However, I will take a very serious look before assuming the functional Yakima engineering of yesterday continues tomorrow. I will work with Yakima to make this box function because I like Yakima and their support and products have been great in the past. etc., but for the price of this box (albeit reasonable in this market) I don't think the end user should have to deal with modifications or problems like this.
It is true, there are support articles on how to remedy the locking mechanism problems by opening up the mechanism with a torx wrench, etc. We extricated the ski gear but this was a silly, time consuming situation. When one side totally failed to open on our last day ski tour, we struggled over the roof from the other side of the 4Runner to get the remaining side to work. The mechanism on both sides feel like they're filled with cold molasses even on warm days. I have now bent two keys attempting to get skis out of the box. The single key mechanism to lock/unlock three latches at a time problematic. I struggle to get a couple of ski bags inside (~190-205cm skis) with some ski boots/clothing. The hinges, designed to open in either direction, end up bulky, somewhat flimsy (although they haven't broken) and seemingly get in the way of what used to be very usable space. This convenience and security all in one package comes at a cost. I appreciate the concept of being able to open the box from either side, and the three latches to secure the lid (each side). I'm looking out my window at two older Rocket boxes on cars we own, and they've been going strong for dozens of years. My family has used Yakima products since the 1980's.
Lastly, When putting the unit back together.
Unlocking this mechanism slides the black piece of nylon behind the button, allowing the button to pivot the silver drive bar. When re-tightening the screws, make sure not to overtighten, as this can flex the plastic and cause the issue to re-occur.
This should lift one of the parts out of the way. There are 3 boltsįirst, try loosening these bolts, lifting the black box on the drive bar with the outer handle mechanism and re-tightening the screws. You can separate the inner and outer latch mechanism with a T10 Torx wrench.
This PDF should provide a few options to troubleshoot this issue and get the box operational. If your Rocketbox handle is allowing the key to turn part way, but not fully, it may be that 2 parts are colliding inside the box handle. This only applies to the Rocketbox Pro's, with the Red circular button that is pushed to open the lid.