Thule

Thanks all in advance. I am not a new Volvo owner (have had our 08 XC90 since it was brand new), but are soon to be the proud parents of totally unplanned/unexpected kiddo #3.

Anyway, after much debating and reading this forum over the past few weeks (little one arrives in June), and nearly buying a "dreaded" minivan twice-Town&Country will be the one when/if we go there-we have decided to keep the XC90 for now. I am going to remove the center seat from the middle row per instructions and plans I found on here, remove the cargo area floor mat in the rear so one seat can stay up all the time, and perhaps add an internal DVD player of some sort, though that is not as significant an issue.

To make this work, though, as I have a 7 year old who is in a booster and a 3.5 year old who is small and still in a Britax car seat, I will need a roof cargo carrier for any trips more than maybe an overnight. I am partial to Thule stuff as I have hitch racks from them and have always liked them, but am interested in anything that carries a decent cargo volume and works well. My question is what one will reasonably fit on the XC90? I want to be able to open the rear hatch for sure, and also the sunroof, though I think that will clear. Also, are the straight bars a better pick than the aero ones for mounting the rack? Stuff I have researched makes me think this is the case. I do not need to have them constantly mounted and can easily remove them when not using the roof carrier.

Any other suggestions in general for a family of 5, 2 of which are in relatively large car seats, to keep our Volvo working well for us would be great too.

Any advice here

We have a Volvo badged one - EuroWeekender :

The Volvo boxes are by Thule as are all of their cargo handling accessories from bike and ski carriers to trailer hitches. We'd originally gotten it for our V40 and now also seeing duty on our XC90. It's a great size; very roomy without being a giant air brake like the American ones from Sears (XCargo). It's great for all sorts of gear and especially awesome for long trips or even for jaunts up to the slopes (if you ski it'll fit 170s comfortably). I think anything from Thule or Yakima should be fine - they each have lots of options. The advantage of sticking with one is the lock cores are interchangeable and you can match all of your gear to the same key. Volvo cores are interchangeable with Thule.

The newer Thule/Volvo boxes I've seen are cool in that they use locking clamps/claws that latch onto crossbars of any shape (wing, square, or round). So it'll fit factory, Thule's square or wing bars, or Yakima tubes. Another nice benefit of Thule is that they cross safety test with Volvo and their square bar design in particular is to prevent gear from rotating/pivoting (like they would on a Yakima cross tube) in a collision - applies to attachments that only affix to one bar.

Btw congrats - I'd be curious to know how your mod works out too. We've been enjoying the flexible seating options (reason we got the 90).

This is what it looks like on the 90.

Interesting mod mounting it on a basket - I think this is someone else on the board.

 

We have a Volvo badged one - EuroWeekender :

Interesting mod mounting it on a basket - I think this is someone else on the board.

That was me. I was test fitting - we ended up just using the Weekender box.

 

I use the sears cargo box, almost double of space than volvo brand. I bought about 8 years ago and still looks like new

 

We have the Thule Boxster and have been very happy with it. Fits the factory aero bars no problem. Would recommend the running boards as it makes it easy to reach the box.

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I was wondering about the running boards. I am 6'2" so can reach OK without them, but my wife is barely 5'3" so she will not be able to get into the box without a ladder regardless. Probably leaves me to handle use of the thing. I will look closer at the boards as I am sure this is an easy install.

I will check into the sears boxes just for interest/comparison. I agree they seem much larger, but also seem like they will suck fuel economy and create more wind noise. I was looking at the Thule 1200 - 1700 - 1900 series on Amazon. I think 12 cubic feet is too small, 17 is OK and will for sure work on the car, but not certain the 19 cubic footer will work without being too long. We are a skiing family (well, my wife reluctantly but the rest of us love it and kids learn starting at 3) so glad to hear about the fit. I am actually leaning towards the straight bars partly for this reason, as it appears I might be able to fit a ski rack on the side/sides if I shifted the box over a bit. I like the look of the aero bars better, but think I will remove them when not in use no matter what. I have a Z71 chevy pickup so I never need the Volvo for utility duties.

