Effects from Yakima Space Cadet Roof Box?

[dwpc]

Driving Effects from Yakima Space Cadet Roof Box?

I got a super deal on a used 15 cu ft Yakima Space Cadet roof box and plan to use it when we move 500 miles next month. Its the "fat" style, 36" wide and almost 60" long. It came with Saab cross bars that seem to fit the JSW's rail perfectly.
I'm hoping some has used this Space Cadet box before and can give me a preview of affects on noise, mileage, wind, etc.

 

[grnmtnjj]

Your milage will drop maybe 5-10%...you are adding weight as well as tampering with the aerodynamics. There will also be some noise, but not bad. Just don't open the roof when you are driving and you will hardly notice it.

I had a space cadet, and now do our camping with the 21 cuft skybox 21. When I travel at hwy speeds up and down the mountains, I maintain about 36-38 mpg. I do not know what kind of hit that is, as we do almost most of our distance driving with the box. Around town, well, with hills, jams and lights, we struggle to hit the average seen below (without any sort of cargo box).

When windy, especially in crosswinds, you can feel the box.

 

[lrpavlo]

I just drove from Cocoa Florida to Superior WI, 44mpg. From Superior to Grand Rapids MI and from Grand Rapids MI to Florida with the wood strip Aleut Biadarka on the roof 37 mpg. Different routes but cruise set at 71 mph according to the GPS.
Oh, I did not have those 19" wheels on, I had my dittos with Michelins at 38PSI.

 

[emerscape]

I used to keep my Thule Atlantis 1700 on year round. I usually averaged around 36 mpg and the roof noise wasn't too bad. I finally bought a house with a garage and took it off, I'm now averaging just slightly higher around 38-39 mpg

 

[pommeree]

You'll feel the bow-wakes off of Semis more pronounced as well.
Just a heads-up if the roads are crowded.

 

[emerscape]

Irpavlo what wheels are those I love them!

 

[newWorldTDI]

I run a 18 cu/ft skybox, plus a bike rack, and sometimes a couple of surfboards. I can corroborate the 5-10% mileage hit over unloaded/unracked roof. The more crap up there the worse the hit of course.

Round Yakima bars and low profile q-towers (or whatever they are called now) that attach to the factory roof rails. I use pretty wide bars (54"??) to hold all that stuff, which probably moves the needle a fraction of a percent due to extra bar drag, who knows . . .