Adventure Jones Blog - Archive for the ‘Roof Racks’ Category

Taking care of your roof rack will make it last longer.

The proper care of your roof rack is important if you use it frequently when traveling and your vehicle is kept outside in the weather. The roof rack on your vehicle is a component that needs regular maintenance to keep it in good condition.

If you neglect your roof rack, the worst case scenario will be the loss of damage of your luggage or sports gear. You can use a simple procedure to ensure the proper care of your roof rack.

1. Checking for Damage

Examine the roof rack for on your vehicle for any obvious damage. You will then need to remove your roof rack to perform a closer inspection.

2. Cleaning

Wash the roof rack with soap and water to remove any dirt or debris from the rails. Dry the roof rack with a towel or let it air dry.

3. Lubrication

You will then need to lubricate all the parts. This includes all bolts, washers, knobs and other parts that on the roof rack. If you live near salt water, then replace all the bolts, washers and screws with stainless steel parts. Corroded parts will also need to be replaced. You should also look for signs of rust. The use of a rustproof paint is the best option to repair any rust spots.

4. Reinstallation

Reinstall the roof rack on your vehicle and tighten all the bolts. Make sure that you do not over tighten any of the bolts. Verify that all the parts are secure and that none are loose. You do not want to have equipment come off when traveling. Check all rubber and plastic pieces for cracks.

5. Rack Loads

Do not attach too many pieces to your roof rack. Too many items can overload the carrying capacity and cause damage to your vehicle. If you are considering replacing the roof rack on your vehicle, then look for a new system that has the least resistance to wind. You should also make sure that any load on your roof rack is properly balanced.

6. Tie Downs

Examine all straps that are used to secure luggage and equipment to the rails. You should replace straps that look frayed or have latches that are loose.

Roof Rack Parts

Need to replace your roof rack parts? Adventure Jones carries Yakima and Thule roof racks and parts. Check out our selection for more details.

To transfer a roof rack from your old vehicle to a new one, you may need to replace a few components.

What happens if you bought a roof rack designed to fit your old car but now you’re planning to get a new car? Can you use the same roof rack on the new vehicle?

Switching a Roof Rack Between Vehicles

The good news is that most of the roof rack should be interchangeable between cars. You’ll only need to replace vehicle-specific components, such as the Q Towers or Fit Clips.

Depending on the difference in width between your old vehicle and your new one, you may need a different crossbar length as well. As a general rule, the crossbars should not stick out further than your side view mirrors.

Yakima Roof Racks

For Yakima roof racks, you can check how the rack will fit your new vehicle by using their Fit Wizard. Check the rack options for your old vehicle and then compare them with the rack options for your new vehicle. This will help you figure out which components need to be replaced, if any.

Since the Yakima Q Tower system was updated in 2004, you may need to update your Q Towers for a proper fit on your new vehicle. Use the Yakima Fit Wizard to figure this out.

Thule Roof Racks

For Thule roof racks, you can compare your old vehicle’s roof rack requirements with your new vehicle’s requirements by using the Thule Fit Wizard. In order to transfer your base rack to a new vehicle, you will probably need to purchase a new fit kit that’s specifically designed for your new vehicle. You may also need a new foot pack.

If there’s a big difference in width between your old vehicle and your new one, you may also need to purchase longer or shorter load bars.

A skid mat protects your vehicle's paint job.

When you’re loading and unloading skis, boats, bikes, and other gear on your vehicle, there’s bound to be a few “oops” moments. You know—the ones where the kayak slips out of your grip and scratches the car roof. Or you’re not as careful with the skis as you should’ve been and the bindings scuff up the paint.

For most of us, a few nicks and scuffs are worth it. But if you want to keep your baby in decent shape, here are a few tricks to prevent scratching your vehicle.

1. Ask for help.

Yep, that includes you, “macho man.” Finding someone else to balance the other end of the canoe is going to cut down drastically on the chances that you’ll drop it. If you bike, ski, kayak, etc. with a friend, then you won’t have trouble finding help.

2. Use a skid mat.

For solo adventurers, asking for help usually isn’t an option. That’s where a skid mat (or an old blanket or bath towel) comes in handy. Drape the mat over the back or side of your vehicle to protect it from scratches.

If you’re loading a boat, you can slide the canoe or kayak up the mat and onto the cradles or foam pads. If you’re loading a bike or other gear, you can use the mat to prevent accidentally nicking the car as you lift the gear into place.

3. Wax your vehicle.

For the occasional minor mishap, a good coat of wax should keep scratches from messing up your paint job. Although car wax won’t help with deep scratches, it can protect your vehicle against minor nicks and scuffs.

Steel load bars can be cut down to size if needed.

Once you’ve got your roof rack base squared away, it’s time to add load bars—the backbone of your rack system. Round bars, square bars, and aerodynamic bars let you attach bike carriers, boat cradles, and other accessories for your outdoor gear.

The tips below will help you choose the right load bar length for your vehicle.

