Cargogear.com has them
Cargogear.com has them
Cargogear.com
Updates and observations as I just bought and installed the Thule Traverse square bar with 1696 fit kit. My previous experience is with Yakima. I like the Thule, but after spending $520, what else would I say!
This is apples to oranges, but in this case imagine we are making a pie - apples are better! It might not be fair to compare my 10 year old Yakima stuff to brand new Thule, but I will. The Thule seems to be better designed, for the most part. The Thule pads are specific to the side and front/back position. There are 4 corners, and 4 different shapes of pads. That is a major advantage in a car that is as shapely as any modern car. The Thule pads are also thicker, which is nice, and they have an included sort of torque wrench allan key to let you know how tight they should be.
Thule uses square bars, Yakima round. Both good and bad. Square bars don't twist in the mounts, but they also aren't level on the car (as the car isn't square). The round ones probably cut the wind better and more quietly, and were maybe a bit more flexible allowing for some of the shock of the load force to be absorbed (this last one is purely a guess). It was easy to tighten ropes on the round bars, but the square might provide more shear and less rope slippage (but more wear on ropes/straps at the shear point).
I measured meticulously in mm like a good world citizen, and double checked in inches to be sure. Then I installed everything and discovered little indents a couple mm wide and round are exactly where the centers of the racks fall. There is also a bit of a pronounced ledge there - clever Mitsubishi made the car more rack compatible. As a canoe owner, I would have preferred a longer bar spread front to back, but it is ok. The dots/ledges will make it easy to put on and off.
Yakima and Thule racks hold 150lbs, or so, traditionally. I suppose each application is different and lawyers and engineers sometimes collaborate on things. In any case, the fit kit for our Mirage lists a meager 40kg/88lbs, and the info-graphic might even be suggesting 7kg/15.4 lbs must be deducted for the weight of the rack itself. That seems conservative, especially when you consider that force is much more of an issue than mass.
If hauling something like a sheet of plywood - max speed is 80km/h or 50mph or else the graphic says (!) and shows how the wind will push up over the hood under the plywood. I've had this happen - terrifying. If hauling a canoe, be sure to tie front and back down (tip - secure webbing to a bolt under the hood to use as tie downs anchors).
One silly thing Thule did that Yakima got right is they made the one-time action of locking the tower to the bar a very simple lever, but the frequent action of taking the racks on and off a tool. Yakima did the opposite - allan key to set it up, then just your hands after that.
Leaving racks on a car is to my mind a waste of fuel and weathers the rack parts unnecessarily.
I got the 65" load bars and they are well narrow of the mirrors. I imagine I could get two canoes on in a pinch (lock one down, then put the other on like a shingle and tie it down well. To me, a rack is a platform, but the rest of the car also acts as a tie-down.
__________________________________________
View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)
"Bar: Carries up to 165lbs of cargo (see Thule Buyer's Guide for vehicle specific recommendations)"
So in case you don't want to look for it it seems to be 33kg or 72.6lbs: http://cdn1.static-tgdp.com/assetloa...hule&market=CA
And also from Thule - apparently it is Mitsubishi's call:
What is the weight limit on a Thule roof rack system?
The weigh limit of our rack systems is based on each vehicle manufacturers recommendations. We recommend you consult your owners manual for the factory recommendations. For vehicles with a naked roof, the fit kit instructions specific to your vehicle will specify the weight limit. You can download a copy of the fit kit instructions by clicking the following link under Product Instructions, then select "fit kits" and your kit number, and you will be able to download and view the specs and instructions.
http://thule.custhelp.com/app/answer...w/load%20limit
Last edited by Canoehead; 06-24-2015 at 01:24 AM.
__________________________________________
View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)
If you're in Seattle-Tacoma area, REI store near Tacoma mall is having a 20% discount on Yakima Roof racks, I think the Thule racks were also on sale. So I'd check any REI store to see what deals they have.
Fuel Log: Good enough
Instagram: @zoras_sapphire
__________________________________________
View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)
Those that have use roof racks, what type of mpg hit did you take? Debating a set for my sister as she has two kids, one is a baby and she could put the stroller up top. Once she goes back to school we will likely take them off. Right now she doesn't drive a ton
I couldn't really say in numbers, but it is noticeable - maybe around 3-5% with just the racks, and maybe close to 20% with the racks and a canoe. I typically take the racks off for any highway travel when I don't need them. Around town I doubt they make much difference.
__________________________________________
View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)
Just adding empty racks to my Metro (Firefly) reduced MPG from 55 to 48 MPG at 55 mph / 87 km/h. Adding a bike dropped it to 40 MPG.
Consumer reports tested a Honda Accord at 65 mph:
- 42 mpg US - baseline with nothing on the roof
- 37 mpg - empty bike rack
- 35 mpg - empty bike rack with wind deflector (made it quieter, but increased drag)
- 27 mpg - two bikes on the rack (didn't specify deflector or not)
More:
Roof rack test: quantifying the aero penalty
__________________________________________
View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 62.4 mpg (US) ... 26.5 km/L ... 3.8 L/100 km ... 74.9 mpg (Imp)