YAKIMA SHOWCASE 15 - Think Twice Before Buying

I've had my Yakima Showcase 15 for over three years and have had some problems. See my list in this video before deciding to buy one on the used market. This is NOT a sponsored video.
Featured in this video:
BIGANT Heavy Duty Collapsible & Stackable Milk Crate - amzn.to/36dp3bV
My Amazon Storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/stealthgti
Mods to the car and links to blog write-ups (all links go to my blog, most are shortened):
APR Programming w/Downpipe and Intercooler - wp.me/P7YnQB-dP
RSR Clutch w/DMF by HS Tuning - wp.me/p7YnQB-su
Baun Performance Catback Exhaust - wp.me/p7YnQB-1KJ
Steel Oil Pan - wp.me/p7YnQB-wv
Lots of Electronics - stealthgti.com/electronics/
EcoHitch by TorkLift - wp.me/P7YnQB-hW
Group 48 AGM Battery - wp.me/p7YnQB-1ev
Gun Metal Gray Nogaro Wheels - wp.me/p7YnQB-Dg
Various Accessories - stealthgti.com/accessories/
My Camera Setup:
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G for Close-Quarters
Canon 80D Video Creator Kit - amzn.to/36EJDiG
Rode VideoMic - amzn.to/2RyOYnk
Lapel Microphone for Smartphone - amzn.to/3aU5Dt5
ZOMEi 75'' Tripod - amzn.to/3aRYBFl
Neewer Camera LED Video Light - amzn.to/36Dbznc
Studio Lighting - amzn.to/36uEycM
Glide Gear Teleprompter (for long videos) - amzn.to/3hIABXo
Galaxy Tab S4 (for Teleprompter) - amzn.to/33BwRlE
Corel VideoSuite Ultimate - amzn.to/3kviMgb
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[@KzLollapalooza]

Thank you very much for taking time to share your learnings with me. Many smart fixes you've done! Very creative!

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeffreyscott4564]

I appreciate your attention to detail and transparent reviews

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you like them! Thanks for visiting.

[@bthemedia]

Very good tips to know, thank you so much for always taking the time to make these videos. I have considered these with reservation, good to know it was discontinued!

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! I'd still buy one at the right price and feel good about wrapping it. I also would sell MY box without guilt. It's a good box now that it's sealed. Thanks for visiting.

[@bthemedia]

@@StealthGTI We got a Yakima rack installed last year after some of your reviews and rented a cargo box as needed www.rerack.com - have a van now though for hauling stuff for trips (at much worse gas mileage, 17mpg)

[@rodrigodiazdevivar5129]

This was a great review! Very helpful for my pre-purchase research. Thank you!

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting!

[@joewagener5967]

Excellent review and very helpful tips thankyou for your time in helping us first timers. 👍👍

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting!

[@DiscoveringHisWay]

Great review! You are the man!

[@StealthGTI]

I appreciate that! Thanks for visiting!

[@nidaldajani728]

Well said and explained. Thanks for sharing the info.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-zo2rj2zi9g]

Thanks, gave me some things to consider having never owned a cargo box or roof racks but looking to get something for my I30 here in Australia. Great info.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad I could help. Thanks for visiting.

[@gnomiefirst9201]

Update: Yakima said they are going to send me a reimbursement check for the purchase price. Wahoo for Yakima doing the right thing, 100% satisfied customer.

[@StealthGTI]

That's fantastic! I wish I would have made more of a stink when I reported my leaks. Perhaps I'd have a better box at this point if I had. ;-) Thanks for the update!

[@gnomiefirst9201]

@@StealthGTI one thing they asked me for Date code of your Showcase 20, see below, inside drivers side by the handle: looked several times over many surfaces and could not find any such date code stamp. I guess I shouldn't sing until the check arrives. Let you know when it does. Another problem cropped up with the showcase, the handle (really a push button to open), I could hardly get it to open. I noticed they don't even use this design anymore. Edit update 11.1.21 --I got the check.

[@shannonmcatee9610]

I was actually looking for one of these styles.. thanks

[@StealthGTI]

Glad to help! Thanks for visiting.

[@Scott.Kristiansen]

Great Review Scott, I have a Skybox 16 and am going to go outside and really give it a once over. 😀

[@StealthGTI]

Good choice! I don't recall if I said it in this video, but I think the Skybox is a fantastic box! It's been in seemingly constant production for over 10 years and still in production today. Clearly, something about it right! Thanks for visiting.

[@eclipseusa1]

So you basically made a custom roof box to mitigated stock problems. Nice work , some people would just give up !

[@StealthGTI]

That seems like a gratuitous explanation of my efforts. But I'll take it! HAHA! Thanks for visiting.

[@luispablolee77]

Will seat back n enjoy the video! Thanks

[@StealthGTI]

Awesome, thank you!

