Roof Racks

FH Bible · Post by **FH Bible** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:20 pm

Well my dad is thinking of getting me a roof rack for Christmass and I wondering what is out there and what works well?

j

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:05 pm

j -
What do you want to carry, ie., bikes, kayaks, skiis, storage boxes or ?
I owned a bicycle store for many years and can check around. When I owned my '83 SR5 there were not the sophisticated racks we have now, and the one I used then was kinda crude compared to now, in terms of easy installation and available accessories.
If you have a trailer hitch, there are bike and ski racks available for that as well.
Tom M.

FH Bible · Post by **FH Bible** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:13 pm

Well I jst got a mountain bike so I would like to carry that, but, you know lumber, matresses, small children and the occasion unidentified inanimate object.
Pretty much looking for all around utility here. But a good way to mount the new bike is number one.
thanks
jared

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:34 pm

jared -
I'll look around tonight and post an answer by tomorrow. This will take a bit of looking, as my colleagues in the stores now are not accustomed to dealing with - ahem - mature cars like ours.
What kind of a bike did you get? I closed my store in 2003, but still wrench occasionally for a couple of friends' stores, so do keep my hand in.
MootsMan and Dirtmagnet are also bikers, albeit primarily roadies, I think.
Tom M.
P.S. Don't use bungees to hold the kids on the roof, as the cords do stretch and, well ....

brianp · Post by **brianp** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:42 pm

Both Yakima and Thule, two of the big rack companies have racks which are supposed to work on tercels; they have risers that attach to the rain gutters on the sides. I don't have one, so I don't know which is better, or if there are others out there.
<a href='http://www.yakima.com' target='_blank'>http://www.yakima.com</a>
<a href='http://www.thule.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.thule.com/</a>

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:02 pm

I've checked the Yakima fit for the Terc wagon, and it's 1A Raingutter towers, then you mount your rack of choice on the cross bars. I'm sure they have a weight limit on what you can carry on their rack, but it should handle 2-4 bikes, or some other combinations of gear. It's usually in the 100-150# range, what they recommend you can carry up top on the rack.

I hate to admit this, but I think most of us who carry bikes on the roof of the car have either done it or come terribly close....and that's the dreaded driving under the carport or into the garage with the bike on top. Well, I was bringing a friends Trek 2300 home to give it a minor tune up.....told myself as I entered the driveway to not pull under the deck....and 400' later completely forgot. Thank God for homeowner's ins....he's now the proud owner of a new Cannondale Synapse ( he did have to put some extra money with the insurance proceeds for that particular bike ! )

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:04 pm

jared -
I can second MootsMan's comment on remembering that a roof rack is in use, although I must admit that I narrowly missed a similar catastrophe with my '83 SR5 at a race in OH many years ago. All three of my daughters' bikes were on the roof. That would have been a long, silent trip home with three pissed young ladies...

Anyway, check out the Saris racks at http://www.saris.com. These were the only roof racks I carried. Not to diss' Yak or Thule, but I preferred Saris because they mounted a heck of a lot easier and quicker. There really is no quality or price advantage to any of them, as the prices will be pretty much the same, if similarly equipped. You would be able to carry up to 4 bikes, or combination of accessories. However, if you choose Saris, the Wagon uses 2 pairs of #28 clips, which model I happen to have left from the shop - $35-40 retail, which I would be happy to send you for whatever the postage would be-no charge for the clip sets (they are new, too). So this would save some bucks. Let me know.

To avoid roof contacts, a recommendation would be to put a sign of some kind on the dash, and for your garage at home, hang a little sign from the inside to the effect that you have the rack mounted.
Tom M.
P.S. A bit of a kicker with any of these racks would be if you have the Toyota OEM roof "rack" mounted. They will still fit, but a different model would be needed. The manufacturers' sites will have a fit chart and/or 800 # for advice.

FH Bible · Post by **FH Bible** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:50 am

Thanks for the help. I won't have a problem slamming into stuff because I have an appartment and no covered parking. But I think I will need a way to lock the rack to my car so it doesn't dissapear on me.
Thanks so much I will relay info to my dad.
j

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:28 pm

jared -
I forgot - the locking feature is one advantage of the Saris over the others (unless they have been revised); Saris already has integrated locks to secure the rack to the vehicle.
Note that I don't have any of the racks to sell - the shop is closed. You will have to go to a dealer or online. I just have some clips left (free).
Tom M.

Post by **Mattel** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 3:54 pm

I've got some Pro-Racks off a wreckers they are low profile and fit really well over our tall gutters. althought I'm not sure about the bike attatchments.

I can fit 3 MTB's in the back of my car with the front wheel off and split fold the rear seat to fit three people in the car. Often If I go for a surf and the bike is in the car (there some great trails right near the surf beaches here) I will D-bolt the bike inside the car to the metal loops that the rear seat latches to.

I also got a huge ribbed rubber sheet protecting the floor of the whole back area for $70.00 from a specialised rubbers store. it goes halfway up the side walls and is foldable if you only need to use some of the space. Great for wetsuits, snowboarding stuff, plants, muddy bikes etc.

Happy tralis!

MootsMan · Post by **MootsMan** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:04 pm

I got a nice rubber trunk mat out of a Saab sedan at my local junkyard.....i think it was $3. It's not the hard type, like some of the hard rubber trays you can buy now. I had to trim it a little along the edges, but it's a nice fit over my cargo area floor now.