Thule Force 3 XL US

Product overview

Thule Force 3 XL: What to Know

The Force 3 XL holds 18 cubic feet (500 liters) of cargo, the same class capacity as both Yakima boxes in this guide, in a box that itself weighs 49 lbs. Thule rates it for 165 lbs of dynamic load, and it opens from either side (DualSide opening), which matters in parking lots and driveways where you can't always pull up with the same side of the car facing your gear.

Mounting is the detail to get right before buying. Thule's own compatibility list centers on its own crossbar systems: WingBar Evo, AeroBlade, SquareBar Evo, ProBar Evo, Xscape, Xsporter Pro, plus truck and van racks like TracRac and Caprock (several requiring separate adapter kits). According to Thule's own support documentation and reports from forums and fit-question threads on sites like etrailer, non-Thule round or square bars will often work if they fall within a roughly 0.7-1.1 in tall, up to 3.5 in wide range, but Thule doesn't guarantee it the way it guarantees fit on its own bars. If you're running Yakima, Rhino-Rack, or bare factory crossbars, run the exact measurements through Thule's fit-guide tool rather than assuming a 'universal' claim applies here.

Thule markets the Force 3's shape as reducing 'air resistance and noise, which may enhance fuel efficiency,' and pairs it with the SlideLock system, which locks and unlocks with separate actions and gives a visual lock-confirmation, an upgrade over the simpler twist-knob LockKnob hardware used on the older, now-discontinued Force XT.

One inconsistency worth flagging: at the time of this research, Thule's own site listed this exact box as temporarily out of stock for direct order, even though the same model remains listed and orderable through Amazon and Thule's authorized dealer network. List price also differed by source ($929.95 at Thule.com versus third-party Amazon pricing), so compare current prices across retailers before buying rather than assuming price parity.

Key Listed Features