[@brett3]

I know this is a dated review but thought I would add to your comments. I have used mine since I bought it new in 2016 at an REI in Colorado as I was driving across country with a too jamb packed SUV. Since then, I have used the box on more than eight (8) cross country trips in all types of conditions between LA and Boston since then -- loaded with a TON. The inside clamping never interfered appreciably with space as long as you are thoughtful about packing. It has been wonderful. No leaks and no noise/rattle ever noticed. For any plastic box or bike rack, however, I am careful about not having it sit outside all the time year round without tarping/etc when not in use... so maybe a cause of some of your issues. I agree the handles are a bit awkward and glad they moved away from that design (but work fine). I also think it may sit a little bit too high on my SUV if you ever want to park it in a parking garage... had to turn away from a couple city parking options because of it... but that is not Yakima's fault... but probably would go for something even lower profile next time. I would not hesitate picking one up again on the cheap used market.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for sharing your experience! My leaks surfaced when the box was nearly new. The model was new, too; so, perhaps I had an early box with a defect. I don't use the box often, but I am still pleased with its utility now that I have wrapped it and sealed the leaks. Thanks for visiting!

[@brett3]

@@StealthGTI Maybe! Although I got mine even before yours... brand new first year issued just arrived at their Boulder store in need of something "quick" for my trip. It has been wonderful. Just want to give folks different perspectives... as I plan to hold on to this for larger cargos even as I buy a second lower profile one (Inno 660 on clearance) for quick sports car trips. Glad it seems to be working well now for you. Thanks for your original post!

[@cokolino2]

Hi there, did you wrap your box yourself, or did you pay someone to do it ? Either way, what was the cost of doing it?

[@StealthGTI]

I tried to do it myself, but really messed it up and wasted a bit of wrap. HAHA! It's harder than it looks! I took it to a pro. I don't recall what he charged, but it was less than he should have. My project was his first box; so, he gave me a price break since he felt it was an experiment. Your best option for seeing what it costs is to take your box to a shop and get an estimate. Good Luck!

[@glenntucker9710]

I have been happy with my Yakami Skybox for several years. HOWEVER, recently a crack appeared in the top of the box. From the get go, they did everything they could to deny the claim. Nothing had hit the box, it must have been the temp change from Texas to Colorado mountains. They stated that I must have the receipt, I dug through my email and found it. Then they said, send them pictures of the damage/crack. I did. They stated that I had to send pictures of the box on top of the vehicle, made absolutely no sense. But OK I got it out and put it back on the car and reattached it, sent multiple pictures. Then they said, send pictures of the inside of the box, OK I did. Then they said send more pictures of the exterior of the crack. OK I did. Response, there is abrasions to the exterior, no there were not. I said I want to escalate the complaint and take it in for inspection, so they could see there were no abrasions. Yakima's response, sorry there are no facilities for that, claim closed. They did offer a 15% discount on another purchase, NO Thanks I'll buy Thule maybe they will honor their warrenty.

[@StealthGTI]

So much for Yakima's "We've got your back guarantee!" Sure, with both hands so that they can run you through! ;-) My next box, if I get another some day, may be a Thule. The Motion XT is a good looking box with a nice profile. However, they'll all very expensive these days. Visit etrailer.com and look at Malone and Inno boxes. Better yet, if you have time, buy used and give the money to a former owner instead of the corporations. Good Luck!

[@MV-qm9ne]

Am I wrong? It seems to me any box or bag you put on the roof will not seal against 85mph driving rain (65mph highway speed + 20mph blowing rain). You need to put luggage and such in plastic first.

[@StealthGTI]

No box manufacturer guarantees a watertight seal. BUT there's a huge difference between water being driven-in by high speeds and light rain penetrating a box that's sitting in the driveway. The latter is unacceptable to most. FWIW, I haven't had any leaks since wrapping the box, even at highway speeds in torrential rain. Take Care.

[@nicholashullermann8001]

Did you do the wrap yourself? If so, recommend a brand that you used?

[@StealthGTI]

No. I bought some 3M wrap and had a go at it. But I'm completely inexperienced and couldn't work my way around the complex edges and shapes of the box. Even a seasoned wrap tech said that it was quite a challenge, which he welcomed. Take Care!

[@ystava686]

What glue for the angle aluminum.

[@StealthGTI]

I'm a huge fan of "Amazing Goop." It holds tight, but has enough flex to not crack the way superglue or Gorilla glue might, especially in high vibration environments. Best of all, it peels up without damage by using a firm, twisting motion. Clean-up is as simple as rubbing the surface with your thumb, followed with alcohol if needed. Thanks for visiting!

