Highland 10391 Kar Pak Waterproof Soft-Sided Car Top Carrier - 15 Cubic Feet Reviews

• There and Back Again

  
  By A23H489JIZDWGG on 2007-06-25
  We've had the Highland Kar-Pak since our first family trip to Disney World in 2002, and we've used it many a times since: trips to Disney World, trips to Gulf Shores, a few visits to Texas and, the big one, our evacuation from New Orleans a few days before Hurricane Katrina struck. Not to be overly glowing, but this thing helped us save a lot more since we could cram it full.
  
  It holds a bundle, stores quickly, cleans up easily (bug splatter is no match for scrub brush & water, eh), is arguably leak-proof (never had a problem even through the worst rains), and attaches easily and securely (and not to dismiss another person's review/opinion, but the carrier box clearly stated "Roof Rack Mount"; however, I can see confusion with roof rack and roof bars -- those bars on the roof when you get the van/suv/etc are just styling until you add a cross-bar).
  
  My wife came across this model locally in N.O. when we were searching for something for the roof to carry luggage on our first real driving vacation. We had looked at a lot of the hard-side ones, which were all extremely expensive and sorely lacking in capacity. She found this and we thought it might be a quick-fix but we've used it ever since and have no plans to replace it.
  
  FWIW, a tip: get some big safety pins. Though you can tie the excess strap up it's easier to use a safety pin to pin up the excess. You don't have to, but the excess strap tends to flap in the wind and will drive you a little batty.
  
  

• Cross-bars needed, but they don't tell you that.

  
  By A2JPF8RI6GYOMQ on 2007-06-20
  I haven't installed and used this carrier yet, so I can't speak to its quality, but shoppers should be aware that when it says "attaches to any factory roof rack," that's not the whole story. Nowhere does it state that crossbars are a necessity to install this carrier, so I assumed my factory side rails would be adequate.
  
  Had I known this when ordering, Amazon could've sold me the crossbars at the same time. Sadly for them, they lost a sale because the bars won't arrive in time for my cross-country move, and I will need to shop locally--something I really don't have time for.
  
  Amazon, do your customers a favor and tell them upfront what is required to install and use this product!
  
  

• My experience differs

  
  By A1YE8EU6KGQ3Q6 on 2007-06-10
  I see other people had some problems with excessive flapping, but the carrier kept their belongings dry. Well, on a trip from Oklahoma to northern California, we had no problems with flapping, even though we hadn't used any tie-downs other than the straps provided. Unfortunately, everything in the carrier was dampened somehow. The carrier had been through rain, snow, and hail on the trip, so it's not exactly surprising that this had occurred; it's just not what I had come to expect based on the other customer reviews. I didn't see anywhere that the bag had been perforated, so maybe it just isn't as waterproof as advertised.
  
  

• Does not fit "all" vehicles with roof racks as advertised.

  
  By AOEDWQLH2WKKW on 2007-06-28
  The packaging clearly says that it fits all vehicles with roof racks, Cars, Vans, SUVs, and RVs. However, what they don't tell you is that your cross bars have to be about 38" apart at a minimum, that is 17" more than mine are on my '07 Rondo. Don't expect this to fit your factory cross bars, but it should be fine with any Yakima/Thule rack with adjustable bars, just make sure you can get them 38" apart.
  
  How was the product? Quality seems okay, but I don't think it would last long from UV from the sun. Probably only a couple years. It is basically a rubber bag that goes on your roof and attached with 4 flimsy nylon straps. It is a good deal for someone who only uses it once or twice a year, but if you use it all the time you would probably be replacing it regularly. I will be returning this and looking for something that fits. If it did fit, I would keep it as I do fit the usage profile.
  
  

• Listen to the expert and buy this carrier

  
  By AOI2MD752ZWFU on 2008-01-01
  After doing the research across price, functionality, ease of use, durability, storage, and weather proofing, I decided on the Highland carrier. For $30, you get an incredible amount of storage, that is secure on your roof, and totally waterproof. This Xmas, I drove from the Northern VA area (DC) way up to Upstate New York (Past Albany) and back with this carrier [in the rain and snow up and back both ways - all stuff was totally dry]. 900 total miles at about 75 MPH.
  
