round trip) in late June 2011. After reading hundreds of reviews, we went with this one. Don't buy the more expensive Thule or Yakima brands unless this is too big for you.

The pros: 1) this is huge - it held two large expandable suitcases (30" x 20" x 12"), a small suitcase (24" x 14" x 8") and several other small tote bags, 2) it was fairly easy to install - my husband did it himself and had no trouble with the hardware - all steel - in the course of the trip, it was on and off twice - no stripping of bolts or any difficulty (as earlier reviewers mentioned), 3) it was quiet - except when it was empty - we forgot it was empty and got on a highway, once we hit ~55 mph, it made the most awful noise, so we removed it until we were ready for the return trip (I remember reading where someone said either keep at least 40 lbs in it or stay under 40 mph), 4) it is hinged at the front, so there does not seem to be a...

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RBaliatico says "X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier - Effective but a little flimsy" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

RBaliatico — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:54:03 GMT

The springs are somewhat wobbly, you'll notice it feels a bit flimsy when you open or shut the top. Also, the cover can be pried open from the sides, enough so that you could stick a hand in; this is due to the long reach from the springs to the centrally located lock in the back. If the side doors are shut on the vehicle, a would-be thief would need to be standing on something to actually reach inside anyway. It's important to be reminded these things are not Fort Knox. If someone wanted to get in, they would, no matter what model. Most items in a carrier are far too large to slip out without opening it-keep that in mind when you pack it.

Although this is a somewhat negative review, I still think the carrier is quite effective. The cost was about as low as I could find for a cargo carrier with a hard shell and a reputable brand name. The available volume is significant. Just remember the carrier does require a bit of kid gloves as not to break the springs or crack the shell.

It...

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spartanfan72 says "Great product, great price" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

spartanfan72 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:38:36 GMT

I loved my Sears X-Cargo carrier. Just when it seemed full, you could pack more crap in it. It fits a TON of bigger, lightweight stuff. We've had two sets of golf clubs, strollers, shoes, luggage, etc. We've driven through thunderstorms without anything getting wet. It's quick and easy to mount and take back off. The ONLY drawback is...it didn't do so well when I forgot it was on the van and tried to pull into my garage. :( Although to be fair, that's not the fault of the carrier. I will be purchasing another one to take the place of my broken one.

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Dbaxte says "Xtreme value and quality" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

Dbaxte — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:26:15 GMT

We've had this carrier for 3 years now. It's gone from coast to coast and numerous road trips without fail. I know we've surpassed the weight rating numerous times, but it's still just as strong. Through the countless rain storms and snowstorms it only leaked ONCE! It was a sideways downpour that literally our wipers on high couldn't keep up. With the raised bottom most of the very bottom stayed dry, I'm guessing only 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water made it in. But again we've been through numerous other storms and not a problem. I love this topper, it adds so much room and is pretty stable (always have a small load in it). Minimal change on gas milage and there is some noise (of course) when you first put it on but you get used to it.

I used 2 pieces of cardboard next to the hinges when I FILL it, as to keep the hinges from binding on equipment.

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vacationtraveler says "Roof top carrier is very nice" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

vacationtraveler — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:43:56 GMT

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CraigHipsher says "Exactly what I needed" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

CraigHipsher — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 02:13:28 GMT

I anticipate many years of use out of this. Doesn't look like it needs much, but if properly stored and cared for there is no reason for it not to last years and years.

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carljohnso9 says "10 years of use & still works great at 1/3 the price of a Thule!" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

carljohnso9 — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:56:16 GMT

We purchased a Sears SV-20 carrier 10 years ago and it's been working perfectly for us. No broken parts at all. No water leaks during 10 years of driving either! Just remember that you don't have to put 10,000 pounds of torque on those screw-down ***** to make it secure. Just a moderate hand tightening does the job. For the life of me...... I fail to see ANY difference between this product and the nearly identical Thule model that costs $400.

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bigvig says "Great for the money" about X-Cargo Sport 20 Car Top Carrier

bigvig — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:23:00 GMT

I have this on an XJ and it holds TONS of stuff. The first couple of times I loaded it I was carefull with how much I put in it, but by the third time I REALLY loaded it up. Everything I used to carry in my Jeep fits in this easily, and thats luggage for 2 adults, a child and a dog. It saves TONS of space in my Jeep and makes it much safer in the cabin because we dont have things piled up blocking the windows anymore.

It cuts the mileage slightly, but thats expected. Also, after the third or fourth time using it the nuts/bolts stripped somewhat. They are in a "star" formed plastic "handle" so you dont need any tools to attach it, but I cut away the plastic and use a wrench to put them on now. Not a real issue, but I am going to need replacements.

Overall its a steel! I highly recomend it to anyone looking for an inexpensive alternative to the "name brand" boxes. Ive had it for 2 years.

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