roof pod

If you put a strap around them, the cheap ones are fine!

I had a look at the Rhino ones the other day and they have no dust seal on them . The salesman assured me they were dustproof and I laughed at him - he got a bit upset .

I would not consider any hard pod without a seals , for outback travel . I would go for one of the many good quality canvas models on offer.

Cheers ,

Willie .

Well.. we've just come back from a 3300 km trip to outback QLD with a Thule Ocean 100 on the top of the Disco 3.

We did a lot of dirt roads and found that 2/3 of 4/5 of SFA dirt got into it. In fact it was almost spotless inside compared to the car.

While it doesn't have seals as such, it does have large curved surface areas where the top and bottom of the box meets when it closes. It is rated to 130 Km/h but SWMBO had the truck up to 150 passing a line of road trains between Longreach and Barcaldine with no apparent ill effects. In fact, you wouldn't know that the thing is up there.... just use the internal tie down points to secure yourt load to stop it shifting in corners etc.

Cheers

Mark Taylor

We bought a Thule roof box back in 2003. Since then its been on top for about 15 months travel in total. Including lots of very rough and remote stuff. It cracked around where the bolts attached it to the roof racks after about 3 months travel thru the Centre, Top End, Gulf and half of Cape York but it was overloaded big time. We don't overload it anymore. Back home we got 2 aluminium plate strips to run the length of each side of the pod where it bolts on and bent it up the side to under the lip. We riveted and silisec'ed in on. No problems since.

Last trip, Cape York again, it has started to crack around the lock. Will fix it the same way.

Somewhere along the way one of the stays to hold the lid open broke. I have to put it back on every time I open it. Fixable but been to slack to do it.

Bare in mind that I think we have taken it way beyond it's design limits. It's probably done pretty well considering. And it's still going.

It is water proof. A tiny bit of dust gets in but unless you're a fussy bugger its not enough to be an issue.They are also very convenient and easy to use.

Would I buy another one?

I don't know. For the type of travel we do I'd probably try something else.

Cheers

Dodgin