Soft Pack that mounts on Hatch Glass

Show me the data.

 

I wouldn't do it. With a full load inside the car I expect you are already past the load rating of the Prius. I prefer the method, pack then remove half the stuff you don't really need and pack into a smaller case.

I also like my paint to stay shiny, even on the back of my car.

 

Hi regarding the aerodynamic drag data. The cited data is from studies by Consumer Reports and Edmonds. They ran independent road tests on mid size sedans and a mid size suv. The average M.P.G. loss was 20 percent at hiway speeds. Results will vary: small car more, big cars less impact.

Mounting gear on the roof can create a significant aerodynamic penalty. Mounting gear on the back of a vehicle creates little or no drag. Go to metrompg and look for roof the roof rack study for more data.

AeroPACK has a mat to protect the finish on the vehicle.

Hope this is helpful.

 

Given the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammback"]kammback[/ame] design of the Prius, I doubt that the added drag for the AeroPack is little or none. No matter how its mounted, it would disturb the normal airflow at the back of the car. I doubt that this would cause a zero amount of extra drag.

I'm not likely to be in the market for something like this anyway.

 

I can see a lot of benefits to a hitch mounted cargo tray over a soft pack being mounted to the back of the car or on the hatch/glass.

 

Instead of hanging a lot of crap on the car, I tell my wife if it does not fit IN the car, either ship it UPS or it is NOT going along for the ride!!!

Funny, that actually works quite well!!

 

I'm also interested in this "Prius Backpack" but I have a lot of questions about it. First of all, I looked up mikel09's related post (he only has 2) where a picture of the aeropack mounted on a Prius is shown. It looks to me like it completely obscures the license plate. Secondly, I wonder how easy this thing is to use in real life -- for example, can it detach from the car without unmounting it with all the straps? Does it make the liftgate hard to open and close? Does it scuff the paint like my old trunk-mounted bike rack did? etc

But really, the cost is exorbitant considering how little info there is. You can get a hitch-mounted cargo carrier and soft bag (with equivalent or larger capacity) for less than it costs for one Aeropack. Which doesn't mean I wouldn't get one -- I just want to make sure that it's worth the extra (e.g., less drag? less weight? easier to use?)

 

Broken spoilers are expensive to replace.

 

These are all good questions: Here is a quick net benefit analysis:
Cost for hitch mount tray system. Hitch receiver $75 plus $100 installation, Tray $110, Bag $70. BTW watch the quality, the bags can be inexpensive nylon and cold crack, where the water resistant coating flakes off over time or in cold climates. Hardware range is $250 to $350 for a complete tray system. $180 if you have the hitch. Verify a Prius is rated to carry gear with a hitch.

Disadvantages, a tray protrudes out 2-3 feet behind the vehicle, so watch it backing up. The rear facing cantilever tray bounces and moves around when driving. Issues with a steel tray, storage and weight of 22 + lbs. Cold rolled steel with vinyl coating will flake off and eventually rust.

The main benefits of AP are the convenient, easy to use storage and aerodynamic mounting. It installs in 2 minutes and about 1 minute to remove. AP mounts with vinyl dipped galvanized steel J hooks, at the top edge and the lower sides of the lift gate.
AP allows the lift gate to open and close while attached. AeroPACK has a mesh pad to protect the finish.
AP weighs 8 lbs, is made of tough durable vinyl backed polyester. It saves fuel, folds to the size of a briefcase to store in the trunk.
Bike carriers, ski racks, hitch boxes, trailers etc. temporarily obscure the license and is not an issue according to CHP in CA.

Perform your research, it is about what you prefer. Hope this helps.

 

As I said earlier, I'm interested in your product, but there's just not a lot of info about it out there. I'm currently looking to expand my Prius's cargo carrying capacity because of a new baby.

So let me just play devil's advocate for a minute ...

First -- Mikel09 - No offense, but I do think you should identify yourself as a representative of Aeropack. Regardless of whether your contributions have merit, not mentioning your association makes them suspect.