1. Can you cut the load bars down to size if needed? Yes. Steel load bars can be cut to size, so if the length you need is in between sizes, get the larger size and cut it to the length you need. Just remember: “Measure twice; cut once.” You don’t want to end up with load bars that are too short.

2. The Fit Wizard for Thule and Yakima provide a recommended load bar length for your vehicle. Measure the distance across the roof of your vehicle to get a visual, practical sense of how long the load bars will be. Not long enough? Get the next size up and cut them down to size if needed.

3. Multiple boats, bikes, skis, and combination loads may require longer load bars.

4. Cargo boxes and single carriers work fine with the standard bar length. Just keep the future in mind—if you’re thinking about carrying a wider load eventually, you may want to invest in longer load bars now.

5. Legally, the load bars should not extend beyond your side mirrors.

6. For Thule Rapid Aero bars, you’ll need to stick with the recommended bar length for your vehicle. Longer bars won’t fit, since the channel running underneath the bar will be too short to allow you to attach the towers. If you need a longer load bar, you’ll need to choose the standard load bars instead of Rapid Aero bars.

A hitch bike rack provides easy access to your bikes.

Not sure what’s the best way to carry your bike, kayak, snowboard, or all of the above? We’ve got you covered. Here are some of the pros and cons for roof racks, trunk racks, and hitch racks.

Gear

The first step in choosing a car rack is figuring out what type of gear you need to carry, including any gear you plan on purchasing in the near future. If you only need to transport a bike, you’ve got quite a few options available: roof racks, trunk racks, hitch racks, spare tire racks, and truck racks. If you want to carry a kayak or canoe, a roof rack is your best option. For carrying multiple types of gear, roof racks are the most versatile, although some hitch racks and spare tire racks can adapt to fit snowboards, skis, and cargo carriers.

Cost

The cheapest car rack for bikes is a trunk mounted carrier. They carry anywhere from one to four bikes. Truck racks and spare-tire racks are slightly more expensive, followed by roof racks and hitch mounted carriers. Choosing a car rack that fits on different vehicles will save you money in the long run, when you decide to buy a new vehicle.

Access

Rear mounted racks limit access to the trunk or hatch. Some carriers swing away from the vehicle to provide rear access. Pay attention to whether or not you need to remove the gear before the rack will swing away. If the rack moves out of the way with your gear mounted, rear access is even easier. A roof rack keeps your trunk or hatch free of obstacles, but on tall vehicles (or for short individuals), access to your gear may be limited by height. Use a small stepping stool to make it easier to access cargo boxes, skis, and other gear.

Thule Rapid Aero Bars offer a sleek profile and easy loading.

When it comes to choosing a Thule roof rack system, you have several options for the load bars: the original square bars, the easy-load Aero bars, or the innovative AeroBlade bars.

Square Load Bars

At entry-level pricing, Thule’s square load bars are the easiest on your pocketbook. The square design keeps accessories from rotating accidentally during use. The bars are made of steel for long life and coated to prevent rust and corrosion. The best part about square load bars is that they are compatible with all Thule accessories, including older models with the clamp system, so you can keep using your vintage Thule bike rack without the need to buy a new rack or a special adaptor.

Aero Bars

After listening to feedback from customers, Thule developed a new class of load bars: the Aero bars. The sleek styling on these bars is one of their biggest draws, along with easy loading. Just slide the bike carrier, ski rack, or other accessory into the T-track on the Aero bars, and it’s secured in place. Some carriers, including older model carriers, require adaptors to attach to the Aero load bars.

AeroBlade Bars

The latest innovation from Thule is the AeroBlade load bars. These bars are specially designed to reduce wind noise, increase strength, and make installation easier. They sport the same sleek styling and aluminum good looks as the Aero bars with improved technology for a best-of-the-best roof rack system. As with the Aero bars, some carriers will require adaptors to attach to the AeroBlade load bars.

Vehicle specific clips and towers allow you to install a roof rack on a naked roof.

Question: What if my car doesn’t have a factory rack? Can I still install a Yakima or Thule roof rack system?

Answer: Yes! Even if your roof is naked, we can hook you up with a rack system. With vehicle-specific Q clips and a set of Q towers (for Yakima racks) or a foot pack and fit kit (for Thule racks), you can transform your plain Jane roof into a sleek and sporty eye-catcher. You won’t need to drill into your car, and the rack can be easily removed when you don’t need to use it.

Here’s how it works. The Q clips / fit kit attach to the doorframe on your vehicle. The clips are vehicle-specific and molded to the shape of your doorframe for a tight fit. After you install your clips, grab each clip and try to pull it away from the vehicle. If the clip moves, you’ll need to adjust the clip or double check the measurement between the towers. The Q towers / foot pack attach to the clips and hold the load bars.

Why are the clips and towers separate? One of the benefits of separate clips and towers is that if you get a new car or switch your rack between vehicles, all you need to replace are the clips. The towers are universal for any vehicle with a naked roof.

Aero bars are made from aluminum, with a sleek and aerodynamic design.

