Roof Rack installation difficulty

[stephengoldberger]

Anyone have any advice?  My dealer claims it is very difficult and outsources the installation at a cost of $220.  I have looked at the installation pdf from Thule (the rack supplier) but it's a little vague.  Do you need to drop the headliner to install anything?

 

BTW, Ford, it's kind of a downer that the attachments aren't built in (at the cost of what, a few cents per vehicle?), but at least endorses the use, unlike the most popular hybrid supplier, who just says "no, don't do it."

[mtberman]

Anyone have any advice?  My dealer claims it is very difficult and outsources the installation at a cost of $220.  I have looked at the installation pdf from Thule (the rack supplier) but it's a little vague.  Do you need to drop the headliner to install anything?

 

BTW, Ford, it's kind of a downer that the attachments aren't built in (at the cost of what, a few cents per vehicle?), but at least endorses the use, unlike the most popular hybrid supplier, who just says "no, don't do it."

 

It took me about about 5 minutes to put the Thule Fit 1683 onto the four Thule feet. It's then a matter of sliding the crossbars onto the feet and placing each assembly on the car, one front and one back. All told, this probably takes from 15 minutes to a half hour, depending on your experience and skills. It's pretty easy if you're a bigger person, but it's a lot easier if you have another person to help with the last part.

 

Once the cross bars are on, you'll add your equipment (bike mounts, ski rack, roof box, etc)nd then put the wind-noise tape over the gaps that you aren't using. That's really the more time-consuming part.

[67gtcougar]

I still haven't decided on whether to get a roof rack, or a hitch.  The Energi just doesn't have enough cargo room for a family of 4.  Does the roof rack cause much drag?  

[CNCGeek]

I'm not quite as fast as MTBerman, but it was probably an hour and a half with adding some 3m clear bra material under the pads.  The only thing I would do different is waiting a half day between putting the 3m material on and placing the rack on the roof - I got some buckling on the clear bra material so I will have to do it over again.

Edited August 15, 2014 by CNCGeek

[hmatthews102]

I will be putting roof bars AND hitch on my CMAX.  I need to carry 2 kayaks and two bicycles at the same time.  In answer to the question on roof carriers and drag, yes, they create a huge amount of drag.

[stephengoldberger]

Re: drag from a car-top carrier: Based on the fuel consumption with my current car, Thule "square bar" racks with my vintage Sears carrier use about 0.7 gallons per 100 miles at an indicated 70 mph (true speed about 66 mph).  That would drop mpgs from 40 to a little over 30 (3.2 gal/100 miles vs. 2.5 gal/100 miles).   I usually drive about 2000 miles per year with the carrier attached, so that's an extra 14 gallons of gasoline per year.  Compare to the extra gas used by a car that's 20 cubic feet bigger inside (so I wouldn't need the carrier) driving 15,000 miles per year.  

[stephengoldberger]

I'm not quite as fast as MTBerman, but it was probably an hour and a half with adding some 3m clear bra material under the pads.  I posted a how-to on my blog.  The only thing I would do different is waiting a half day between putting the 3m material on and placing the rack on the roof - I got some buckling on the clear bra material so I will have to do it over again.

So the only thing that is permanently attached to the car is the plastic film that protects the finish from the "feet"?

[mtberman]

3M film is not a necessary or standard part of the rack.  The rack feet are designed so they won't mar, scratch or otherwise affect the paint. I believe that some users fashion pieces of 3M film (the infamous "clear bra" material) to place under their rack feet as an additional precaution. I think that's what we're talking about here.

 

As with any rack, you have to be careful not to scratch the paint when you take the crossbars on and off. Using protective film should help avoid that.

[stephengoldberger]

3M film is not a necessary or standard part of the rack.  The rack feet are designed so they won't mar, scratch or otherwise affect the paint. I believe that some users fashion pieces of 3M film (the infamous "clear bra" material) to place under their rack feet as an additional precaution. I think that's what we're talking about here.

 

As with any rack, you have to be careful not to scratch the paint when you take the crossbars on and off. Using protective film should help avoid that.

Exactly.  My experience with racks are either the kind that attach to rails that are permanently attached to the top of the car or racks that mount into fittings built into the door frame (Saab).  I never dealt with the kind that sit on the roof and "grab" the doorframe.  CNCGeek (above) attached pieces of film to his roof and showed the process on his blog.  It looks to me like a good idea.  At the worst, you can always remove the film.

[67gtcougar]

_{Has anyone purchased a roof top cargo carrier for their C-Max yet?  I've been researching the Thule Pulse L and Force, and Yakima Rocket.  I'd like to find something that is low profile that doesn't protrude over the windshield.  I had planned  to install a reciever and buy a hitch-mount cargo box, but then I found out that it isn't super easy to install a trailer plug for the lights.}  

[tvcole]

I have a roof rack on order, and the dealer said they will install it. I would also like to install a light duty trailer hitch, but the owner's manual specifically says that no towing is permitted. So even if I don't tow anything, once a hitch is installed, I'm sure they would find a way to invalidate the warranty (and the extended warranty I bought) because of it.

[MikeB]

They can't just invalidate the warranty, that's illegal.

