[masterh]

I bought this thule 6ft cargo box pretty cheap.

I installed as far as towards the back but it is still sticking out quite a bit on front.

Im sure its going to pick up a Lot of wind.

Whats your opinion on this issue? Just worse gas mileage? Unsafe?

Im driving quite a long distance. (20hours)

 

[red99]

One issue will be the weight that you will be carrying. The owner's manual states the maximum permissible roof weight is 110 pounds. Also, the total weight capacity for the vehicle (passengers and luggage) is around 700 pounds (this includes whatever is on the roof!). Be sure to keep the tires at 32 psi if you are coming close to that.

The wind load will be similar to trailer towing. Be mindful of the extra load you will be putting on the engine. You may need to slow down with a strong head or side wind.

Using one of the gauge units that plugs into the OBD-II would let you keep an eye on engine load and temperature:

UltraGauge OBDII Scan tool & Information Center

 

[janitz]

Red's pretty much covered it. Weight can't be too much as the Beetle is not designed to carry a lot of weight. The low restriction on the weight on the roof may be less about weight pushing down on the arched roof and more about the lack of attachment points possible. Newtonian physics, remember those from school? If you put a large mass in motion when you stop the car it will want to keep going and inertial forces will all be concentrated on the attachment points. The larger the mass/weight the more force it will apply.

 

[masterh]

so i installed it. I tried to push it as far as to the back. But because of its curved roof, it was pointing upward. I am sure it will pick up lots and lots of wind this way. So i had to move bit forward again to make it flat.
Use the level on flat surface.

If you have more tips from experience, Let me know

 

[walnut]

so i installed it. I tried to push it as far as to the back. But because of its curved roof, it was pointing upward. I am sure it will pick up lots and lots of wind this way. So i had to move bit forward again to make it flat.
Use the level on flat surface.

If you have more tips from experience, Let me know

THAT'S what I was going to suggest. With all other pointers considered, move it forward to level it to reduce frontal area and thus reduce drag.

 

[WardB]

I'd love to see a close-up of the rear mounts. Yakima uses a stretch, but both clips attach to the door frame.

Can you post a pic?