This has been a hard decision as my wife loves the car, but it really has not been terribly reliable. It is a 3.2 FWD (purchased new in TX), and has been in the shop many times. The extended warranty I got on purchase just expired a month ago. The dealer here north of Detroit, were we currently live, is still chasing down an intermittent problem with the power locks that has cropped up in the last year--periodically driver door button will not unlock doors. They say they will warranty that still but nothing else. We only have 65K on the car, though, so despite already having drive shafts and a wheel bearing replaced during the warranty, I think it should have a lot of good miles left in it, or at least hope so! We just could not make ourselves like the minivan that well, as even the upper level Touring L model lacked some of the nice features of our XC90 like the memory seats, child locks, and power folding mirrors, at it comes in at ~36K before tax. Granted, there are incentives, but just did not feel like nearly as nice a car.

Starting to troll craigslist and ebay to see what folks are selling. Not many Volvos here, though, so pretty limited offerings on CL. When we lived north of NYC for 3 years (09 to 12), I think every 5th car on the road there was an XC90 so it was easy to find nice lightly used stuff there.

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I was wondering about the running boards. I am 6'2" so can reach OK without them, but my wife is barely 5'3" so she will not be able to get into the box without a ladder regardless. Probably leaves me to handle use of the thing. I will look closer at the boards as I am sure this is an easy install.

Pack a step stool! Took a big road trip this summer with a new Yakima roof box and I fortunately thought to bring a plastic Ikea stop stool along. I packed a few extra items inside the stool so I didn't loose any cargo space and it was VERY handy for final loading/unloading of the carrier. You should be able to reach in quickly from the ground or running boards. However a stool was invaluable for arranging things for the trip and resolving any installation or closure issues. Granted this was with a Jetta wagon not an XC90 but your height probably makes up the difference.

Our Yakima Skybox 17 came from REI and they run sales a few times a year. Their sale prices are competitive with the best I was able to find online, though I can't speak for their pricing on Thule if you're set on that. Also worth noting it didn't impact my fuel mileage significantly (~1 mpg maybe) even if the noise took a little getting used to.

Good luck. I don't use my carrier THAT often, but when I need it nothing else will do.

 

I was going to ask a similar question, but this seems like a good place to bring it into the conversation...

We already have a Yakima rooftop box that we used with our previous SUV. The Yakima bars and control towers, locks, etc, were unfortunately stolen out of storage, but knowing that we might be getting a new car soon I didn't use the insurance money to replace them.

So with our "new" XC90, we are looking for the best way to mount our rooftop box before camping season. I've been looking at the Yakima/Thule products, and I also notice Volvo has their own OEM options. What's the best way to go? Our Yakima box has the large padded clamps that are adjustable, so it will fit on anything, but looking for opinions/experiences.

Also, my preference would be to be able to easily remove as much of the bars/mounting hardware as possible for the 340 or so days a year we aren't using them.

Thanks!

 

I was going to ask a similar question, but this seems like a good place to bring it into the conversation...

We already have a Yakima rooftop box that we used with our previous SUV. The Yakima bars and control towers, locks, etc, were unfortunately stolen out of storage, but knowing that we might be getting a new car soon I didn't use the insurance money to replace them.

So with our "new" XC90, we are looking for the best way to mount our rooftop box before camping season. I've been looking at the Yakima/Thule products, and I also notice Volvo has their own OEM options. What's the best way to go? Our Yakima box has the large padded clamps that are adjustable, so it will fit on anything, but looking for opinions/experiences.

Also, my preference would be to be able to easily remove as much of the bars/mounting hardware as possible for the 340 or so days a year we aren't using them.

Thanks!

I'd say it depends on whether you have other Yakima accessories that require the Yakima tubes or if you could switch to Volvo/Thule bars or the Volvo aero style wing bars. At the factory we were given the option of the square or the aero bars. We've stuck with the Volvo/Thule square bars since our accessories (Volvo EuroWeekender box, ski carriers, and bike carriers, and Thule wheel mounts) are for use with the square bars. If you only have the Yakima box and it has the newer open claw type clasp then it's your choice which way to go. The nice thing about the Volvo bars is their mounting clamps that attach to the roof rails are easy to put on and remove with special torque key. Another perk is it's easy (as I imagine Yakima would be) to find other accessories at stores that are compatible (REI, Amazon, Road & Rack, etc).

