Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I did a lot of on-line shopping until I decided on this one. I looked at the Rola and Thule as well, and they all looked good, but I got this one because it had the most space (16 cubic feet, as opposed to 13 for the Rola 59109). Turns out, it has other advantages, also.
First, excellent customer service. The StowAway Max is not offered under Amazon Prime, so I went directly to the seller website and they were offering a $40 discount. When I finalized my on-line order, I noticed that the discount hadn't been applied, so I wrote them an email. Immediately (within hours) I got a reply saying that they would apply the credit to the credit card ASAP. About a minute later I got a confirmation, so I knew they were serious.
Next, they shipped the next day, and I got it in about three days. The packaging was pretty flimsy, but it all came intact (in 2 boxes). The installation instructions were pretty simple, and all the parts were included. It helps to have a nice socket wrench set or a pair of large crescent wrenches. None of the parts are very heavy and even a light weight guy like me can do it by himself. The hitch tightener is included, and the "Plus" package (which was offered free) also includes a hitch lock. The swingaway arm was sturdy and had no movement play at all once everything was tightened. The hinge point is a large bolt, and the nut is a little hard to screw on, and to do it right you need a large wrench (I had to use a pipe wrench for torque because I am not that strong). The cantelever turns out to be very strong, and I could lean my entire weight on it without tilting at all. The instructions say you don't have to install the hitch tightener until later, but I would recommend doing it before you put the box on the frame, as access to it is much easier with the box out of the way, and once the box is on, the frame is much heavier and harder to control the wobble when tightening the nuts.
The frame is versatile, and you can take the box off and put on a bike rack or other accessories. There are three separate ways to secure the swing arm: spring latch, a hand-tighten bolt, and a hinge pin. A bit redundant, but probably a good idea, especially on rough roads.
The box is typical plastic and solid but much thicker than the Yakima Rocket rooftop box on my other car. The lid seems like it would be rain proof, but there is no gasket along the edge. Just a lip-in-groove design. There is a large hole in the corner and a rubber plug to make cleaning easy. You can just hose it out. The lid is heavy, but when it is open all the way, it "clicks" into place to hold it up. Very nice, especially when you need both hands to pack the box. You have pull the lid down with a bit of force to overcome the click and close it, but I think it is okay. The lid has a lock, but the key can be removed when it is locked or unlocked. I would have preferred the design where the key is only removable when the handle is in the locked position, so that you don't accidentally leave the lid open.
The wiring was simple, "plug and play". I installed the license frame easily and the light works well. You do have to drill some holes, so you will need a drill. One warning is that if you have a lift-hatch on the back of your SUV, you have to find just the right position of the box when you swing it out or the the hatch may hit the box as it opens up.
Overall, this product exceeded my expectations, and I'm sure the Rola would have been good too. I didn't like the Thule because of the deep lid which would have made packing high a little difficult. The Rola has a pod that attaches to the pad, but I'm not sure what the benefit of that would be, other than you can carry the pod right into your camp rather than unpacking it. The fact the StowAway Max holds 3 more cubic feet than the Rola was the final selling point for me. It was more expensive, but I have no regrets, considering that all the necessary accessories were included.
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