 

What they have to do is demonstrate that your modification to the car (the hitch) was somehow responsible for a specific failure, and they they could avoid warranty coverage of that failure. So if you have an electrical issue, and the hitch isn't involved, they still have to cover you. But if your rear frame is bent right where the hitch bolts on, then it's probably your problem not theirs. And installing a hitch alone isn't evidence you were towing, since you could be installing a hitch-mount bicycle rack, they would really need to show that you actually towed something.

 

Of course, they can always claim that your warranty is invalid and ask you to pay for a repair, and you might have to fight them. You'd win on the merits, but might still have to pay for a lawyer.

[stephengoldberger]

_{Has anyone purchased a roof top cargo carrier for their C-Max yet?  I've been researching the Thule Pulse L and Force, and Yakima Rocket.  I'd like to find something that is low profile that doesn't protrude over the windshield.  I had planned  to install a reciever and buy a hitch-mount cargo box, but then I found out that it isn't super easy to install a trailer plug for the lights.}  

 

I have previously owned a Sears cargo carrier that is everything you don't want ;-), except it probably won't extend over the windshield.  It doesn't clamp down onto the crossbars, but rather I strap it down.  Because it has "feet" that I nestle between the crossbars, I needed to extend the space between the Thule bars by an inch or two.

 

Were I to purchase a new one, it would probably be a Thule.  They've gotten pretty expensive since I bought mine in the early 1990s ;-)

[ScubaDadMiami]

Run a search here.  I posed a question about this a while back, and I got some good suggestions about other carriers that looked good.

[ArizonaEnergi]

I'm not quite as fast as MTBerman, but it was probably an hour and a half with adding some 3m clear bra material under the pads.  I posted a how-to on my blog.  The only thing I would do different is waiting a half day between putting the 3m material on and placing the rack on the roof - I got some buckling on the clear bra material so I will have to do it over again.

Excellent how-to!  We just went on a short trip in our Energi and things were a bit full.  I'm thinking about pulling out the 2/3 rear seat for a big trip we have this summer, and/or coming up with some storage devices to make better use of the interior space, all to try and avoid the roof carrier.  We have a hitch but the two bikes are back there or I'd use it and a box.

[Thndrmonk]

I'm not quite as fast as MTBerman, but it was probably an hour and a half with adding some 3m clear bra material under the pads.  I posted a how-to on my blog.  The only thing I would do different is waiting a half day between putting the 3m material on and placing the rack on the roof - I got some buckling on the clear bra material so I will have to do it over again.

Thank you for posting a detailed how-to!!!  Very excellent how-to and nice clear pics that help me!!! I have my aeroblades but am waiting for the 3m bra material to arrive.  The only problem that I am having is that the smartslide only goes to 36 on my aeroblades.  I have the 53 inch bars so it is a little difficult finding the correct setting for the footpads.  Has anyone experienced this problem?

[Hybrid dude]

I bought all three Thule components separately, finding the best deal on each one. It was much less expensive than buying the entire kit from one source. The installation page by CNCGeek is very useful but I was able to do it all myself. I encountered a slight problem determining when it was screwed on tight enough. The wrenches have built-in indicators but they are not that precise. However, the recommended torque is so low, I knew when to stop. 

 

I had a Thule/Volvo roof box remaining from my Volvo days, which attached perfectly. I may be the only C-Max driver with a box emblazoned with 'Volvo' letters on each side ... but maybe not.

 

It did effect my mileage on a 220 mile mostly highway trip, managing about 32MPG. However, I also had the Torklift trailer hitch with an Allen four-bike rack, five total people and luggage.

[JAZ]

"However, I also had the Torklift trailer hitch with an Allen four-bike rack, five total people and luggage."

 

Hybrid dude, are you aware that for the C-Max there is a combined passenger and cargo weight limit of 825 lbs.?

[Hybrid dude]

Yes, thanks for the weight limit advice. I think we're ok as three of the people are kids.

[davino]

I bought all three Thule components separately, finding the best deal on each one. It was much less expensive than buying the entire kit from one source. The installation page by CNCGeek is very useful but I was able to do it all myself. I encountered a slight problem determining when it was screwed on tight enough. The wrenches have built-in indicators but they are not that precise. However, the recommended torque is so low, I knew when to stop. 

 

I had a Thule/Volvo roof box remaining from my Volvo days, which attached perfectly. I may be the only C-Max driver with a box emblazoned with 'Volvo' letters on each side ... but maybe not.

 

It did effect my mileage on a 220 mile mostly highway trip, managing about 32MPG. However, I also had the Torklift trailer hitch with an Allen four-bike rack, five total people and luggage.

Do you happen to have the Thule numbers for each component part still hanging around? I'd like to do the same thing in price comparison. Many thanks.

[fwroberts]

Me too, I'd like to research roof boxes on a roof rack. Any part numbers that people are using?

 

Rick

[CNCGeek]

Me too, I'd like to research roof boxes on a roof rack. Any part numbers that people are using?

 

Rick

I used 53" Aerobars (second hand from a Subaru Legacy I believe).  The traverse mounts and Fit Kit 1683.  I searched for second hand parts and got everything but the fit kit together.

 

As an aside, I purchased a kayak rack (INNO INA 450) which is great and very secure (though I mount the post in the center of two kayaks unlike their pic).