Rain-X 161040 Water-Resistant Roof Top Cargo Bag Review

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(More customer reviews)We purchased this carrier because our current carrier, a hitch-based carrier on the rear of the car, put too much weight on the rear of the vehicle, making it hard to steer in wet or icy conditions.
The bag is made of VERY heavy vinyl-type fabric. So heavy in fact that it is hard to open, close, and zip. But once you get it worked out (I brought it inside to warm it up, which helped a lot) it is a nice accessory.
The straps were easy to lace through the eyelets, and although it was not detailed in the instructions how to lace them through, I was able to work it out in no time. Instructions could have been clearer.
The zippers are very heavy duty, but because the fabric is so heavy they are difficult to open or close. I believe this is a function of the fabric being water resistant. I found myself trying to stretch the creases / folds out of the fabric in order to pull the zipper. Even a TINY crease will prevent the zipper from moving as the fabric is so stiff.
The zipper is covered by a large flap on the bottom that velcros to a large flap above the zipper, essentially creating a seal that I really can't imagine ever leaking (unless you put the bag on backwards, with the zipper facing forward instead of backwards). We never went through rain but we went through snow with no issues of leakage.
There was NO flapping or moving about while we were underway. The eight way staps held tight and held everything securely, without putting stress on the bag itself since it covered the bag like a net as opposed to tying to the bag.
Last of all, it held about 100 pounds of clothes and gear without any stress or strain. The van was much more manageable with the weight being put in the middle of the car instead of on the hitch. Very handy in the snowy conditions in which we were navigating.
Of course it was much less convenient than the hitch mounted unit (hard to reach), but there are tradeoffs with everything (we spent $500 on our "Cargo Carrier" for our hitch).
Hard to beat for $50!
My only real complaint is the stiffness of opening and closing the zipper. I wish they had put straps on the zippers, and I'll probably find some and do it myself.

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