[@OmegaMetalic]

The rivets on all those cargo boxes are the same blind rivet style aluminum or stainless steel, just remove the black cap and you will expose the rivet, you should have removed those black caps before wrapping it, any product in the market with blind rivets will always have mandrill holes, the small mandrill ball that breaks off during installation doesn't always stay in and its not meant to, you can silicone those rivet holes up if it really is a problem.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the note. I did some testing before the wrap and couldn't find evidence that there's metal under there. I could've been wrong, though. Regardless, there still hasn't been a single drop since the wrap. Thanks for visiting!

[@byways7528]

I'vd had two Skyboxes crack apart badly. In your case as well as mine, it's clear they don't adequately field test these boxes. They are expensive junk.

[@StealthGTI]

WOW! That's quite a surprise, especially for two of them. I consider the Skybox to be their workhorse since it's been in production for so long. I've always thought that I should have started there, even if it's not quite as "advanced" or aerodynamic as the newer box designs. Where did your boxes crack? On what might Yakima have attributed the failures? Heavy, unsecured loads? High speeds? Anything else? Just curious. Thanks for visiting!

[@bywayz]

@@StealthGTI I've had long conversations with Yakima about the problem. They are committed to the plastic, and it was clear that they know of the problem. I did NOT overload the boxes, or mount them improperly. I sent photos. It's just my wife and myself, with typical camping gear in the boxes ... tent, sleeping bags, etc. We know what we are doing. What I was told is that the plastic is not up to the vibrations and flexing that occurs in off-pavement travel, but for the smoothest of county roads. They crack badly at the mounting points on the crossbars, longitudinally, and at the hinges at both ends. I was told that they are suited almost exclusively to paved-road travel, and I can vouch for that. Photos are available ... But suffice to say, if off-pavement travel is your genre, Yakima will tell you their boxes are not up to it. Unfortunately, I have searched unsuccessfully for an alternative. The new model, some $300 more expensive, appears in marketing videos to be no better. Saddest part: the tops and bottoms cannot be replaced individually. Yakima -- which touts itself as an outdoors-friendly manufacturer -- says to just toss the box into the landfill.

[@StealthGTI]

@@bywayz - WOW! That's quite a report! I can see how the off-road vibration would expose weak points. I cannot find the warning, but I had read someplace that my Showcase is not recommended for trailer use, presumably because of the violent movement of small trailers when compared to a rooftop. Perhaps that was in a Thule manual while shopping? I didn't notice any off-road warnings since I don't drive off-road. Anyway, I guess there's a reason why a lot of overlanders use cargo baskets and heavy duty cargo cases instead of our pretty boxes. Thanks for the update!

[@gnomiefirst9201]

Bought the Showcase 20 new in July 2018. Rivets started popping 2 years ago and the case is cracking around the rivets. I would not buy it again. Yakima should recall and replace. Do the right thing Yakima.

[@StealthGTI]

Yakima got their money; so, I wouldn't count on it. ;-) If I ever get another box, it will probably be a Thule. Thanks for visiting!

[@gnomiefirst9201]

@@StealthGTI catch 22. Yakima: If a product is believed to be defective, the original purchaser should contact the Yakima dealer from whom it purchased the product, who will give the original purchaser instructions on how to proceed. I contacted dealer and was told to contact Yakima. Wait time for reply from Yakima is 3-6 weeks. It appears their dealer has no power re warranty issues, so why even refer customer back to dealer? I guess they don't trust the integrity of their own dealers.

[@grdnzrnic]

thanks

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for visiting!

[@ralphgrinter]

Quality on that make of box is horrendous. Here in Wales I buy either Thule or kamei boxes. Never had a problem with either .

[@StealthGTI]

Perhaps I'll buy a Thule box someday and have my eyes opened. Thanks for visiting.

[@GTI_CHHA]

Wow, that's horrible quality. It's not just ugly, it's a big safety issue when the lid comes off... I think you need to ask your money back.

[@StealthGTI]

I think it's "good enough" for my casual use. However, I might change my mind if I get one of the newer Thule models, especially if the lid doesn't shift or leak.

[@davidnash8724]

DO not buy, I bought a showcase 20 and I've never had worse issues with the fundamental locking mechanism and keys on this carrier. I'm going to follow up with Yakima and see if they will warrant it or otherwise give me a break on a modern carrier. DO NOT BUY!

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the warning for others who might consider a Showcase. I didn't think they are still available to purchase. You must've found a leftover somewhere. Good luck with your exchange or return. Let me know how it goes and what you replace it with. I like the Thule Motion XT, but probably won't buy another cargo box since I have other options. Take Care!

[@scotcorwin8718]

Thanks , I’ll say away from Yakima

[@StealthGTI]

I'd by a SkyBox. It's a longtime and proven design. This box? Not so much! ;-) Thanks for visiting!

[@betteryoubet]

Cry baby!

[@StealthGTI]

LOL! Yeah, I should learn to expect less from a $750 outdoor product. HAHA! Thanks for visiting!