Project X

I did some thorough searches but didnt find anything relevant. I'm trying to find out what are some good roof racks that arent too expensive for the TL. Also, should I be concerned at all about any damage to paint with roof racks?

The opening in the rear seat isnt going to be big enough to slide snowboards through and the dimensions wont allow the boards to go in horizontal or vertical. This is why Im considering a roof rack. I may look into letting the boards stick out of the rear bumper as an option too provided they are secured. Im planning to fit 4 boards (3 w/bindings) in the TL with 4 passengers!

TIA

hotgrease

not sure about the roof rack but you could take the bindings off the boards and sit them across the rear passengers' laps provided the drive isn't too long. then put the bindings in the trunk, etc.

otherwise i would look at rack attack to get a fitament. i have purchased from a rack attack store and they're pretty good. (not sure if they're near you though). sports authority stock is hit and miss regarding roof racks in my experience.

where are you going if i may ask?

corduroy

Yakima Powderhound... or you can just throw it in your backseat =)

dhong87

iTrader: (2)

snowboard bag fits like 5 snowboards without bindings, wont scratch interior and wont make your interior dirty.
leave the bindings in the trunk and throw the snowboards in the backseat

Mr.President

dude... why don't you use that oppening from the trunk to the back seats. That how I fit my snowboards. getting a roof rack i think is unnessecary... unless you going to be using it for other equipment...

Project X

I'm going to test this out to see if the opening in the rear seat will accommodate 4 boards - ranging up to 154 size..

back seat is not an option as ill have 2 passengers in the rear seat... i would prefer not to buy a roof rack since i wont use it that much at all but wanted to explore this option if the boards dont fit with our luggage - we're going for 3 days and it'll be a 3-4 hr drive.

1789

A snowboard longer than about 138 is too long to fit inside the trunk. The armrest passthrough opening is too short for the width of most snowboards. My 158 will just fit in the back seat, but with 2 persons in the back, one end of the board must be above the armrest and the other above the window sill. It is not a comfortable or safe means to transport the board.

The short answer is that unless you are going on a really short drive to the slopes, you are best served by getting a rack. I recommend getting one that does not require you to remove the bindings and orients the boards in an aerodynamic position relative to the car moving forward. Mounting the boards behind the trunk will trash them with road salt, aggregate & road debris (just look at what the rear of your car looks like after driving in winter conditions). With a rack, you can also mount a rootop carrier, which is lightweight, aerodynamic, and protects the boards. When we use ours, I keep some old towels in it as padding between the boards - keeps them from scraping each other or rattling around, even with the bindings on.

Good racks aren't cheap. In the family garage we have a Yakima rack system on a Honda civic - similar mounting via hold down clamps into the lip that is concealed when the doors are closed. It's a secure rattle free fit, even with a pair of mountain bikes on board. Spend the extra $ and get the wind deflector or plan on being constantly irritated with wind noise.

Good luck.

Project X

i was actually looking into the yakima powderhound with yakima fairing to help with noise reduction and bad mpg..

obviously there are risks for scratches with the roof rack, but how likely is this? im going to install it with 2 other ppl. I noticed in pictures on rackattack.com the powderhound looks like it sits on pre-existing rails (i.e. rails from suvs etc) or is that just a dummy image?

bzyrice

iTrader: (10)

Try to find clear bra pieces sold on ebay .. use those right where you mount your raks to your car.. this will save your car from scratching.. well it did on my old golf..

Project X

i was pricing this out and it looks like a yakima roof rack will be pretty expensive as i'll need to get Q towers first with crossbars and then the Big powerhound snowboard kit as well as the clips and fairing for noise reduction..

bzyrice

iTrader: (10)

yah these things are not 50.00 .. more like 150-200.00

Project X

wrong - they are more like over 500

t3hanarchist

i fit boards easily in my TL, i just put it across from the driver side rear seat towards the roof above the passenger sea

jmkiang

iTrader: (5)

My board fits in my back seat.

How many passengers are you taking? The rear seat comes out VERY easily... like 4 bolts for the back support and 2 bolts/2 clips for the bench.

