does anyone have Yakima or Thule roof rack? which one fits better, which design is easier to mount?

 

irish44j would be a good contact for that info. He has one on his maxima.

 

http://www.cardomain.com/id/irish44j

 

I have the Yakima roof rack system for snow sports (ie snowboard and skiing) with the following options:

-Q Towers
Part #8000105 1 $129.00 $129.00
-Q Stretch Kit
Part #8000120 1 $105.00 $105.00
-Q106 Clips
Part #8000706 2 $25.00 $50.00
-48" CrossBar
Part #8000408 1 $50.00 $50.00
-44" Fairing
Part #8007048 1 $50.00 $50.00
-LiftTicket 6
Part #8003063 1 $120.00 $120.00
-SKS Lock Cores-6 Pack
Part #8007206 1 $54.00 $54.00

Total: $558.00

I have been using this setup for 3 years now with now problem with it during the snow season here in Southern California. Installing it on top of the car could be done with one person, but with 2 people, it does make it a lot easier. The fitment is fine, no problem what-so-ever. With the 44" Fairing, you don't want to drive above 80mph, because it does rattle a bit when the air does get underneath it. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any more questions.

steve...

 

Funny you should ask, I was just talking to the local yakima regional rep not an hour ago......anyhow, I've worked at a ski shop for about 8 years now where we sell Thule, Yakima, and Barrecrafters racks. I've sold alot of them and have had a rack on my last 4 cars. So here's my impressions:

1. The prices stated above are on-target. Prices are similar for a full Thule setup or Barrecrafters setup as well.

YAKIMA:
Advantages:
-Easiest to put on/take off the car, quick release mechanisms for the Q-towers (feet) are very nice if you don't keep the rack on the car all the time.
-Round bars are the strongest out there. They will not bend.
-Made in USA (up to you if that's a good or bad thing... )
-Components look nice and are streamlined
-Round bars allow you to "fold down" ski racks when not in use for less wind resistance
Disadvantages:
-From years of selling Yakima, I can tell you that they are not as "tough" as Thule...we get a number of Yaki racks back each year with broken buttons, hinges, and other parts. Not a big percentage of them, but quite a few.
-Rust. Yaki components tend to rust fairly easily if not maintained alot. Especiallly the ends of the bars (if the caps come off), hinges and rivets on the ski racks, and lockdown devices on the bike racks.
-The new-style fairing from Yakima does not block wind as well as the old-style one, and in my personal opinion is quite ugly. Strangely enough, the Yakima rep agreed with me and said he'd hook me up with an old-style fairing if I bought a Yaki rack for my wife's car

THULE:
Advantages:
-Square bars tend to "grip" loads like lumber better on the roof (I carry all kinds of stuff on the roof besides skis and bikes)
-Thule has a new-style fairing too, but guys who work at my shop tell me it is actually BETTER than the old fairing (which was identical to the old Yakima fairing)....
-Quality. I've had a Thule rack (the SAME rack) on my last 4 cars over the last 8-9 years now. NO rust, NO broken parts...and I do only minimal maintenance on it.
-Durability - same....I really have abused the rack and all the ski/bike/kayak and other components are still in good shape.
-Made in Sweden....ah, swedish women...
-Speaking as someone who sells this stuff....overall the Thule fit clips are more precise than Yakima. they perfectly fit the profile of the door jamb. That's not to say that Yakima doesn't fit well....they both do. But Yakima has something like 150 clips for all the cars out there and Thule has something like 800 of them. Yaki clips are shaped to fit multiple different cars, while Thule has a different clip for virtually all cars. That said...both of the brands fit well and attach the rack sercurely.
Disadvantages:
- Square bars not as strong as the round ones. Too heavy a load can bend them. But if the load is that heavy, it will probably dent your roof too After 8 years, my bars are bent maybe 1cm down in the middle...not much considering I have carried 200lbs of lumber on the roof, as well as a loveseat and other miscellaneous heavy furniture....
-Can't fold down ski racks since the bars are square.
-On/off mechanisms are a little more difficult than Yakima. But they're still easy. i can take my entire rack off in one piece in less than 5 minuts....
-Sometimes its hard to find the right fit kit....