- A hitch-based cargo system provides more flexibility than the Aeropack. The hitch itself can be used for more things (e.g., bikes), and the carrier platform too (bulky things that would not fit in a bag).

- You're spot-on about concerns with weight -- both the weight of the carrier and the cantilevered weight once mounted and loaded up. There have been some discussions on PriusChat about this but no definitive conclusions. Personally, I'd love to hear more from other members on this.

- I can't speak to California state laws but I can tell you that obscured plates do in fact get tickets in NJ (where I'm from). I once got written up for having part of "The Garden State" obscured by a license plate frame. (Granted, I was pulled over for speeding and it was a mercy ticket. ) It would seem to me that the hitch-mounted cargo carrier, offset as it is from the back of the car, may be a lesser evil than a pack that pretty much makes the license plate non-visible from any angle whatsoever. But I'm neither lawyer nor cop. Can you include a plate-mounting bracket so that users can move their plates to the back of your pack?

- Quality of construction is hard to verify when I can't find one review of your product beyond what's on your website. The fact that you offer only a 12-month warranty concerns me as well. Gear makers like Thule and Yakima provide at least a 5 year warranty.

Anyway, I assume you welcome this kind of discussion because after some googling, I don't find a lot of info on Aeropack anywhere. Just a few hits on other vehicle discussion boards where a new user "mikel09" touts the product.

p.s. Since you actually showed a picture of a Prius with the pack on it in the other thread ... do you own the Prius and use the pack? Firsthand info would be helpful as well. For example, what kind of stress is there on the spoiler? Do the straps and/or pack obscure much of the rear visibility? To what are the bottom straps affixed, and would having a hitch already installed (as I do) interfere with that?

 

Enjoy your ride dear. I'll pick you up at the UPS depot in Sausalito in three days. (Seals crate shut).

 

As far as obscuring the number plate goes, I'd book anyone with an obscured plate and the fine is actually higher than not having a plate.

How much is a respray if the paint gets scratched because there was dirt under the bag?
How does the bag mountings avoid putting load on the plastic spoiler of a Prius?

 

I observed comments on priuschat through statcounter and joined to answer the initial questions. So my objective was to address good questions that were raised.
I developed and started AeroPACK due to the dissatisfaction (M.P.G. hit, pain to load, high cost) with roof boxes and racks. The web site aeropackusa

AeroPACK has been road tested on sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, large vans etc. with clean backs (no spoilers). We also road tested on a VW rabbit hatchback and it worked well. The Prius photos are a fit test and I do not own a Prius.

AP requires hard mounting points, e.g. steel lift gate. If there are fragile parts, plastics, spoilers etc I do not recommend attaching directly to them, they will not handle stress. Toyota seems to be adding more and larger plastic parts to vehicles.

On the Prius photo the bag weight sits on the bumper, the 3 upper straps will cascade over a spoiler, so the load is distributed onto the bumper shelf. The photo showed a small spoiler, 2-3 inches and there did not apperar to be any stress. Longer spoilers will be an issue. The 2 lower straps are used to mitigate lateral sway, which is non exisitant except on a race course. The lower straps can be set inside and the hatch closed over them to achive the same effect.

There are a lot of good questions and I will be clear and upfront about AP. Honesty is the best policy.

If someone is interested in a road test we can talk.
Best regards,

 

Does it matter that the rear hatch of a Prius is made of aluminium?

 

Fiberglass, steel and aluminum qualify as hard mount point materials. They are structurally engineered materials. Example -- the hinge points on a door or lift gate are dynamic and receive stress in use. Plastics, glass or rubber are poor mounting points.

AP has 3, 2 inch upper j hooks and webbing to distribute the load evenly onto the top frame of a lift gate or door.

 

Sorry, Mike. I don't like the idea of this on a Prius at all. It wrecks the smooth airflow, will likely scratch the paint and the glass, and is too much weight in the wrong place. I can't imagine it being weatherproof in some of the conditions I've experienced while on holiday. My solution would be to take less stuff.

 

You bet, here is the 'test fit' on a Prius.