The Yakima SkyBox LoPro15

The Yakima SkyBox LoPro 15 is the finest, sleekest Yakima cargo box ever made. 

The Yakima SkyBox LoPro 15 is all of it's sleek, low-profiled glory

The fact that this specific cargo box was primarily geared towards the outdoor enthusiast and more specifically the snow sport enthusiast, has left it’s exterior dimensions very sleek in comparison to many of the other traditionally styled cargo boxes on the market.  This aids in cutting wind resistance, and offers the Crossover vehicle crowd a possibility they may have only once dreamt of in the past; being able to access garages and underground parking spaces without the worry of not being able to fit into them.

The LoPro 15 cargo box allows dual-sided opening for easy access on either side of your vehicle, a lid that has been stiffened up significantly (which translates to less vibration and easier one-handed opening and shutting), and an integrated solar-powered lighting system that illuminates as soon as you open the box.  Loading your skiis, snowboards, or gear into your box now is just as easy in the dark as it is during the day.

The LoPro 15 also comes complete with a gear management net and a cargo pad to secure and protect your gear. 

The Yakima gear net and cargo pad comes included with the Yakima SkyBox LoPro 15

The Yakima SkyBox LoPro 15 is a great choice for anyone looking to free up some much needed space inside their vehicle, and to transport their gear in one of the most aerodynamic low-profile boxes on the market. 

We here at Rack Attack Mississauga take pride in our consultations and installations of our  product on your vehicles, and will always be able to assist you in determing the best recommended fit to aid in making your life easier when it comes to transporting all of your gear!

Check out the Yakima SkyBox LoPro 15 demonstration video for more information on this sleek and stylish cargo box that is sure to turn some heads.

Yakima Fresh Sesh Ski Rack

Looking for a “fresh” new way to carry your skis?. 

A ski rack on the roof is a great way to free up some space from inside you vehicle.  Save your passengers and yourself the hassle and time of trying to jam pairs of skis in a car, then sitting comfortably around them.   The Yakima fresh sesh is a new take at the traditional ski rack.  The Fresh Sesh has a all white paint job which looks very sharp.  You can leave the rack just the way it comes out of the box or attach one of the two included sticker sets  urban camo or pink floral print to make your ski rack stand out. The Yakima Fresh Sesh comes in a 6 pair ski, or 4 snowboard version only.  It comes with locks, and all the mounting hardware needed to mount to most factory roof racks (call or check out the online fit guide to make sure)  The rack includes skis lifts which tilts the rear side of the rack up, to give you extra binding clearance between your snow equipment and your roof.   Another Great option from Yakima to carry your skis.

Yakima Fresh Sesh With Locks

Hitches At Rack Attack Mississauga

Bolt on hitches are a great way to carry extra cargo, bikes & skis.

Rack attack is also a full service hitch installer in addition to roof racks. We install light duty hitches on cars, vans, and pick ups. Most of our installations are done for bike racks, but we also do basic wiring hook ups to tow small trailers. There are only a handful of vehicles that we can’t mount a hitch to. There are three different classes of hitches (I, II, and III), 3 main brands (Hidden Hitch, Draw-tite and Curt) and all are bolted on. We never weld any hitch on. Most hitches mount into factory mounted holes, that either need to be cleaned before installation, enlarged or sometimes drilled. In some cases we have to cut the bumper or fascia on some vehicles as that is the only way to install the hitch. The instructions include templates so it’s never a blind cut.

Hitches have a 1 year warranty, and offer a great way to carry bikes or tow your utility trailer. Prices range from $200 and up. We do all the work or we can order in the hitch for self-installation. Hitches usually take a day or two to get in, and we need minimum 3 hours. Call us today to see what your options are.

Yakima Fat Cat Ski Rack

Ski/Snowboard racks have been the same style for a while. Unlike skiis/boards which have gotten much wider, and more advanced. Not too long ago Yakima came out with the Fat Cat Line of ski racks. They had found that the standard 4 or 6 pair ski rack did not fit 4 or 6 pairs of fat or curved skiis. Their solution was to make the racks wider. The Fat Cat series is about 6 inches wider than a standard ski rack, giving you that extra space needed to fit all your skiis or boards. The racks have a nice easy open button on the end, universal mounting hardware, and a integrated ski lift, which helps in giving you extra binding clearance between your roof and the ski rack. The racks now come with locks, have a low profile design and come in a high gloss titanium finish.