As to Barrecrafters or Saris racks...they are fine also, but I don't think they can match Thule and Yakima in most of the categories I mentioned above....

Ok, people are gonna say I'm biased or whatever, but I have nothing to gain by BSing you....so that's the straight best impression I can give you.

Also one last example: My shop carries Yakima's entire line (and we sell a ton of it). We carry a limited selection of Thule, and therefore don't sell much of it. But of the 20 or so people at the ski shop who have racks on their cars, about 15 of them have Thule.

Either way, they are both good products and you can't go wrong with either. All things being equal, based on my knowledge and experiences, I personally would choose Thule, which is what I will be putting on my wife's new car this winter.....

BTW as you can see, I use the old-style fairing, even though i could get the new one for next to nothing....

 

Thank you Irish44j for the heads up on the disadvantages on the Yakima rack system. I didn't realize the durability wasn't all that great, but I'll definitely be more aware of it. As for the rust problem, I usually wash my system with clean water and spray a little WD-40 on the metal parts to prevent the rust. For the fairing, I don't know if I have the new style or old style one, but above 80mph, I do start to notice some rattling due to air lifting it up. Is this normal Irish44j for the Yakima system?


steve...

 

i stopped by REI on the way home and talked to a guy there. he did say that Yakima bars are stronger, but that he likes Thule's attachments better.

I actually have Yakima bars from my old Jeep and one of them is bent.

 

I have Yakima bike rack installed on my car. Had it for over a year and no problem yet. One of the reasons why I went w/ Yakima was because of their Viper bike mount. Not the best picture but just to give you an idea

 

Iris!

Is the snow pic @ rt29 gust off 66? Looks like it to me!

-piga

 

I've been running Yakima racks for over 10 years now. I can't really compare with Thule since I've only owned the one setup. I like the support you get from Yakima, they're really cool and helpful. I do have to say that the hardware can corode a bit, but if you consider that some parts of my rack are over 10 years old, it's not that bad. I wish my car held up as well.

 

i'm just going to fold down my back seat for snowboarding.

 

not so easy for mountain bike

 

Dito on the board.


Find a friend with a truck. I know when I get back from the wisp after a good day of some downhill, the last place I want to sit is in my car. I'll save the dirt and stench for a "friend's" car!

 

this is pretty interesting, i might want to invest in something like this. How easy is it to mount and dismount a rack?

 

no prob... don't get me wrong, it's not going to fall apart or anything...just do what you've been doing...wash it, maintain it, and it should last fine. i worry more about it personally because during the winter the car (and rack) don't get washed too often (what's the point, with a black car?)

The old-style fairing looks like mine above, pretty much square. The new one is all curvy like Ammi has.

If you go to most places that carry both brands, you will hear that..

I guess anythign can be bent with enough force....but the physical properties of round vs. square profile gives round bars more strength. They're both stronger than your roof though

Like I said, just be sure to maintain it. Some of you have better weather than us too

yeah the Viper mount is nice. I like the Thule Velo-vise bike mount too, though I have the "old-school" bike rails myself.

Indeed it is....nice call. After that pic was taken, my buddy's max (on the right) got stuck sideways in the lot, thanks to his Potenzas (I had new Falkens at the time)...very embarassing for all involved.

True, Yakima has great customer service. That said, don't expect them to replace components older than 3-4 years that rust...we've tried it many times, and Yaki always says "no"....The only thing the Thule racks do is the paint fades some...but I repaint the fairing and rails every year....


Good day of some downhill and "Wisp" in the same sentence. lol!!!
Actually my shop (ski chalet) is holding a demo day at Wisp later this winter...be sure to show up for $2 lift tickets.


Once its setup the first time, it takes 5-10 minutes to take it off. Just loosen the towers and lift it off. I almost never take mine off though....

 

Just got a whole set-up from Bobo's in Reno, they had to order the bike rack though, since they are mostly a ski/board shop and don't carry anything bike.

400XT - Aero Foot Pack - $116.10
Fit Kit 2077 - $45
50 Inch - Load Bars - $45
872 - Thule Fairing 44" - $45
590 - V2 Bike Carrier - $116.10
593 - Wheel On - $27.90
724 - Flat Top 4pr Ski Carrier - $90
8-pack lock cores 588 - $57.60

about $600 total with tax...