  Here is what you need to know before buy: You have to have a roof rack with crossbars as the carrier's four straps attach to this; the space between the crossbars must be 38 inches so you will need to adjust this on your car first; and don't expect it to look like the picture once on your car/SUV unless your packages/stuff is exactly the dimensions of the bag. During installation do not attach the four straps, that is, fill the carrier on your roof, then attach the four crossbar straps as you will need the wiggle room for secure placement on your roof. After installation I suggest simply tucking/knotting the excess strap as these flap in the wind and will drive you crazy (takes an extra 2 minutes). Also, for piece of mind as I mentioned that unless your stuff is a perfect 39x18x38 rectangle the carrier looks a big lump on your car so I put two 48 inch bungey cords across the width of the carrier. You don't need the cords, but I am a little anal-retentive.
  
  You will be impressed with the ultra thick material this thing is made of. Only four straps connect to your car which you will make suspect their ability to hold this thing down...but they do, and they don't budge. I can confidently say this THE best purchase I have made to date. You get way more than what you pay for on this carrier.
  
  While driving I saw other people with the Thule soft carrier and Rainex, both of these are smaller, do not have the top strap adjustment like the Highland so they flap in the wind, plus read their reviews - they are not water tight. I guess if you have the $200-300 for a hard card carrier, go for it, but what do these people do with these when they are not using them? This Highland carrier folds back down to a shoebox size...you can't beat that either.
  
  You really do not need to read anymore reviews, take my word, buy this carrier if you need extra space at an wickedly affordable price, that is secure on your car, keeps your stuff dry, and folds aways for easy storage.
  
  
• Excellent Carrier and superb price.
  By A3RX3AJBH26YDT on 2006-12-03
  Took this on a 800 mile road trip, going 70-75 MPH without a need for adjustment. Drove to AZ, so of course there was not a rain issue, but the bag outer is very sturdy and kinda rubbery, so I would think it would stand up to any rain.
  As others stated, I too thought that an additional 3rd zipper would have been good for packing, but I have rethought that issue and the carrier is Perfect as it is.
  If you have 3 zippers there is a high danger of "over loading" the carrier and not being able to close the carrier with all your gear in it.
  Get a stepladder, load the "far zipperless bottom corner" first on top of your SUV and there are NO issues at all. On my return trip I loaded too much and couldn't zip the carrier and that is when the realization set in that the 2 zipper configuration was a good idea. You know more what you can and can not cram onto your roof.
  Set up on your roof rack really couldn't be easier.
  Make sure you tie off any extra slack or you are going to get a nice "drum beat" rolling down the highway.
  
  I couldn't recommend this more highly.
  
  Rugged, stable, simple to use and a great price, let me take my dog in the back without chewing luggage, you know the usual stuff!
  
  I would recommend this if it was $70 instead of $45.
  
  
• Well worth the money!
  By A13DVLT6Y3OE0M on 2007-03-02
  I am a traveling songwriter and just finished a 6000+ mile tour from Nebraska to Florida with this on the top of my Subaru and I must say it was great thing to have- everything stayed bone-dry and secure but I would recommend usuing a couple of extra bungee cords across the top just as an added measure- plenty of room and solid construction- for the price it can't be beat!
  
  
• Highland Car Carrier
  By A2RPLWNWF26BKX on 2006-07-19
  I purchased this car carrier for an upcoming vacation to GA and I must say this was a great buy. We have a Ford Focus Stationwagon and the topper fit perfectly. We had room for 1 set of golf clubs, 4 duffle bags, beach toys, 2 chairs and a stroller and still some room left. It kept everything dry when it was raining. You do have to keep the zipper part along the back of the car and make sure that the zipper flap is covering the zipper. I know that other reviews stated that their items got wet but we followed the directions and it worked well for us.
  
  Hope this review helps!!
  
  
• Great product, great price!
  By A2LIZ93K1IGY3N on 2007-03-08
  We needed a car top carrier for a drive from Arizona to Utah. After much research, we decided to give the Kar Pak a try. It worked wonderfully! We fit two suitcases, a duffle bag, and some random stuff in garbage bags on top of our minivan. During the drive, we weathered snow, sun, and rain. We were on the road for a total of 13 hours. By the time we reached our destination, everything inside the Kar Pak was dry and perfect. The Kar Pak itself was easily washed off, folded up in it's box, and put into storage. This is a great option for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a car top carrier. It's easy to install, doesn't budge (we checked the straps several times during the trip, they never loosened or anything), and it keeps everything inside dry if it rains or snows.
  
  
• Car top carrier
  By A35TA6AKTO678H on 2007-05-16
  Awesome carrier. Filled it to the max with boxes, clothes, etc. and proceeded to drive 1500 miles through "high" winds and rain and the carrier came through with flying colors. Everything was dry as a bone and still in place. Great Value!
  
