Yakima Skybox Problem

Hey all… there have been really helpful people here so I figured I would take it to the forum… any ideas how to remedy this gap? I already reached out to Yakima but it is not under warranty so I don’t think they are going to do anything.
Front of skybox with gap:


Skybox opened:

The above is the front of my Yakima Skybox unit and you can see a big gap. The last time we used this we went through an epic rainstorm/tornado warning in Texas and when we opened it everything was soaking wet (I thought ahead and already had everything vacuum packed so our stuff was actually dry because of that but I would rather that not happened in the first place. Trying to get ideas in correcting this big gap then I want to put a rubber seal around the entire lip after I fix the gap. Kinda bummed because I spent a good amount of money on this used unit and it is too late to get my money back.

Inside the Skybox (wife locked me in but finally let me out on account I said nice things to her) you can see the difference…

Inside looking out the front:

looking at the side by the locks where it is tight:


I don’t want to drill into the skybox or anything but down for some good ideas.

 

Try heat? Like hair dryer/heat gun(very carefully) and see if you could gently reform it? Not sure. All I got.

 

Thank you. I did give that a try and it was a no go. I kept it lite and maybe I need to go a little more aggressive with it

 

It looks like the arm mechanism that opens the lid is what also holds it closed. Have you tried looking at that and see if you could "massage" that arm into a tighter fit?

 

I have removed the arm. It seems good. Found out Yakima makes their skyboxes from Carbonite. Not sure if that is something easy to fix.

 

Carbonite? Is that Like polymer?................aka fancy Plastic!

 

Idk.

 

If it's not obvious, I would take apart the 2 shells and inspect them to see where the warping is. Strap it down on saw horses and heat gun it into correct position and reassemble.

 

Any luck figuring out a solution, @GrantA ?

 

Nope. I haven’t spent anymore time on it yet. Yakima reached out to me. Kinda want to see how that interaction goes

 

I hope they get you squared away. I had a Skybox and loved it. I've been happy with their products in general.

 

Does your have the "trois clics" sticker near the lock handle? Mine does not seal very well unless I push down on the front, middle and rear of the pod.

 

I honestly do not know as it is an older model I found out. So they might have been removed but I have nothing on them now. I ended up installing a ratchet strap to the front with rivets and rubber washers. Works great and seals the front.

 

Can you apply some aftermarket weather stripping on the inside of the lid? That’s what I do if you can’t close the gap. Shoot, ask Yakima to send you some for free

 

I was going to look at getting weather stripping but to be honest I rarely use it (unless going in long road trips and will probably add to camping trips). On the 4Runner I have no need for anything as my Gobi rack keeps the bottom from going down and I get a good seal. But when in the van it hangs like it can’t hold the weight of itself and you add anything to the front and your screwed. Ratchet strap to the rescue and it has been great. Just a little more time to disconnect but honestly not bad at all. Everything seals up really good.

 

I have the same issue with skybox. I ended up closing the lid, lining up the front lips where i liked and then drilled a small hole through both front lips while closed and stuck a tight fitting bolt through. Not sure what size bolt though? Maybe 1/4” or 3/16”? I used to put a wing nut on the back side to make sure the bolt would never come out while on the road. It was kind of a pain in the but to put the wing nut on and off so I have since just started just sticking the bolt through. It is a tight fit through the hole so it never vibrates out. Have put a couple thousand miles on it this way without issue. Can get a close up of said bolt later if you'd like?

Edit: found a photo i could zoom in on it.