When it comes to packing for a summer camping weekends, holiday travels to see the family or a cross-country road trip, space is of the essence. From camping gear to luggage to presents, there’s so much to pack and only so much room in the trunk to fit everything you need for your travels. Sure, SUVs can fit more than your average sedan, but space is limited no matter the size of your vehicle — especially if you’re bringing friends and family along for the ride.
Cargo baskets can be a game changer for storage space on your adventures. Also known as roof racks, they come in handy for longer road trips or vacations when extra capacity is needed to fit all your gear, your luggage and your family in one car. Cargo baskets are lightweight, relatively easy to install and provide an option for additional space to store your cargo when the trunk fills up and you need more room for travel essentials.
As someone who tends to meticulously Tetris my gear into my trunk, I was excited to test out the Thule Canyon XT Cargo Basket so I could forgo cramming my outdoor gear into the back of my SUV on several trips this camping season. I put luggage, duffels, backpacks and more in the Canyon XT to test it on top of both a Mazda CX-50 during a recent backpacking trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and on my 2014 Ford Escape around Chicago. Here’s how it performed.
The Thule Canyon XT Cargo Basket makes it easy to haul all kinds of gear on the roof of your car. Best for car campers, holiday travelers and road-trippers, this lightweight, low-profile and durable roof rack can hold up to 150 pounds. If you want to add extra storage capacity to your vehicle, make this versatile cargo carrier your pick.
What is a cargo basket?
Cargo baskets come in various shapes, sizes and capacities, and they make it easier for you to carry bulky items or excess luggage that otherwise wouldn’t fit in your trunk. They differ from roof cargo boxes because, unlike roof boxes that are enclosed and sealed from wind, rain and snow, cargo baskets are open-air storage carriers. They also differ from rear cargo carriers, which attach to a vehicle’s hitch and take up valuable space for a bike rack or for hauling a trailer or boat. Cargo baskets’ open tops also tend to make them easier to load and unload than traditional roof cargo boxes since you don’t have to fiddle with a lid. Not to mention you can fit awkwardly sized and shaped things in the open basket that might not fit inside a box.
Known for their durability and lightweight design, cargo baskets help organize gear and keep contents safe and damage-free while driving. You can also use an elastic cargo net, like the Thule Stretch Cargo Net on the Thule Canyon XT to secure luggage, camping gear and other cargo inside while driving. While roof cargo boxes are typically more popular for their ability to keep luggage and gear securely locked and dry, cargo baskets can be more affordable.
The Thule Canyon XT is compatible with most brands of crossbars and specifically requires a crossbar spread between 20 inches and 37 inches for installation. If your car came with factory bars included, the Canyon XT will likely fit. It’s important to note you can’t drive through a car wash with the roof basket on. You should avoid driving over 80 miles per hour or in winds above 50 miles per hour, though the included wind fairing reduces drag and noise.
The Canyon XT has a load capacity of 150 pounds, but you should also check your specific car model’s maximum weight capacity. At 29 pounds plus any gear inside the basket, overloading your vehicle’s roof is a risk. Heavier loads in your roof basket will also impact your gas mileage by decreasing airflow and increasing aerodynamic drag. A report by Consumer Reports found that even an empty roof rack impacted fuel economy by 2% — the equivalent of three-quarters of a gallon of gas — with similar reports finding cars with roof racks using up to 25% more fuel.
What we liked about it
Simple to use
Cargo baskets are meant to be simple: Load in your gear and hit the road. So, it makes sense why Thule designed the Canyon XT with such a simple and streamlined design. During my testing, I found it extremely easy to load and unload the Canyon XT with rolling luggage, duffel bags and backpacks. The Canyon XT’s smooth, round edges help minimize resistance when sliding heavy luggage up and over the railing of the basket. The Canyon XT’s slanted sidewalls also provided ample width for our luggage to slide in and fit into the base of the cargo basket.
This fall, three friends and I went on a multiday backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. Our adventure took us on a road trip from Denver to the Wild Basin region of the park. After filling our 60-liter backpacks to the brim (thanks a lot, bear canisters), we fit them snugly in the trunk of our Mazda CX-50. Some hikers in our group also brought suitcases and duffel bags to get all their camping gear out to Colorado, and we quickly realized we couldn’t?fit our additional luggage in the trunk too. Enter the Thule Canyon XT.
We swiftly and efficiently loaded our extra luggage onto the roof in the Canyon XT basket and secured it for the drive using the Thule Load Net (but you could use other straps or even some rope if you know your knots). All said and done, we were able to fit one large suitcase, one carry-on suitcase and an oversized duffel bag into the basket with plenty of room to spare.
