Overlanding and camping inevitably involve a lot of gear eating up valuable vehicle roof space. Crossbars, bike racks, kayak carriers, cargo boxes, roof-top tents, jerry can holders and solar panels are a few of the things that might be jostling for limited roof space on any given adventure. The vehicle storage specialists at Yakima have combined two of those into one, to help ease the burden. The all-new CBX Solar headlines Yakima's latest line of roof boxes, offering integrated solar power to keep devices running at camp.
Yakima teams with Sunflare in integrating one of the latter's 36W solar panels into the lid of the CBX Solar box. Sunflare's light, thin, pliable CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) solar panel design is well-suited to this particular application.
The Sunflare panel outputs 5 volts (3-amp max) through two integrated USB ports. Owners can charge phones and other mobile devices at camp without worrying about draining the car battery or idling the engine. The panel is designed to be impact-resistant and impervious to heat, cold and wind, holding up to all the elements that are bound to get thrown at it regularly atop the car roof.
The Solar sits at the top of the new Yakima CBX line, which also includes non-solar 16- and 18-cu ft models. As compared to older models, Yakima gives the new line a sleeker, more angular aesthetic and a new exterior texture. Each box includes a lid handle that disconnects upon locking for added security. The included torque-limiting tool used to tighten down the mounting hardware stows neatly inside the box.
Yakima introduced the CBX Solar, 18 and 16 at the recent Outdoor + Snow Show, where it took home "Product of the Year" honors for the solar variant. The boxes will launch in August, with the Solar retailing for US$1,299, the 18 for $949, and the 16 for $849.
Source: Yakima