 

I have a thule adventurer that I would sell to you depending on the location. all the locks work and it's in decent shape. $100

 

My question is what one will reasonably fit on the XC90?

Take a look at volvo roof boxes here. Your choice would depend on a range of factors like: volume, budget, etc

 

I have the weekender on my V70R and I can't use it on the XC90 since the cross bars won't reach the XC90. But I do love the weekender box since it is aerodynamic and it has the VOLVO lettering. It does suck down gas mileage but not too much and it will restrict your speed to less than 75mph if I remember correctly.

I don't like the Big SEARS box, it just looks too bulky and I personally dislike the Sears logo on it. I think it just looks cheap, it's something I would expect to see on a GM product. But that's just my opinion.

I thought I had a picture of the V70R with the box. I only found this pic with the cross bars.

 

I purchased the weekender along with the cross bars and roof rails since the R models don't come with that stuff. I bought this stuff while Volvo was having a promotion and I got a mail in rebate check. Check with the dealership and see if they have any specials going on.

 

Carrier / Cargo Roof Basket Options?

I had been trying to decide on a roof basket vs. a roof box as the basket would provide less protection but more versatility with hauling bags, or equipment with the various accessories that are available (kayak attachment, waterproof cargo bags, basket nets, etc), so hopefully adding to this thread will help others in their search and won't be too off-topic. I've narrowed down the choice between the three options that Thule currently offers, to match what are essentially the unmarked Thule OE Volvo Aero bars. Does anyone have experience with the Thule Trail XT Medium or Large cargo baskets, or the Thule Canyon? The initial clear choice is the Canyon as it's much cheaper than the other two, an inch lower in profile, and the widest of the three, but the powder coated black paint just isn't as nice looking as the matching silver to go along with the aero bars and the silver roof rails. If I'm going to have a basket on the roof long-term, I also want it to look as decent as possible. Is it worth having a more rugged looking roof basket or would most of you simply have a roof box that goes on during trips and off the rest of the time?

Thule Carrier Roof Basket Options - Trail XT Medium, Large, and Canyon 859

 

I was looking into a thule as well but money adds up quick when pricing out one of this things plus cross bars. I personally think xc90 has a lot of room in the back once the third row folds down. I have gone one multiple trips and no problem hauling things for a family of 4 with two little ones. Last trip i even carried some of my friends gear since his X5 ran out of room.

 

My thoughts exactly. I started to get a bit carried away with accessories and fretting about space for our family of five but my view now is if it doesn't fit in the frankly enormous boot then we're packing too much and it doesn't go.

 

I am generally a Thule guy when it comes to outfitting a car with racks. However, when it comes to roof boxes, I cannot strongly state Yakima is the way to go. The Thule box lids are quite flimsy and I find their locking/latching mechanism to feel chincy. Go to your local REI and check them out. I can, with one hand, open the Yakima box. The Thule requires two and feels much chincier.

We have a Skybox Lo and a Skybox 18. The Lo goes on the XC and the 18 goes on my WRX.

The Lo is freaking awesome.


We can fit in most parking garages and haul 9-10 pairs of skis. It's a little harder to fit luggage into the Lo, but we're only a family of three at the moment, so the box is pretty much dedicated to ski hauling. However, on a recent trip to CT, I had two pairs of skis, plus a BOB Revolution jogger and a couple back packs crammed in there. The stroller fit with the wheels removed, but it was really tight height-wise, and actually dug into the lid of the box a bit. I'm able to open the hatch of the vehicle almost the whole way with the box on top. If I were to slide the box forward just a bit, I would be able to open the hatch completely, but I like how it looks on the roof and it doesn't bother me that much. Don't worry about the sunroof being open, you won't want to do that when the box is up there. Way too noisy.

The 18 is cavernous. I've had 10 pairs of skis in it, plus a real amount of luggage and sleeping bags. It is the same footprint as the Lo, but taller, so more cubic feet (18 in total to be exact!). The 21 is the same length as the 18, but a wider footprint.

The integrated step, as mentioned above, is really fantastic for getting into the box. Might want to have your wife that a try before hauling around a step stool.

As near as I can tell, both clamping systems are logical and good. Its very easy to remove and adjust. Our box sits on the Volvo cross bars. We have no need to use different ones.

Good luck!