One of the main differences between the two major roof rack brands, Yakima and Thule, is the shape of their load bars. Yakima offers round bars, while Thule offers a choice between square or Aero bars.

Yakima Round Bars

The advantage of Yakima’s round bars is the ability to easily rotate accessories. When not in use, you can lay your bike rack, boat cradles, and other accessories down flat for better aerodynamics and clearance. No need to remove the rack accessories in order to clear the garage door or parking ramp.

Thule Square Bars

Thule offers two different types of load bars: square and Aero. Square bars secure the load in place and keep your accessories from rotating accidentally. There’s peace of mind that comes from knowing that the square bars prevent rotation while you’re driving down the road. Square bars fit almost any carriers—both Thule and other name brands. The carriers mount to the bars using clamps.

Thule Aero Bars

Thule’s Aero bars are designed with a T-track slot to slide accessories into the track and automatically secure them in place. Not all carriers are compatible with Aero bars. An adapter may be required to mount some carriers to an Aero roof rack, especially for older model accessories. Aero bars are made with aluminum. Square bars are made with steel and coated with polyethylene.

Compatibility

Since most of the carriers and gear mounts made by Thule, Yakima, and other brands are now designed to fit either square or round crossbars, you can use a Yakima bike rack on a Thule roof rack or vice versa. Gone are the days when you had to stick with one brand or the other. So if you like the look of round bars over square, or Aero bars over round, rest assured that most carriers will be compatible with your roof rack.

A wind fairing improves airflow and reduces wind noise.

It starts with a low hum at 30 mph that’s almost soothing. But as you accelerate onto the freeway, the noise from your roof rack escalates to a maddening howl. By the time you reach your destination, your nerves are shot.

Since carrying anything on your roof changes the aerodynamics of your vehicle, it’s possible that a roof rack or any other cargo strapped to your roof could make some extra wind noise. Fortunately, there are ways to cut down on the noise and soothe your nerves.

First, make sure everything is secure and the rack is installed correctly. If the rack is loose, it will vibrate and make noise. Same thing with the cargo and any carriers you have installed on your rack.

Tie down any loose straps, buckles, and fasteners. Put a few twists in the straps used to tie down your kayak or canoe. This keeps the straps from vibrating in the wind.

For a small investment, you can purchase a wind fairing to smooth airflow and cut down on wind noise. Fairings attach to the front crossbar and help to deflect wind up and over your rack. They are available in different sizes to fit the length of your crossbar. How much a fairing reduces rack noise depends largely on the design and curvature of your vehicle and your rack setup. Depending on how carriers attach to the rack, you may need to remove the fairing in order to install a carrier on the load bars.

If you want a cheap way to reduce rack noise and don’t care about looks, one solution you can try is to wrap a length of utility cord tightly around the front crossbar. Tie the cord to one end of the front crossbar, wrap it down the length of the crossbar; then tie the other end to the other side of the crossbar. Make sure the cord is tight and there are no loose ends. The cord works to disrupt the airflow and reduce whistling or humming.

When you’re not using your roof rack, you can always cut down on wind noise by removing the entire rack (which could be labor intensive, depending on your rack setup), removing just the crossbars and leaving the side rails, or moving the front crossbar back.

Thule's Rapid Aero load bars are lightweight, aluminum, and stylish.

A roof rack system is the first step in fitting your vehicle for some serious gear hauling. Here are some roof rack tips to get you one step closer to your next great adventure.

Load Bars

Load bars come in three styles: round, square, and Aero. Most accessories are designed to fit any of styles, although they may require an adapter. Preference is largely based on styling, looks, and budget. Round bars allow you to rotate accessories; square bars prevent accidental rotation during use; and Aero bars let you slide components into the load bars for easy installation and a seamless look.

Length of Bars

The longer the load bars are, the more stuff you can fit on your roof. Just make sure you don’t exceed the manufacturer’s maximum load weight for your vehicle’s roof. The bars should be no wider than your mirrors. Round and square bars can be cut to size, so if you’re torn between two lengths, you’re better off choosing the longer ones. Price difference between the different lengths is minimal.

Custom Fit

Still trying to decide between different rack systems? Which one provides a better custom fit for your vehicle? If the fit kit or clips are designed to fit a range of vehicles, you might not get a perfect fit. Fit kits or clips that are designed specifically for your vehicle are custom molded to the vehicle for a perfect fit, with no need to worry about loose parts, scratches on your vehicle, or finicky installation.

Thule vs. Yakima

What about the age-old debate of Yakima versus Thule? Our answer: it depends. The fit and performance varies for each vehicle. Depending on what kind of car, SUV, or truck you drive, one brand may work better than another. Both brands are top quality and have been on the market for years. These guys know their stuff.

The main difference between Yakima and Thule roof racks is the load bars. Yakima bars are round, which allows you to rotate carriers flat when not in use. Thule bars are square or Aero, which holds the carrier securely in place and preventing accidental rotation during use.