  
• Worked once, tore, no customer service
  By A2WCVS2K4TS9JN on 2008-01-17
  The general idea of a soft cargo bag that straps to your car's roof is pretty simple, and it should not be rocket science to make one that works. Unfortunately, the Highland Kar Pak does not fit the definition of a reliable product. It looks great in the pictures and you can read the gushing reviews here, but in the real world I found this product to be defective and lacking in customer support.
  
  I purchased the Highland Kar Pak specifically to move across the country, from Massachusetts to Arizona. After doing some research into cargo carriers, I decided to invest a modest sum in a product that I would likely need once a year at most. Boy am I glad I paid a modest sum because this thing lasted barely one trip. I notice that the price is now half what I paid for it and it is worth not one cent more.
  
  Some reviewers complained about leakage, so I made sure to put all my stuff in plastic bags before loading, and that turned out to be fortuitous. In west Texas I went through some incredible rainstorms. The circular strap attachments tore during the trip, perhaps because I had over-tightened the straps, exposing the mesh undernetting and allowing in water.
  
  When I got to my destination, fortunately my stuff was dry but only because I had waterproofed it, no thanks to the Kar Pak. I emailed the company's customer service dept to inquire as to warranty coverage and whether the pak could be repaired, but received no response. I consider the design to be defective; they should have bonded the straps more thoroughly to the bag to prevent that kind of damage. The average $10 backpack you can buy at any local store is better designed than this. Let the buyer beware.
  
  
• Great Value - Sturdy and Waterproof
  By A19Q1AG97XWOWY on 2007-01-05
  I drove from Oregon to Colorado at the end of December with this cargo bag on top of my car. Despite driving through rain, snow and being outside several nights in a row in below freezing temperatures everything stored in this bag remained COMPLETELY dry. There was not even a musty smell. This bag came with straps which made it very easy to attach it to my roof rack. I highly recommend this product.
  
  
• The Best
  By A284F3S7LRT0M9 on 2007-01-10
  We purchased this item to travel to the mountains for Christmas. We drove 7 1/2 hours in the pooring rain. Our luggage stayed completely dry. It easily attached to our mini van luggage rack and stayed secured the duration of the trip. This bag is awesome and reasonably priced!
  
  
• good for short people too!!!
  By A3J9EVWMO9SM4E on 2007-01-16
  I knew we needed this thing with 7 people crammed in a van, but I'm short, so I was leary. No problem. It saved our travel experience and wore very well. Easy to work with. Well worth the price, which wasn't bad to begin with.
  
  
• Great carrier at good price
  By A3OZ1PTTKTJMRO on 2007-04-11
  This carrier worked well on our Honda Pilot. It kept several large suitcases dry. We used several large bungee cords to secure it. The only problem was that it made noise but we taped them down. The fabric kept them very well protected. I would recommend it for anyone needing the extra space in their car.
  
  
• Hardware not included
  By ADML6CLSVH1TG on 2007-05-11
  We received this product but did not receive the hardware to attach it to the crossbars on our SUV. Product does not look like the picture, there were no straps. Very dissapointed.
  
  
• Waterproof...until shredded
  By A8SPPHKETDZ41 on 2008-06-07
  I bought this for a trip my wife was taking to Yellowstone this spring. It is big, and held our stroller, some luggage, and still had room for misc. stuff. Beware, there is no rigidity to it, and you have to stuff it like a garbage bag.
  
  The biggest problem was the quality. When my wife got back from her trip we found the carrier was shredded, and thread bare in many places. Everything in the carrier was wet.
  
  I wouldn't recommend this product for anyone who drives over 30mph.
  
  
• worked great for trip from NC <-> FL
  By A1YM5B9C46RM78 on 2007-01-06
  What can I say, it worked very well for our 11-hour trip. We drove through rain with no problems, and we were able to fit quite a bit of stuff inside it. We had it completely full on the trip home: the front of the carrier hung over the front carrier rack rail on our rav4 and made some flapping noise for most of the trip, but that wasn't that big of a deal once we realized it wasn't going to pop off. I did secure it with a few extra ratchet straps though. In retrospect we should have probably gotten the smaller model.
  
  Worked great, cheap price, I'd recommend it.
  
  
• Slightly easy to use
  By A22MQLT12ESGJO on 2007-01-09
  This carrier is very good. Only one draw back. The zipper only went around on two sides. Would be much easier to load if the zipper went around the third side as well so the top open like a flap.
  
  
• Carrier was great
  By A1281KEH1WCE4P on 2007-03-08
  The carrier held 2 huge suitcases and several other duffle bags and packages. We went thru a snow and ice storm on a 1200 mile trip to
  Orlando and there was not a drop of water inside. I also purchased a bungee web to put over the top for the extra security and this worked out well. There was no wind noise even when traveling 75 mph. Great item!
  