Yakima Fat Cat 6 with Locks

Yakima Fat Cat 4 with Locks

Thule TK14 install on Chevy Uplander

A lot of vehicles in Canada are supplied without factory roof racks or raised rails. This is to keep the cost low and offer a basic model, as we seem to like less expensive vehicles here in Canada. This mini-van, the Chevy Uplander, usually has a raised rail installed from the factory.  This customer had the Thule 430 towers, LB58 load bars and 4 pack of locks from a previous vehicle which he wanted to reuse. To attach the 430 towers he required a TK14 tracker kit mounted onto the roof. This requires drilling 8 holes at designated locations, then mounting the Tk14 bases, and attaching the 430 towers. The Thule 430 tower offers easy push button on / off ability and when the rack is not in use the TK base has covers to keep that clean finish look.

We can install the TK14 bases almost anywhere along the roof line (also with sunroofs).  In this case the customer wanted to carry skiis, bikes and possibly a box, so a standard bar spread was required.  We decided on a 32” bar spread which offers good stability, and allows all accessory compatibility.  We also have also done wide bar spreads as shown below. 

You can use any size bar with this setup as well you can upgrade the tower to the 430R and get the aerodynamic aluminum bar setup.  As an alternative, the Yakima Control Tower and Landing Pad 7 setup can be used, but since the customer had all the required Thule pieces minus the TK14 bases it was more cost effective to reuse his current rack setup.  The install takes about 2 hours and we charge $90.  The TK14 comes with all tools required (in depth instructions, drill bits, and allen keys) to complete the job yourself if you feel up to it.  We do recommend getting it done by a Rack Attack installer if you are nervous about drilling and are not sure where to drill, as holes in metal cannot be easily repaired.

The Base Rack System for the 2008 Chevy Uplander included:

• TK14 Tracker Kit 14
• Thule 430 Tracker II Foot Pack
• 4 Pack Lock Cores/Keys
• Thule LB58 58 Inch Load Bars

Side-swinging hatch rack options

There have been a few vehicle manufacturers who have incorporated a side-swinging hatch into some of their models recently, and while the initial reaction of something new may have been positive for some, others are faced with the realisation that their options for a hitch mounted bicycle rack have been drastically diminished.

Luckily, both Yakima and Thule make products that have adapted to the new mechanics of these vehicles and have aided in your quest to find the perfect hitch mounted bicycle rack!

Yakima’s newly introduced hitch rack called the ‘Flipside’ has a 4 bike capacity, and tilts 90-degrees to the left or right for best in class rear of car access.  It is also compatible with 2 inch and 1.25 inch receivers right out of the box!

Yakima Flipside

Yakima flipside in flipped open position

Yakima Swing Daddy in closed position

Yakima Swing Daddy in opened position

Both Yakima and Thule also offer swing-away racks which allow you to be able to swing the whole bicycle rack assembly out and to the side of your vehicle while being able to leave the bicycles mounted onto it for ease of loading and unloading. 

Yakima’s version is called the “Swing Daddy”, has a 4-bike capacity, and only fits 2″ receivers. 

 Thule’s swing away bicycle rack option is known as the “Revolver” and offers to same 4-bike capacity, and only fits 2″ receivers as well.

Thule’s Premium Cargo Box: ‘611 Boxter’

Rack Attack offers a wide selection of cargo boxes to choose from. Ranging in volume, size, styling, mounting hardware and even colour. However, one cargo box that can’t be gone unnoticed is the Thule 611 Boxter. Check out some of the vehicles that Rack Attack has outfitted with this quality product.

Thule Boxter-Infiniti FX45

Thule Boxter-VW Jetta Wagon

 This is Thule’s permium cargo box and some may even argue it as the best cargo box on the current market to date. This product has more than what meets the eye, the perfromance of this cargo box on vehicles is outstanding. With more structural supports and a reinforced base you might even forget you have something on the top of your vehicle! Furthermore, from its addition to Thule’s product line in early 2009, it still remains as one of their top cargo boxes. Don’t take my word for it! Check out the video below and get additional details on this product!

