Wing Cross Bars and Cargo Roof Box for XC70 2007

[The Barron]

Hey Gang,
I am about to pull the trigger on Volvo brand wing cross bars and the Thule Evolution 1800 Cargo Box. Few questions:

1. Will the wing bars and the cargo box fix together ok? Or will I need special connectors of some sort?

2. Have people used this type of cargo box? Any better recommendations? I figure they are all about the same. I am going to use this to store our stroller and other baby related items on trips, as our dog has claimed the ENTIRE back as his and has a total melt down if anything else is that there with him. Our long rides to grandma's house turn into huge barking and crying fests.....so we need to box.

3. Any tricks to installation I should know about?

4. Any finally, where should I get these from? EMS, REI...some other place? I figure I can get the wing bars from the dealer with 10% off, but how about the box?

Thanks in advance!

[Art]

From what I understand, the u-bolts that Thule supplies with the box are compatible with both square and wing profile load bars. I have the smaller Evo 1600 mounted on square profile bars and find the quick snap hardware makes on/off attachment a breeze. No bolts to thread or tightening of knobs, just snap the lever/u-bolt combo shut. I'm not sure how it compares with Thule's latest quick grip mounting system that comes standard on their Atlantis series.

You will discover that the box will free up a ton of space in the cargo area for those very reasons that you have listed.

[SYS]

I have the wing bars + Thule Evolution 1600.

The only thing I can help you here is that the wing bars and 1600 go together very nicely without needing anything else. Another -- and very important -- thing to consider is that the Evolution 1600 is just the right length to 1) reduce the wind noise from the front, without 2) hitting the hatch door against the cargo. So if the Evolution 1800 is longer in length, you'll have to deal with 1) or 2), neither of which is pleasant.....

[Jack]

We use the wing bars and an Evolution 1800 and are very happy with the set-up. The box is positioned with about an inch of clearance from the open hatch. The rear bar is as far to the rear as possible and the front one is just to the rear of the sunroof when tipped up.

I don't notice any noise issues, in fact I only really notice that it's there when I look up through the sun roof. To my eye the longer box looks more balanced on the car. http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/matc...atchMaker.html

The shorter boxes simply don't work with backcountry and longer downhill skis. We typically keep our family of four's skis, boards, boots, helmets, and the rest in the box all winter -- just grab the kids and coats to hit the hill.

You should be able to do a little better than 10% on the bars through one of the on-line retailers. Here's a set for $136 + $20 shipping http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VOLVO...spagenameZWD1V from Red Bank Volvo. This is from their eBay store but they'll do the same deal directly through email.

REI and the others typically do 20% off Thule during sales. We have a local sports retailer, once family owned but now part of Speciality Sports, that does 30% on Thule ski stuff during their annual Labor Day ski sale.

[The Barron]

Thanks so much for the responces. They were just what I was looking for, a real-world confirmation that the fit and placement is possible with the wings and cargo box.

Sounds like I can get the wings pretty cheap at Red Bank like you suggested, rather than the dealer, so I'll try that, thanks.

Once I get this rig installed and put up, I'll try to post a pic.

[Rads42]

You might want to consider spending the money for the Volvo crossbars on a Thule crossbar set up instead. They may be cheaper or at least close in price and then you would have the option of adding any Thule accessories in the future because you know they will fit the bar profile. I have the 450 crossroad footpack and 50" load bars on my XC and its a great setup. The whole rack can be removed in about 3 minutes. I put the box and a bike carrier on at the same time when I go on vacation. Either way you'll get the box on no problem. I just thought I'd mention it as something to consider if you have any other needs for carrying toys with you.

[kbuttlerjames]

I just read a thread from late 2005 on this forum that you need to mess with cutting up pieces of rubber etc to make the Thule Atlantis 1800 fit the Volvo wing or oval profile crossbars. Is this still true?

We bought the Thule Atlantis 1800 box and now need to purchase the right crossbars and would prefer to order the wing or oval profile crossbars b/c they are aerodynamic.

Any definite answers are appreciated b/c we need to purchase these quickly as we have a trip coming up next week.

thanks!!

[Art]

The quick grip mounting system that Thule employs in their Atlantis series should be able to attach to all styles of load bars without any modifications. That said, it's probably wise to double check with your Thule retailer.

The rubber seal on the wing bars only requires removal to accommodate T-groove rack accessories.

[kbuttlerjames]

Thanks for the reply and photo, much appreciated. I did talk to Thule diretly and they have not tested all the Volvo crossbars and have no notations or tips to share.

We too have the stroller-dog-baby challenge in our XC70. Will let forum know if it works out for us.

thanks again!

[The Barron]

I thought I would complete this post with a quick write up with what I ended up doing. I completed my setup this past weekend and I am very happy with the results, here is what I did.



- 1 set of Wing Profile bars ($120 from Red Bank Volvo)
- 1 Atlantis 1800 Cargo Box in Silver ($415 at REI, on sale)


It was very easy to install, both racks and the box. I could not find the Evolution in my area, and if I did, it was over $500, seemed very high to me. I think Thule has discontinued the evolution series and is now promoting the Atlantis series. I found the Atlantis 1800, the newest style box, on sale and grabbed it. The only hard part is just measuring to make sure that the bars and the box are even on all sides. (I just used a tape measure, no biggy, just takes a bit of time.)

You will NOT need any fit kit, all you need is the bars and the box, you'll see why when you get the box if you buy an Atlantis. They attach with claws that fit any bar, so if you don't have wing profile, any bar will work without a fit kit. I have used Thule for many years and never seen such an easy install. The 4 claws on the bottom of the box just clamp down on whatever bars you have on the car, just as the picture shows on one of the above posts.

There is some wind noise, I'll be honest. But not enough to be annoyed by it. It will cover up your sunroof also, not 100%, but 65-75% covered. That is due to the hatch clearance necessary. However, the storage room you gain is amazing. I can fit sooo much stuff up there it's crazy. Plus it looks great. You can open the box from either side and it comes with two keys. I leave one my my key chain and one in the car just in case.

On our last trip I put the following in the box:
Huge baby stroller
Baby pack N Play
My big duffel bag
wife even bigger bag
baby's bag

The only thing we actually put in the car was us and the dog. It was so nice to go on a long trip without all the "stuff" all over the interior. Needless to say, I am very happy with my choice and recommend it to others.

Feel free to post or PM any questions.