Spacious but not too spacious
With internal dimensions of 41 inches by 39 inches by 5 inches, the Canyon XT is ideal for a couple of large or oversized pieces of luggage or three to four smaller pieces of luggage or duffel bags. Like Goldilocks in search of the perfect porridge, I thought the Canyon XT’s size was just right. Too much room in a cargo basket and you risk your gear and equipment sliding around. Too small and you risk running out of cargo space. The Canyon XT is big enough to haul bulky items like a spare tire, hard-sided cooler, camping gear, sports equipment and more. If you need more room, you can add on the optional Thule Canyon Extension XT ($224), which extends the cargo area of the standard Thule Canyon XT basket by 20 inches in length.
Quick to install
While it’s entirely possible to install this cargo basket on your car on your own, it’s very helpful to have another person by your side. It took me and my partner about 40 minutes to install the Canyon XT cargo basket on the roof of our car at home. You can also opt to have your local car dealer or car rental company install the cargo basket, as we did when using the Canyon XT on the Mazda CX-50.
When installing the Canyon XT at home, we found Thule’s instructions to be mostly helpful but not perfect. We did spend a bit more time than anticipated trying to decipher the directions, as the instruction pamphlet includes only drawings and diagrams, not written instructions. The box for the Canyon XT came with all the necessary tools and hardware pieces we needed to attach the cargo basket with the exception of a standard Phillips screwdriver. You will need to attach the Canyon XT to existing roof crossbars on your car. If you don’t have crossbars installed on your car, Thule manufactures a variety of roof rack systems, in both low flex and high flex, made specifically for cargo baskets and roof cargo carriers.
Assembling the cargo basket itself was the easiest part of the installation. What took more time was attaching the basket to the roof crossbars. Plan to spend about 10 minutes putting the cargo basket together and 30 minutes installing the basket on the roof of your car. We found this YouTube video particularly helpful throughout the installation process.
What we didn’t like about it
Your gear is exposed to the elements
Unlike Thule’s extensive line of cargo carriers, the Canyon XT is open and exposed to the elements — weather and humans included. While it’s helpful to have quick and easy access to your stuff with the Canyon XT, you’ll want to make sure your gear is waterproof (or throw a tarp over it) if you plan to drive with this cargo basket in snowy or rainy climates. You also can’t lock your gear inside the Canyon XT like you can with Thule’s roof boxes, like the Motion XT or Force XT, or hitch carriers like the Arcos or Transporter Combi. So, it’s important to keep in mind if you plan to park your car for extended periods with gear unlocked and exposed on the roof.
Fragile plastic components
Besides the rack itself, many components on the Canyon XT are made of plastic, including several screws, mounting plates and fasteners. While this doesn’t guarantee issues in the future, I did run into problems during the installation process that made me concerned about the product’s material and its long-term durability. Specifically, while installing the roof basket for the first time on my 2014 Ford Escape, I was trying to install a plastic screw to fasten the roof to the crossbars on my rack. After using all my force during several attempts at locking the screw-in fastener in place, the plastic screw broke. Thankfully, I was able to contact Thule customer support and a new fastener screw came in the mail for free just days later, but for such a durable steel base rack, I do wish more of the components of this product were metal.
It doesn’t come with accessories
The Canyon XT comes pretty bare-bones; however, you can purchase several accessories like the Thule Stretch Cargo Net ($85) or the Thule Canyon Extension XT ($224) to add extra security and space to your basket. Of all the accessories, the Stretch Cargo Net is essential. Yes, you can tie your gear or strap it down, but that can add extra steps to loading and unloading your gear that you might not want to deal with. I found the net to be a fantastic solution that was fast, easy to fasten and unfasten and, most importantly, secure.
How it compares
The design and specs of the Thule Canyon XT may look similar to other basic cargo roof baskets on the market, but its durability, versatility and brand legacy stand out among the competition. Most similar in build and function is the Yakima LoadWarrior Rooftop ($500), which runs 2 pounds lighter and just slightly larger at 44 inches by 39 inches by 6.5 inches. The main difference is the LoadWarrior’s shape and design, which is much boxier than the Canyon XT. Yakima also makes a larger basket, the rooftop OffGrid Cargo Basket ($699) that is equipped with Yakima’s proprietary quick-release locking hardware for easier installation and removal of the rack.
While lesser-known brand products like the HaulMaster Cargo Storage Carrier ($142) may cost significantly less, they have a smaller carrying capacity and weigh more than both the Thule Canyon XT and Yakima LoadWarrior.
Bottom line
Cargo baskets can make all the difference when carrying gear you need on road trips, vacations and car camping trips. However, not all rooftop carriers are created equal. You’ll want to keep in mind and consider capacity, price point, durability and versatility. The Thule Canyon XT Cargo Basket is a perfect choice for campers, travelers and families who want an affordable and reliable carrier to attach to the roof of their vehicle.
Made of lightweight and robust tubular steel with the capacity to hold up to 150 pounds of gear, it’s ideal for hauling cargo in many shapes and sizes — from soft duffel bags and hard-sided luggage to camping equipment like tents, chairs and tables. I am a fan of the Canyon XT because it’s easy to set up, easy to use and affordable. That said, if you are looking for a lockable and water-tight roof carrier, you might want to consider a Thule roof box or rear hitch cargo carrier instead.