What is a Fairing? And is it really needed?

In context with roof racks, fairings serve as what some may call a ‘wind deflector’. The fairing attaches to the front bar on your roof rack and acts as a plane for the wind to travel over.  The main benefits of a fairing are; reduced wind noise, better gas mileage, and more importantly they complete the look of the roof rack. Fairings also come in a variety of sizes to accomodate different widths of vehicles, and their respective brands to fit your Thule/Yakima roof rack. Following below is a video explaining the uses of a (Thule Branded) fairing:

Now, the fairing is NOT a necessity for your roof rack, meaning it will function perfectly without it. However,  as explained above it does reduce wind noise, how much wind noise you ask? Well, it depends from vehicle to vehicle, but we can assure you the aerodynamics of the vehicle will greatly improve with this product. Finally, it completes the look of the roof rack, have a look below at one of the vehicles that chose to purchase a fairing!

Fairings are Sweet!

Rooftop Ski/Snowboard Carrier Options

With summer coming to an end, and the weather getting slightly colder…it slowly reminds us of that soft, fluffy, white stuff. SNOW! So while some may be putting away the canoes, kayaks and bikes, others are getting ready for the ski/snowboard season. There are several ways to transport your skis and snowboards, one of which is utilizing the hitch on a vehicle, and the more prominent option is roof mounted. With focusing on the roof options, you must first have a roof rack, check our AutomatedRackFitGuides, to find a fit for your vehicle. All of these options will fit on most factory corssbars, Yakima load bars, and Thule load bars.

Once there is a roof rack, there are two main options for your skis/snowboards:

1) Cargo Boxes- These are one of your most ideal options. These cargo boxes come in various widths and lengths to accomodate different lengths of skis/snowboards. They will protect your skis/snowboards from road salt, dirt, moisture, and all the other bad stuff. This means no chances of rusting and fewer edge sharpenings. This is also the most aerodynamic option aswell. Finally, you can use leftover space in the cargo box to store your boots, polls, clothes, and anything extra.

Cargo Box

Store skis/snowboards

2) Ski/Snowboard Racks- These ’scissor-type’ contraptions will hold up to 4-6 pairs of skis or 2-4 snowboards, depending on the size of carrier. They all have lockable options to secure your items onto the roof rack. In addition, some carriers offer a ‘lift’ such as the Yakima FatCat4 and FatCat6, as it will help with clearence between the roof of the vehicle and the bindings of a snowboard. Some carriers also offer a ‘pull out’ feature, such as the Thule 91726 Pull Top, which allows easily loading of skis/snowboards on the vehicle, ideal for big SUV’s and vans.

Thule 91726 Pull Top

Thule 91725

Whichever roof top option you choose, it will be a great benefit. As the skis/snowboards will be on top of the roof, so it will create more space inside the vehicle, and the interior will not get marked and scratched. More importantly, it will be less of a hazard as the skis/snowboard will no longer be shifting around inside the vehicle, thus making it alot safer for passengers. Now all we have to wait for is the SNOW!

Help! How do I store my Cargo Box?!

Cargo boxes are very versatile and have a multipurpose usage. Many love them as they can hold various items ranging from skis/snowboards, camping gear, golf clubs, all the way to general cargo; thus reducing the amount of items inside your vehicle. Yet, several customers come into Rack Attack, looking for an effective solution to store these Cargo Boxes when not in use. Look no further! The Thule 571 Roof Box Storage Lift is the perfect product to store your cargo box.

This product uses a combination of string and pulley systems, with a crank to easily raise the cargo box. Following below are some pictures of the product in use:

Box Lift-Step 1

Box Lift-Step 2

Some basic installation is required, and will mount to ceiling studs or rafters. This product has a weight rating of 100kg or 220lbs. It can also be used to store canoes, kayaks, ladders, sailboards etc. As with any Thule branded product, this comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Hopefully this gives you a great storage solution for your cargo box. Keep on Rack’in!