Have you ever noticed that you never have enough room for everything? If you’re like me, you can apply this statement to almost any situation. You move from an apartment to a house, and yet you still don’t have enough space to put all your stuff. You go mountain biking, and there’s not quite enough room for all the “necessities” you want to bring along.
This is especially true of vacations. When I go on a trip, particularly with my family, I can’t ever seem to find room enough in my car to bring what I need. Thankfully, with the Thule Evolution 1600 cargo box, I have 16 cubic feet more space for the journey.
Thule Evolution 1600 is a roof-top cargo box. It is designed to fit just about any roof rack, including Yakima, Thule, and factory-mounted racks. Instead of your standard black, square cargo box, Thule has opted for a more aero-dynamic box with a high-gloss, silver-metallic finish. It opens easily from either side and stays open without your arm for support. It comes with built-in locks and four keys–so you can lose a few before worrying about how to replace them. The Evolution 1600 measures 76″ long, 15-3/4″ tall, and 33″ wide. It weighs 36 lbs.
Thule Evolution 1600 Cargo Box – Installation
Installation was simple. I had help lifting it on top of the car because it was too awkward for one person. After that, it was a simple matter of lining up the brackets on the inside of the box with the load bars of the roof rack. The next step was to insert the brackets up through the bottom of the box to the quick-release mechanism of the brackets inside the box. That was it. 1600 comes with two straps to secure cargo inside.
The Evolution 1600 was aero-dynamic enough to not produce much wind noise at freeway speeds. It is amazing how much difference 16 cubic feet can make on a vacation. I drove with my family from Utah to Oregon for a week. Initially, we were concerned about being able to fit everything that we needed, but with 1600 on top, we had room and to spare. In fact, I was very grateful for it when my two-year-old vomited all over herself in the car. We were able to put all the smelly clothes up top–completely sealed off and away from our discriminating noses!
Thule Evolution 1600 Summary
If you’re looking for a way to add extra space to your vehicle without buying a new one, look to Thule and their Evolution series cargo boxes. Besides 1600, they make 1200, 1800, and 2100 with, you guessed it, 12, 18, and 21 cubic feet capacity, respectively. They are great-looking, well-built, and easy to install and use. As with all cargo boxes, the Evolution 1600 doesn’t come cheap. MSRP is $419 USD. On the other hand, how much does it cost to buy a car with 16 cubic feet more room?
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