Amazon Basics Waterproof Rooftop Cargo Carrier Bag,15 Cubic Feet, Black

Note 1: Also purchased the Amazon Basics Expandable Hitch Rack Cargo Carrier Bag, Black, 9.5 cu. ft. expandable to 11.5 cu. ft., 3M 3432 Red Micro Prismatic Sheeting Reflective Tape, 0.125" X 5yd (1 Roll), CURT 45770 Receiver Tube Adapter, and the MaxxHaul 70050 Heavy Duty 5/8"- Hitch Locking Receiver Pin With 2 Keys. I will cross-post this review with a review of those items.Note 2: This review is mine alone and was completed without reimbursement of any kind.Note 3: I live and work overseas. You cannot find US-spec hitch haulers in Germany or on Amazon.de. I used the Amazon Garage and looked at items that would fit my vehicle, however, those items were not available for shipping to an APO (Army Post Office) due to size, weight, or the vendor doesn’t ship to APO addresses. Therefore, I opted for shipment to my German address. The shipping cost was high but I needed this hitch hauler for long-distance trips with a vehicle full of people and little room left for luggage inside the vehicle. A cargo bag on the roof was a cheap option but it can be a mileage killer. Hitch haulers are much easier to load and don’t reduce mileage as much as a roof-top carrier.I purchased the CURT Cargo Basket (48-inch) for use with my US-spec 2015 Highlander LE AWD. I have a factory-installed hitch with a 2” receiver. This item comes with a plastic U-shaped receiver insert to convert the 1-1/4” shank on the Curt Cargo Basket to fit a 2” receiver. Some reviews for the cargo basket noted a wiggle or “play” when using the plastic insert. After test fitting this on my vehicle I can attest to those reviews being spot on. So, I ordered the CURT 45770 Receiver Tube Adapter and the MaxxHaul 70050 Heavy Duty 5/8"- Hitch Locking Receiver Pin With 2 Keys. After fitting the adapter and hitch locking pin first, then the 1-1/4” shank into the adapter, the fit is much more snug. It’s not perfect but there is less “play.” As you will see in the pictures, right out of the box without using the Curt Receiver Tube Adapter, there is about 4-1/2” of offset from the factory-installed receiver to the basket itself. This is enough room for my lift gate to operate with or without the Amazon Basics Bag in place. With the receiver adapter in place, and using the threaded 1/2" hitch pin, there is about 9” of offset and it seems to be just a little too much offset as if there’s not enough of the shank inserted into the receiver adapter (opinion). With the receiver adapter in place and the shank pushed in a little further, past the threaded hole, it feels more secure and there’s about 8” of offset. I’ll use a locking 1/2" hitch pin without threads in this configuration. I also purchased red micro reflective tape and placed that on the sides and back of the cargo basket for more reflectivity. The cargo basket comes with one support that has a small amount of red reflective tape and I didn’t think that was enough. Also, for European drivers, neither your license plate nor your tail lights can be obscured like it is with a bicycle rack. The combination of the cargo carrier and the cargo carrier bag, even when completely full, do not block either my license place or my tail lights.Separately, the Amazon Basic Cargo Carrier Bag is thick, waterproof, and has one zipper to expand the bag and a double zipper to open the bag. The double zippers open away from each other when opening the bag. They and are covered by an overhanging lip with Velcro (hook and pile tape) and the zipper has a waterproofing right up to where the teeth come together. If you’ve ever used a waterproof bag you understand what I mean. The top of the bag has 2” attachment straps with plastic friction adapters (with teeth) that are long enough to wrap around the cargo carrier and back thru the plastic adapters for a secure hold. In the attached pictures you’ll see that I put a medium size cooler and two carry-on size pieces of luggage into the bag with room to spare upward. Most of the width and length are fully used with these three items.Regarding the lock, it works as advertised. The keys turn to the right to unlock the locking head from the hitch pin body. The only drawback is the keyhole cover. The “O-ring” that holds it on to the hitch pin body is very close to the end of the locking head and easily comes off. Other designs put that design feature more towards the receiver side and not the keyhole side.Overall, I like the components I purchased. I have not road-tested anything at this time although I expect all the products to perform well. I may post a follow-up review in late autumn after I take a 650-mile, multi-nation Euro Trip this fall.The reflective red tape was easy to unroll, remove the paper backing from the adhesive, and apply to the cargo carrier’s upper and lower bars for more reflectivity. We’ll see how well it holds after a road trip in hot, cold, wet, and snowy weather. More to follow.

Bought this to use on our roadtrip. My husband wanted one of the hard aerodynamic cases that lock, but they are so expensive. I found this for much cheaper, he didn't like it at first saying it looked like a garbage bag on top of the car. But after stuffing it full of camping gear and driving many miles through rain, sun and dust he finally acknowledged that it was very useful and the cheaper price allowed us to spend more on souvenirs. Installing it was easy and taking it down simple. It can be folded back into its bag and stored in the closet when not in use. It fits a lot of stuff, we packed 3 sleeping bags, tent, air mattress, 2 large blankets, bags of clothes, 3 camp chairs and a camp table in the bag. Saved so much space in the car. It does not look as neat and tidy as the picture, the fabric is never that taught and perfectly rectangular. But it did great protecting our stuff, nothing got wet in the rain and it stayed attached to the car, barely noticed it was there.

The media could not be loaded. Used for a cross country trip (2700 miles each way). Kept our things dry even in some heavy rain. It held nicely to the car and for the most part we didn't even notice it was there.The material feels strong and durable. The zipper is sturdy and has its own cover to add water protection. It held much more than we anticipated. The plastic buckles and clasps feel cheap but worked without issue.All in all, worth the price and works for what we needed but with some annoying flaws:1. The buckle and straps are not well designed. There is no effective way to tighten it (video) once it's on the vehicle. You have to manually feed the strap through the buckle and cinch which doesn't allow you to get it tight to the roof-rack.2. The straps are several feet lover than you will likely ever need (photo), so you'll need a gear-tie to take the excess, or wrap it around itself until you run out of strap.3. With it being universal to roof rack setups, it has a total of 8 buckles - of which you'll likely only use 4. But there is really no good way to get the extra ones secured - and those extras are several feet long.

This product worked great. Took it on a cross country trip from California to Kentucky. Had rain and heavy wind and it kept our clothes and pillows dry. Worth the money.

Primarily due to the low price (I paid $42), I was a bit skeptical. Especially since some other roof top carriers cost around $400+. The quality of this bad is amazing! The bag seems super sturdy and solid. When I was driving 80+ mph on the freeway the bag wasn’t even moving or blowing around, not even the slightest! The straps and buckles are thick and solid and easy to adjust. Once I got the straps adjusted the first time, there’s been no need to re-adjust. I think it is helpful to have the bag loaded up to prevent your stuff from shifting around, but if it wasn’t fully loaded, it was still be okay. I have this bag secured to a Yakima LoadWarrior rooftop basket which pairs perfectly (see photos). I haven’t tested this in the rain yet, but it seems like it would hold up great if you position it the correct way on top of your vehicle (this bag is directional and should be positioned the right way). It has waterproof zippers and there is an extra flap that folds over the zipper that Velcros down.