  
• great product
  By A34MUI4E9Z4WKE on 2007-06-06
  I researched this carrier before I bought it from Amazon.
  When it arrived at my house, I noticed that the whole thing is like a rubber material. And it does not leak at all.
  
  
• Unsafe
  By AB9A8UN0YML48 on 2007-08-30
  Unfortunately, this is the most unsafe product I've ever owned. I installed it on my SUV's roof rack exactly as the instructions described, and loaded it up. The immediate problem I found was that the plastic strap connections (similar to the plastic pieces on the straps of a backpack that allow you to adjust the shoulder straps) had very little traction. Even very light tugs on them and they would start to slip. While driving down the interstate I immediately found they weren't going to hold. This giant carrier was coming up from my car like sail. I pulled over and tightened everything down and got off at the next exit. In order to make sure we got to our destination safely, I bought a role of duct tape and had to tape the straps together so they wouldn't slip. Yes, I basically had to duct tape this thing to my car to make it work. I wish a took a picture to show you.
  
  At the end of the day, this product is unsafe, and I'm very surprised others haven't had the same problem. Oh, and just in case you're thinking this was user error, it wasn't. Connecting these straps was extremely straight forward.
  
  
• Survived a hail storm with no leaks, great product...
  By AOCOIH72WTYY8 on 2007-09-04
  I bought this car topper after reading various reviews and have no buyer's remorse whatsoever. I have a Subaru Legacy wagon with sliding cross bars so the attaching issue was not a problem and in fact was a bonus. I was able to slide the cross bars into perfect position once it was filled to help with stability. In other reviews some have mentioned the "cheap straps" that come included and at first I was hesitant to only trust those straps, but once I attached them they were great. This is because the cross bars that they attach to on my Subaru are flat and wide so the tie-downs fit snug and pulled tight with ease. Also note that this only unzips on 2 sides, but that's good when you put the side that doesn't zip facing the front of the car, ensuring further weatherproofing because a zipper isn't facing incoming rain. The zippers are thick and zip easily and are protected by a thick overlaying flap of material. The capacity is cavernous and we easily fit our beach supplies, stroller, beach chairs, coolers and other items. On the way back there was still enough room to cram in our dirty laundry bags! Out of paranoia I used another crossing strap over the top of the unit as an insurance policy because it was the first time we used it, but the straps held tight and I probably didn't need it. We hit some huge thunderstorms with gale force winds and even hail on the way and this topper held up to the abuse with no problem. One review mentions that they would like for it to remain square like the picture, so if you put your squarish items in the corners (cooler, etc) like I did it retains that shape just fine and makes a good use of the space. Another review mentioned reduced gas mileage, so if you put your roundish items in the front of the unit and pull the tiedowns tight it could help with that as well. After the trip I have it folded neatly and it takes up very little space in storage unlike hard-top carriers. I give it 5 stars with no hesitation.
  
  
• Fantastic Buy!
  By A2GAOHRUQ3D8ZG on 2006-11-06
  My husband and I got this top carrier to help us on our trek from Georgia to Washington. There is enough space in it to fit just about the same amount of luggage that we would put in the back of our wagon. The waterproofing is EXCELLENT! We had torrential rains the first two days of our trip, and everything came through bone-dry.
  
  
• Great Product but be cautious if you need it quickly!!!
  By A1K80GLHBLH4MT on 2006-11-09
  This car top carrier is wonderful. I only have door side rails and the carrier didn't move once during 2 - 4 hour trips, mostly above 55MPH. The space in this is wonderful. The material is durable and despite the folks that say rain will get in, we had a downpour for 15 minutes on the highway and nothing was wet at all. Despite the carrier having bottom padding, I would recommmed as others have to put down towels first to give the carrier a little extra padding so as not to damange your roof with any unexpected rough edges on the bottom.
  My only gripe was with Amazon. I ordered the item for 2 day delivery and after 3 tries and 3 new delivery dates I got the item 12 days later than I wished. They paid the shipping but if my departure date would have been sooner I would have been SOL. I was taking a day trip and wanted to test it out before my 4 hour trip, that was the reason for the request for quick shipping. Luckily the product works great and there were no issues.
  
  
• Great product
  By ADB9CX5S185H on 2007-07-08
  We looked long and hard for a good car top carrier. In the end we selected this one due in large part to the feedback on Amazon. I have to say this was a very nice carrier. I was skeptical that a soft sided carrier would be right for us, but it performed great. I strapped it to our Honda Odyssey and it never loosened up or made a noise. We loaded it full of stuff and it did great even in rain, nothing inside got wet.
  
