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| Thule 604 Ascent 1600 Rooftop Cargo Box |
27 Jun |
- High grade impact & scratch resistant material sets the Ascent series apart from all the rest.
- Access gear from either side of the car using our patented Dual-Side opening feature. Smooth, aerodynamic design for minimal wind resistance.
- Easy opening and closing with Thule’s NO-GO¿ Central Locking, One Key System.
- Mounts to most factory installed and aftermarket racks. Four box sizes available.
Product Description
Thule’s new Ascent series is designed to reflect the styling of today’s vehicles and handle the carrying needs of active outdoors people and travelers alike. The addition of the Quick Grip¿ mounting hardware adds to the long list of features this box series offers. High grade impact & scratch resistant material sets the Ascent series apart from all the rest. NEW! Quick Grip¿ hardware for easy on/off attachment to roof racks. Access gear from either side of the car… More >>
5 Responses to “Thule 604 Ascent 1600 Rooftop Cargo Box”
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June 27th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
The 604 Ascent 1600 box was a breeze to install and easy to use. The inner straps are critical to compact soft bags to allow the locking merchanism to engage. Thule should add a small folding step stool to allow ease loading on SUV’s! I needed a three step ladder to load in efficiently. The dual-side access feature is perfect.
Rating: 4 / 5
June 27th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I have a 2005 BMW X3 and this rooftop cargo box is a perfect fit for this vehicle. My main concern was a cargo box being too big, protruding too far from the back or the front. This cargo box is an exact fit and compliments the vehicle’s body. It’s lightweight (~42 pounds) so you can maximize the amount of weight you can place in it. The cargo box opens from either side and has the quick mount feature which makes installation/de-installation a snap (no tools needed!). As a matter of fact, I highly recommend it…its alot easier to remove or adjust than the “u-bolt” configuration. As for noise, very quiet. I didn’t notice any significant noise with the cargo box at all (I used the Thule 450R CrossRoad Railing Roof Rack Foot Pack and the Thule RB53 Rapid Aero Aluminum Roof Rack Load Bars (53-Inch)), even at speeds exceeding 80 MPH. I did encounter some heavy downpours and the contents inside remained dry. Note to avid skiers: the cargo box size may be a bit of a downfall. The box can only accomodate ski lengths not exceeding 185cm. I have 188cm skis and they just barely fit; had to angle them in to fit. Overall, I am very pleased with the product’s performance and design and highly recommend for this vehicle application.
Rating: 5 / 5
June 27th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I’ve got to admit that T. Temple’s review on this cargo box and using it in hurricane force winds with no issues while he saw other ones laying on the side of the highway is what sold me on it.
I am very happy with my purchase. This attached very easily to the stock roof racks on my 2010 Chrysler Town and Country minivan. Just open up the clamps all the way, slide it on, couple minor adjustments and hand tighten the knobs. Very easy to put on the van and even easier to take it off.
I used it on a 2000 mile round trip from Iowa up to Canada and back. It didn’t seem to have much impact at all on the fuel mileage and very little wind noise even at 80 mph. Went through some windy conditions and some rain (no hurricane force winds or torrential downpours, though) No issues with the cargo box coming loose or moving around and no water got inside. I loaded it up with the stroller, diapers, clothes, tricyle, shoes, boots and other stuff that it takes a family to make such a trip. We had 3 adults and 4 kids in the van on this trip and it is certainly much nicer having more room inside the van.
I like the latching mechanism and the dual side opening. Handy that you can’t remove the key unless you have it latched correctly. It was pretty easy to access the stuff in the cargo box by standing in the sliding door opening of the van, though having a step ladder for loading and unloading was better. Since I don’t typically carry my step ladder with me, though, I did most loading and unloading without one.
I used a couple of eye hooks and some rope to hang it from the ceiling in the corner of my garage for storage until the next time I use it. While it would have been neat to rig up some pulleys to lift it off the roof of my van for storage and then be able to lower it back on the van for use, my garage door is not tall enough to drive in with the cargo box on top of the van.
I was very satsified with ordering this from Amazon.com and the promptness of the shipping. I ordered it on Monday night and paid $20 shipping to ensure it arrived the following Tuesday so we would have it in time for our trip. It arrived on Friday afternoon, 4 days after I ordered it. No issues at all with the product.
Rating: 5 / 5
June 27th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
We took this car top carrier on a 12-hour road trip and got caught in a rainstorm that actually caused a bit of a flash flood. We sat in pouring rain for about a half hour (and I mean pouring–like being in a car wash) and everything stayed perfectly dry inside the carrier. Also, it never felt like we had a carrier on top of the car–very aerodynamic. Pretty expensive, but I’m glad I got it.
Rating: 5 / 5
June 27th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
WE USE IT ALL THE TIME. EASY INSTALLATION. WE ARE A FAMILY OF 5 AND WE FIT ALL ARE SNOWMOBILING AND SKIING EQUIPMENT IN IT. ITS GREAT
Rating: 5 / 5