roof rack questions...

[jacobsen1]

Yes, I know, yet another roof rack/car topping question... I DID search, and tried to post in this thread:
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=2735&highlight=roof+racks
but it wouldn't let me....

Anyway, I have a Subaru WRX and I'm going to be putting a laser on the roof. Buying and registering a trailer is too much of a PITA to deal with, so roof racks it it. Now here comes the questions:

What sorts of other small cars do others car top on?
What length bars do you use?
How far apart are your bars on your roof?
How much weight is your rack rated for even though you put a laser on it?

Looking at THULE's site, they recomend the 50" bars for my car. I know a laser is 53" at it's widest point, and 50" around the areas that I'd want to strap it down at. Now I'd still want to put the spars on the roof too... Can you easily tie the spars UNDER the roof rack, and then still get the boat on top of the bars? THULE also has 58”, 65”, and 78” bars, so I could go with some 58" bars and push them so the extra was on one side to facilitate putting the spars on... I'd like to get the narrowest bars possible and still get everything on the roof...

Also THULE says this rack is only capable of holding 110lbs. The weight of the rack, and whatever I put on it (boat + spars + seitech dolly) is well over that. The bars will rest on "towers" that are on the edge of my roof. I've seen THULE racks with lasers on them before with no issues and I know my roof can handle the weight, so I'm guessing this is THULE being conservative with the guesstimates right?

Anyone have pictures of their cartopped laser (preferably on a smaller car)?

Thanks, and sorry for yet another new cartopper thread, but for some reason it wouldn't let me bump the other one... Maybe it was too old?

Ben

 

[Merrily]

Thanks, and sorry for yet another new cartopper thread, but for some reason it wouldn't let me bump the other one... Maybe it was too old?

Ben

Correct, threads close after about 3 months, I think, or something like that.

 

[spencer162063]

I've got a 86 cadilac coupe deville, I have roof racks, and another devise I made, if you have a trailer hitch it may work for you as well. it's really just a bar wich extends from the trailer hitch holder, and goes vertical and supports the ass end of the boat, behind the trunk of the car, I find it supports the boat better because the load is more spread between 3 points

 

[Rob E]

You checked on the capacity of the roof rack, be sure to check the weight capacity of the car, too.

 

[jacobsen1]

You checked on the capacity of the roof rack, be sure to check the weight capacity of the car, too.

the car's overall capacity is well over the 200lbs of a laser and gear... As for the cars roof, it's listed at 120lbs, but I weight 230 and I've sat on one side so I know it can support a laser hull w/o issues...

I ended up ordering the 50" bars to start. I don't have any definate regattas on the schedule yet, so I'm going to play with the 50"ers and my hull and see if I need the 58" or bigger. We'll see what I can figure out, and I'll be sure to post pics when I do play with it.

Ben