Roof rack help

Slush

Slush

Active member
So my parents said for my birthday they would get me a roof mounting system for my car. The thing is, I know nothing about these things, so I need your help!

I'm looking for a solid roof rack that can hold like 4 pairs of skis, and that's isnt a clam that's going to destroy my gas mileage. Also, if it could be like taken off and converted to a bike rack kinda thing that would be really ideal.

I'm looking in the 400$ price range, since I don't want to make my parents spend a lot of money, but if there is something perfect in the 500$ price range then I'd definately help pay
 
Yakima and Thule are the two ive owner. Thule is a way better product IMO. I have the blade crossbar thing, supppsed to be quiet, its not Ive come to the conclusion none of them are quiet.

With those rack systems you but the crossbars and towers then you can get all the mounts, ski rack or bike rack. Once you take it on and off, the racks, it gets pretty easy. The crossbars and towers stay on.

Get a Thule.
 
13522372:theBearJew said:
Yakima and Thule are the two ive owner. Thule is a way better product IMO. I have the blade crossbar thing, supppsed to be quiet, its not Ive come to the conclusion none of them are quiet.

With those rack systems you but the crossbars and towers then you can get all the mounts, ski rack or bike rack. Once you take it on and off, the racks, it gets pretty easy. The crossbars and towers stay on.

Get a Thule.
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Oh, ok. That's cool. So wait they are noisy? Like how noisy...

just curious
 
13522391:Slush said:
Oh, ok. That's cool. So wait they are noisy? Like how noisy...

just curious
Click to expand...

So thule makes the aeroblade which they claim is quiet, you hear it. I have a sunroof so i dont know if that makes a difference. They dont make a fairing (wind deflector) for those bars. When I had my Yakima it was so annoying, I bought a fairing for that and it made a huge difference.

If youre on a budget, get the squarebars from Thule and a front fairing. That will reduce the sound.

Bottom line on sound, youll get used to it. Its not that bad.
 
what car do you have?

90% of the time, thule fits better than yakima.

But 80% of the time, both will fit really well, and you should just choose the rack to match the box/ski rack you want.
 
13522391:Slush said:
Oh, ok. That's cool. So wait they are noisy? Like how noisy...

just curious
Click to expand...

it's not terrible. i've gone from no fairing to fairing and left it at no fairing when i reinstalled on my latest car. i think it takes a bigger hit in gas mileage with fairing though. i've only run no fairing/bike rack, fairing/bike rack, and fairing/ski rack combos. so never tried a no fairing ski rack combo, which i imagine to be noisier, but somewhere in between on the mileage.

i use an older thule with the square bars

you can always buy a fairing later if the noise bothers you.
 
Jesus these things are expensive. is there anyway to get them cheaper? I was looking at racks and stuff and the Thule square bars ALONE, just the bars, are 100 bucks...
 
13522625:Slush said:
Jesus these things are expensive. is there anyway to get them cheaper? I was looking at racks and stuff and the Thule square bars ALONE, just the bars, are 100 bucks...
Click to expand...

I bought cheap Chinese shit off eBay and have had 0 problems. I think I spent like $150 total for bars and a rack.
 
13522625:Slush said:
Jesus these things are expensive. is there anyway to get them cheaper? I was looking at racks and stuff and the Thule square bars ALONE, just the bars, are 100 bucks...
Click to expand...

I bought my first set off craigslist for 125 total. Bars towers and bike carrier.
 
13522372:theBearJew said:
supppsed to be quiet
Click to expand...

I have a thule and I cannot hear mine at all.... it may be your sunroof? or its put on wrong... but I can't hear mine at all and I have never heard my friends when riding in their cars. I mean maybe we are the 3 odd cases, but I dont think so.
 
13522940:Rosa_Park said:
I have a thule and I cannot hear mine at all.... it may be your sunroof? or its put on wrong... but I can't hear mine at all and I have never heard my friends when riding in their cars. I mean maybe we are the 3 odd cases, but I dont think so.
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I thought I may have installed it wrong. It sounds like its coming from a specific tower. Maybe I will try to reinstall it.
 
13522940:Rosa_Park said:
I have a thule and I cannot hear mine at all.... it may be your sunroof? or its put on wrong... but I can't hear mine at all and I have never heard my friends when riding in their cars. I mean maybe we are the 3 odd cases, but I dont think so.
Click to expand...

From my experiences sunroofs do make a slight difference but nothing huge.

13522962:theBearJew said:
I thought I may have installed it wrong. It sounds like its coming from a specific tower. Maybe I will try to reinstall it.
Click to expand...

This could be your problem especially if the towers are pushing your weather stripping away causing air to be let in.
 
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