Project X

4 passengers to thats not going to work i dont think..

bzyrice

iTrader: (10)

WOW.. the price has gone up ALOT. I would look for one used locally if I were you then. just get the correct Q clips..

Here are the parts that you need:
For Yakima:
- Q Towers
- 48" Cross Bars
- Q 116 clips
- Q 112 clips
- Big Powerhound with Locks (there are 3 types of snowracks)
- 44" Fairings
New this cost 517?! WHOA!!

For Thule:
- 480 Traverse Foot Pack
- 50 Load Bar Pair (2 Pack)
- KIT1544
- 872XT Fairing 44"
- 91725 Universal Flat Top
New this one costs: 530!?

Geez?!

BUT.. Found a whole crap load of roof racks on craigslist!! For less then 200.00. For some reason the Northwest has ALOT for sale. You would just need to get the correct kits to make it fit our cars.

Mr.President

wow, I forgot.... the armrest passage is too small for snow boards IF you never modified that.... I actually set up my armrest to come completely off... and made the opening larger....(I'm planning on putting some speakers there like how the nissan GTR setup is like)...

Goosew

iTrader: (1)

And here I thought you were gonna tell us you got your roof rack from the Goya Bean Contest!.

jisleyjr

My brother already had the bars and wind thing. I just needed the part to hold the boards and the proper clamps to hook it to the car.

I went with the FatCat for holding the boards, 200ish plus the clamps, forgot the cost on those. Works well and it won't scratch your car if the pads are clean and the car is clean. Can be installed solo in a couple minutes, or a couple seconds with a friend once you have the clamps adjusted for the proper snugness.

Mileage does suffer a bit, low 20's, but with room for 4 boards and 4 people you can't argue with it.

Mr.President

LMFAO.....good times.....

RkFast

I got a roof rack on my TSX and although Id like the car a bit better WITHOUT it, its indespensible for my bikes. Plus, I think a sweet ride with two sweet custom mountain or road bikes on top looks pretty nice. Roof racks are GREAT if you plan to haul stuff on a regular basis.

As someone else mentioned, a little piece of clearbra where the clips touch the paint and removal of the rack once a yesr to clean and re-wax where the rubber feet touch the paint, and you wont have any issues.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Both Yakima and Thule make quality racks.

Mr.President

leedogg

fortunately I'm a skiier and dont have to deal with these issues, but hey, not everybody is perfect so hypothetically speaking, if I wanted to carry snowboards, I would mount a hitch in the back and get one of those bike rack hitches that have adjustable attachments for snowboards.

bzyrice

iTrader: (10)

quick question.. can you open your sunroof with the fairing on? looks like it sits on the sunroof..

corduroy

if you get the yakima it should fit. the fairing sits in front of the sunroof so you will have full use of your moonroof.

bzyrice

iTrader: (10)

Nevermind.. The fairing sits right on the sunroof.. I just installed it and tested it with sunroof.. Sunroof still opens up and tilts.. The fairing has foam pads that sit on the glass.

jisleyjr

Right.

When you have snowboards on and the bindings are pointed down you might have issues with tilting the glass.

Bayam0n

Christina Hendricks has a nice rack...

1789

An alternative solution: since you won't be using the roof rack beyond your 3 day trip to the slopes, just rent a 4 wheel drive SUV and split the cost with your passengers.
- You won't need a rack at all since the snowboards will fit inside, behind the back seat.
- It's cheaper than buying a new rack
- The TL doesn't like deep snow, and when shod with all season tires, it won't move from a stop on the slightest incline covered with packed snow.

Big Green

I've got Thule racks on mine, bought from rackattack.com (local here in Denver, serve the US online) and the wind fairing from REI (purchased later.)

I've got them on my TL-S as we speak. Work great. The wind fairing reduces a lot of noise, and I run a 168 board on there with no issues. One binding in the middle, one out towards the back. They say you can use a middle stabilizer piece (called a short roof adapter) but you absolutely DO NOT need this. Should set you back ~450 to 500.