Dropped $340 on a rooftop cargo box that whistles so loud I can't hear my own radio

Charles Coleman · 2026-10-26T18:00:07.314134+00:00

So last spring I finally bought a cargo box for my Outback because we were driving from Cleveland to the Outer Banks and the trunk was packed to the roof with beach stuff. I picked one up for $340 at a shop near me, and the guy behind the counter said it fit my crossbars fine. First 40 miles it was quiet, then somewhere past Akron it started this high whistle that gets worse the faster you go. I messed with the position, slid it forward, back, loosened the clamps, even wrapped the front edge in tape, and nothing helped. Turns out the bar spacing on my car was about an inch too wide for that box, so the wind gets under the front lip and sings. I should have measured before I handed over the card. Now I'm out $340, plus the box is sitting in my garage taking up floor space, and my kid still asks why the car sounds like a tea kettle on the highway. Has anyone here dealt with a box that whistles and actually fixed it, or am I just eating the money and going back to stuffing bags under the seats?

Vivisector

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Dropped $340 on a rooftop cargo box that whistles so loud I can't hear my own radio | Auto Gear Discussion - Vivisector