  My only issue with it was that the zipper only unzips on one side and the front. I would have preferred it to zip open on both sides and the front so you could completely open the carrier, but even with that issue the access is still plentiful and its easy to load.
  
  Have no fear buying this carrier and at the price its a fantastic deal. I ordered it with standard shipping and it arrived 4 days later, so that was a bonus too.
  
  
• Not as good as it could be
  By A1UP195Q8FD2MJ on 2007-07-18
  The carrier itself is made of rugged vinyl, but I was leary about this thing on a trip from Texas to California. The built-in straps have a tendency to come loose, and if not for my husband's paranoia, our suitcases would have been flying across I-10 on several occasions -- he used separate tie down straps (those orange ones from Home Depot) for the carrier. Every couple of hours, we'd hear a tapping noise coming from the roof when a strap came loose.
  
  The bag itself is kind of shapeless, and it was hard to get things aligned in the same place twice when re-packing on the road. I wish the carrier had more of a defined shape so that it could expand into the perfect rectangle it appears to be on the picture. Also, watch out for the zippers... We had to ask for paper clips at the hotel desk on several occasions, having stopped for the night to find the zipper wide open. We used the paper clips to keep the two zippers together Luckily nothing flew out.
  
  On the positive side, it did keep our belongings out of the rain (well, we traveled through the desert most of the time), and it did stand up to the heat of the desert sun without melting (it was 116 degrees in Nevada & Arizona).
  
  
• Cost-Effective Cargo Carrier
  By A2XQ6OHO2DG1Z8 on 2007-09-21
  I purchased this cargo carrier for a trip from Albuquerque, NM to Milwaukee, WI and it worked great! It was relatively easy to assemble (I'm 5'2" so I imagine for taller folks it would be a snap), sturdy, spacious and packs away nicely for future use without clogging up precious garage space. It did not leak through the rain showers, did not cause any noticeable drag at high rates of speed and the MPG difference was negligible. I managed to pack 2 standard camping coolers, 2 overhead bin, roller-man suitcases, 3 tool boxes, 2 king size comforters, 4 king size pillows and a bunch of miscellaneous items. I did not want to rely on the provided straps alone so in addition to them, I also tied down the carrier with rope and a criss-cross of bungee cords. I highly recommend this product to anyone, especially someone who is looking to invest in a hard-top carrier which are bulky to install and store, have a minimum capacity and can run 10x the cost of this item.
  
  
• Great protection from the weather
  By ALQE4N5M5HCCW on 2008-01-28
  Before I bought this I saw reviews about water getting into the bag during travel. I bought it anyway. The first time we used it was traveling in a heavy winter storm. The bag was only about half full so it collapsed a lot because of the wind. I knew this would happen and I'm ok with that. The cool thing about this bag is that even with all the accumulation of slush and snow in the sunken parts, no water got through to our stuff. I was impressed. It has a very sturdy zipper and it's easy to grab when you're wearing gloves.
  
  
• Sturdy and Waterproof
  By A3ED7RE3ONEPMJ on 2008-04-08
  I adjusted the cross-bars on the factory-installed roof-rack of our Toyota Sienna mini-van, put the KarPak between the bars, and packed it with clothes and snow-pants for six people. At that point, it was only half full. I strapped it down and tied off the loose strap ends. The entire procedure took twenty minutes, including reading the instructions. We set off in a cold rain storm. If we concentrated, we could hear the wind rushing around the bag at 70 mph, but there was no flapping of the plastic or the straps at all. Half-way there I opened the pack to get something out. I forgot to zip it up again and kept diving for another hour in the rain. But the plastic of the KarPak is sturdy and thick. There is a generous flap over the zipper. Even with the zipper undone and driving 70 miles an hour, hardly any water penetrated. With the zipper done up, we find it to be entirely water-proof. The zippers worked fine at 28F with the bag covered with snow. There are two zippers, and we found we could lock the bag by passing the bar of a standard combination lock through the zipper pulls. To get into the bag when it's locked like that, you would need a sharp knife and a strong arm. Maybe we would not leave the bag outside on the car with valuables inside on an inner-city street, but in a car-park in daylight we were perfectly content to leave it. For our trip of 380 miles in brisk cross-winds, we used roughly 20 gallons of gas, for 19 mpg with the KarPak's added resistance on the roof. That's pretty much the same as we get without the KarPak. Maybe we can get 22 mpg on a calm day on a flat highway. All round: we are delighted with the KarPak, and recommend it without reservation.
  
  

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