Thule Rack?

actually, i think the rear rack that goes into the receiving hitch is for in-laws. the top rack is for beer.

 

You might check some of the folks that have posted previously on this subject.

http://priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?...ighlight=yakima
http://priuschat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?...light=roof+rack

 

I just got my roof rack this past weekend and had 2 kayaks on it. I worked great. the only concern i have is that the fit kit locates the the load bars 24" appart while thule recommends they be more than 28".

 

sorry, I'm having some problems with the images. here is another. I'll post these in the album later.

 

I just ordered the fit kit (already had feet and load bars from previoius car) from carracksdirect.com.

Also got the fairing and kayak saddles (878xt set-to-go saddles)
Used pipe insulation on previous car (because I know I was going to replace the car and wasn't sure I was going to transfer the rack)

Will take pictures of kayak on car, but I went for free shipping so it may be a while...

Brian

 

I put the roof rack on my Prius Saturday (June 12). Note that you can easily get the bars 26 inches apart (might have to change the rear foot distance.)

I got the fairing but did not install it, was running short on time (I didn't get the kayak in the water until 3:15 as it was)

The supplied ropes that came with the kayak saddles (878xt Set-To-Go) were about 18 in too short Had one rope of good length, bought another. I hook through the tie down loops (is that what they are for? the metal loops on the bottom)

See my album for picture.

Brian

 

I didn't find this post until after I looked at the pictures. I added a comment there about the tie-downs damaging the paint the way you have them:

http://www.priuschat.com/forums/album_show....php?pic_id=600

 

cost

What does the complete rack setup cost, including cross pieces?

 

Remember I already had the feet and load bars.
But if you are starting from scratch:
400XT Aero Foot pack $129
LB50 Load bars $50
2142 Fit Kit $50
871 Medium Fairing $50
878xt set-to-go saddle $75
878xt set-to-go saddle $75

Thats MSRP, I got the saddles for ~$68 and the fit kit for $45 from carracksdirect.com

Brian

 

I ran for a while without the fairing, now that is on I can tell for sure that noise is reduced.
I'll let you know if mileage improves.

Brian

 

i've had my rack w/ fairing on for a three tanks so far and i haven't seen any noticable difference in the MPG, average drop of 1 MPG per tank full.

 

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I inadvertently moved the rear bar a few inches back the first time I installed it and I couldn't get the foot to clamp on. The rear arch where the foot clamp on gets significantly wider and the rubber clamp and screw aren't long enough. I would be concerned about not having enough threading of the screw if the rear bars were moved back any. It seems to make more sense to move the front bar forward. The arch doesn't really change in size, and it lowers the front bar which may create a profile with less drag relative to the Thule suggested mounting. I'm not comfortable with moving it around without Thule's weigh-in, so I'm gonna bug Thule about the safety of doing so.

I've noticed somewhere between 3-5 MPG drop, I think. I haven't driven it around enough to be completely certain. Are your measurements with carrying something or just with the rack (no bike or other mount). I had a 6 pair ski carrier on top and that seems to have a pretty tall profile which would pretty adversely affect the aerodynamics of the Prius.

 

I just got the Thule 2142 fit kit and 400XT Aero Foot, and I don't see how it fits! If anyone can peek at the following web page and offer a clue, I'd appreciate it!
Thule 2142 fit problem

 

just to echo what I said to altaskier privately, the bolt IS NOT horizontal. (at least with my older 400 feet) closer to 45 degrees.

I did move the front bars closer to the front in the directs (about half an inch to an inch) I had no trouble getting enoug hbite with the rear bar 26 in back.

Brian

 

The "nut" in the foot can be rotated/angled. It may be a bit hard to rotate by itself, so I would recommend threading the bolt into the foot nut (without the bracket) and using the bolt as a lever to rotate the nut. Good luck!

 

Yes, rotating that nut was the trick. The instructions didn't say anything about that, and I've not installed a Thule rack before. I now have a ski box on my Prius; I'm going to drive with it on for a few days to checkout its affect on handling in crosswinds etc. before I take a ski trip. But of course what many people seem to think they need to drive on paved roads to a ski area is a monster SUV...

 

My partner and I just had good luck carrying two sea kayaks on our Prius today, so I thought I'd share the details and photographs.

We spend two hours Saturday attaching a Thule roof rack (with the fit kit that Thule recommends for the 05 Prius). We ran into the same problem that altaskier posted (and were grateful for both his question and the two responses!). Once we had the angle worked out, the rack went on fairly easily (though we needed a hammer to get the feet to click tight on the bar). We added a stacker to hold our two kayaks on their sides.

Our sea kayaks are 15.5' and 17' long, and each weighs around 50-60 lbs. They went up on the roof fine, and we had no trouble on the drive, though it was short (just a few miles). Next trip, we're going to try having the kayaks face outwards.

One downside: the rack (with and without the kayaks on) whistles when we're driving 30 MPH and above. Has anyone managed to correct this problem?

We plan to take some multi-hour drives to the far west of Western North Carolina for the superb paddling lakes (Fontana and Santeetlah). If anyone wants more details on our kayaks or transporting them on our Prius, ask away.

Noah and Heather.

 

The fairing kit may reduce noise caused by the rack, but my guess is the whistling is coming from the kayaks. Good luck making the whistling go away.