roof racks

[black13]

I want to fit roof racks to my ST , I use the car for trips away camping at caravan parks, taking a tent & ancillary gear, so I take a fair amount of gear when I go. I have found that there is enough storage space in the car but only if me & wife go away, but the car is packed to the max. Do any of you have racks fitted & your thoughts on their fit & load usage. I have been looking at the rhino rack with the luggage basket. just curious to the pros & cons of them.
Your input will be appreciated.

cheers

[KenN0898]

I haven't had any experience with a roof rack on my Focus but I have used them with larger cars like the Valiant and the older Falcon. On those cars I found that the rack increased the fuel consumption considerably when fully, but when empty there was often quite a lot more noise, i.e., wind/whistle noises.
Cheers
Ken

[Yellow_Festiva]

Had racks for my focus. Pain to setup and fit first time round. Specified next size up cross bar for extra load area.

Always prefer the ones with a through bar, allows you to hold more and tie it down better.

Think mine was pro bar brand? Mob that make the whispbar. Very quiet, sold through super cheap but the mounting kit was hard to find.

Worth their weight in gold...

[kelvinyhm]

Hi black13,

I had this fitted when I bought my car.

http://www.rhinorack.com/BarType_2500-Aero-_4.aspx

The thing I hate about it:
- There are always wind noise especially empty. Maybe its the model I have??
- It made the car look uglier.
- MAKE SURE or ALWAYS REMEMBER that there are stuffs up the roof when going into garage or shopping mall. If you forgotten, there goes your bike or roof pod or whatever thats on top if clearance doesnt fit.
- Car wash...its a PITA to wash and you need to properly dry it. For e.g., if you dry your whole car, then drive off, there will be water dripping from the rack. Some excess water cannot be dried off in some spots. Not a big deal but a bit annoying for me.

What I like:
- I fitted Thule bike carrier x 2 (I think can fit 3 max) so it's very convenient as I don't have to dirty my interior. Its lockable too so when I finished my riding, I'll just park street and go for lunch in a restaurant without car in view.
- I into camping as well and looking to buy a roof pod next month (TY Roadstar 320L for $299). 4 person in car on 2-3 night camping, definitely not enough space in the trunk. Was looking at basket option but prefer the pod as it can be locked, weatherproof and easy access. A good basket and good weatherproof bag will costs about the same or even more than pod. I heard it affect fuel consumption but meh...who cares not like it affect heaps. Furthermore don't think I have other options.

Seriously I hate roof racks but its practical for my lifestyle. LOL.

[black13]

Originally Posted by kelvinyhm

Hi black13,

I had this fitted when I bought my car.

http://www.rhinorack.com/BarType_2500-Aero-_4.aspx

The thing I hate about it:
- There are always wind noise especially empty. Maybe its the model I have??
- It made the car look uglier.
- MAKE SURE or ALWAYS REMEMBER that there are stuffs up the roof when going into garage or shopping mall. If you forgotten, there goes your bike or roof pod or whatever thats on top if clearance doesnt fit.
- Car wash...its a PITA to wash and you need to properly dry it. For e.g., if you dry your whole car, then drive off, there will be water dripping from the rack. Some excess water cannot be dried off in some spots. Not a big deal but a bit annoying for me.

What I like:
- I fitted Thule bike carrier x 2 (I think can fit 3 max) so it's very convenient as I don't have to dirty my interior. Its lockable too so when I finished my riding, I'll just park street and go for lunch in a restaurant without car in view.
- I into camping as well and looking to buy a roof pod next month (TY Roadstar 320L for $299). 4 person in car on 2-3 night camping, definitely not enough space in the trunk. Was looking at basket option but prefer the pod as it can be locked, weatherproof and easy access. A good basket and good weatherproof bag will costs about the same or even more than pod. I heard it affect fuel consumption but meh...who cares not like it affect heaps. Furthermore don't think I have other options.

Seriously I hate roof racks but its practical for my lifestyle. LOL.

Are the aero racks easy to remove & refit, cause I just want to use the racks on as needed basis, the racks your using are what I'm considering.
Do you have a pic of them fitted on your car.

[hangfire]

i have the whispbar one.

its very easy to fit and also quiet.

i checked the impact on fuel economy over a couple of weeks and it was moving my 6.1 up to 6.3 so pretty negligible. i fit it as and when i need it (have a 440l box to fit the pram etc in when we go away). it doesnt get as much use as previously though as i bought a mondeo wagon.

[kelvinyhm]

Originally Posted by black13

Are the aero racks easy to remove & refit, cause I just want to use the racks on as needed basis, the racks your using are what I'm considering.
Do you have a pic of them fitted on your car.

No idea as it has been there since I bought the car.
Picture:

[black13]

decided on the rhinorack 2500 aero setup, found them to be a bit of a ***** to set up , but once fitted they look ok & should do the job , thanks for others input