With a roof rack, your car becomes an all-purpose, trip-taking machine for your active family. Even while basic roof racks are a common feature on many vehicles and SUVs, if your vehicle doesn’t already have one, you can install one yourself.
Whatever your car’s starting configurationbare roof (no rack at all), roof rails (no crossbars), or complete rackwith these suggestions, you’ll quickly have your gear loaded and prepared for your next family vacation.
In This Article...
Full Roof Rack
Your objective has already been mostly completed if your car has roof rails and crossbars. You merely need gear adapters, that’s all. For example, customized adapters clamp to your current crossbars to transport a bike or a kayak.
Installation takes only a few minutes and only a few simple tools, if any at all, are needed. To make moving your equipment even simpler, several automakers, like Subaru, sell individual parts. After installation, load your equipment in accordance with the manual that came with the adapters.
Roof Rails Only
Your car’s roof rails are really just a smaller version of a full roof rack. A set of crossbars is the ingredient that is lacking. Although your car’s manufacturer presumably makes crossbars specifically for your particular make and model, you can also likely find aftermarket crossbars that connect to your existing roof rails. Use the provided tool or a set of simple hand tools to attach them. Once the crossbars are in place, you must locate the proper adapters to mount the particular equipment you are towing.
Bare Roof
Factory and aftermarket alternatives can get you and your gear on the road with minimum hassle even if all you have to work with is a plain roof. Your service center can typically provide the templates and drilling needed for factory roof racks. On the other hand, you can install a set of factory roof racks in about an hour with the right equipment, factory instructions, and persistence.
There are alternatives to factory roof racks. Bolt-on roof racks will demand careful consideration while designing and building, especially with regard to waterproofing. When not in use, clamp-on roof racks are simple to mount and demount without the need for drilling.
Things to Keep in Mind Regarding Roof Racks
Depending on your car, aftermarket roof racks could not come as a kit but rather as individual pieces. Similar to this, gear adapters are specialized, e.g., for a cargo basket or snowboard, so you just need to acquire what you require. Look for security elements that can help prevent theft of your roof rack, adapters, and most crucially, your equipment, such as a keyed clamp, special installation tools, or a security cable pass-through.
Any non-factory racks, or at the very least the crossbars, should be taken off while not in use. Even empty roof racks can significantly harm your car’s aerodynamics, reducing its fuel efficiency. Of course, you won’t have to worry about this if you’re actually carrying stuff.
Be careful when loading and unloading your gear because roof racks are high, possibly even above your head. You might damage yourself, break a window, or scratch the paint. However, if you put in a little extra work, you’ll soon be cruising to the beach or the slopes without any mess!
Consider shopping for all the cargo accessory products on NAPA Online or having your regular maintenance and repairs handled at one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare facilities instead. Consult a qualified specialist at your nearby NAPA AUTO PARTS shop for more details on roof racks.
Is drilling required to install roof racks?
Although raised rails are the simplest to use, they are not always present in automobiles, SUVs, and vans. You may quickly and easily install a roof rack without drilling using already-installed tracks.
Here’s how to use an existing track to install a roof rack system. Remember that every model is unique. Throughout the process, refer to your owner’s manual and the detailed installation instructions:
- Step 1: Select a roof rack system made for mounting on a car track. The majority of types that are compatible with vehicle track systems have a particular mount or attachment designed to fit them.
- Install the mount or landing pad made to fit inside the current track system in step two. This is usually the first thing you do before installing any other hardware in your car. Depending on the system, this might change.
- 3. Assemble the hardware that attaches to the mount or landing pad that fits into the current track system on your vehicle. Before fastening the assembled item to the mounting or landing pad hardware, do this. For the final rack installation, this will probably result in a crossbar configuration.
- Step 4: Mount the rack system and additional components to complete the work. Follow the manufacturer’s directions while placing them.
- Step 5: Use equipment or luggage to test your mount. Make sure it is installed safely.
Tip: Installing a track system is typically the same process for vehicles with concealed mounting clips. The goods are made to be used in both directions. Always make sure the mount hardware you choose is compatible with the car you have in mind.
Can a car be fitted with a roof rack without rails?
Don’t worry if your car lacks factory rails; there are still ways for you to add some bars to your roof. Some automobilesespecially BMW, Volkswagen, and Mazdahave fixed mounting points from the factory.
A fixed point roof is what?
Roof rack mounting attachment points are known as fixed points. Many fixed points in cars have flush-fitting plastic covers with arrows directing the user in which direction to push the cover off. You can construct fixed locations by drilling into the roof of your car yourself or through a bespoke installation business.
Does It Fit My Car?
Although most roof rack systems contain some modular parts, your specific options will depend on the year, make, and model of your car. For the majority of vehicles, brands like Yakima and Thule currently provide one or more solutions, but at ReRack, we are able to offer a wide range of options, from now-discontinued designs to the most cutting-edge racks. Contact us if you’re unsure about the parts your car needs! We are glad to assist. See this section of our guide for a description of the common roof rack types.
How Much Is It Going To Cost?
For our clients, price is typically the most crucial consideration. We attempt to stock as many return and used things as we can because you’ll save money and it’s better for the environment (the majority of a rack’s carbon lifecycle occurs during original construction). We also provide a wide selection of brand-new roof racks, of course!
At ReRack, we only offer racks and accessories made by reputable companies like Yakima, Thule, and Rhino-Rack. These roof racks often have greater weight and gear capacities than stock manufacturing racks. The cost of a base roof rack will vary depending on if you want new components, an aerodynamic profile, and the year, make, and model of your car. Complete roof rack systems range in price from about $150 for a secondhand rack on older vehicles to more than $500 for a brand-new, top-of-the-line arrangement that is aerodynamic.
What Do I Want To Carry?
The majority of the time, people purchase a roof rack so they may attach specialized mounts (such as bike racks, kayak carriers, cargo boxes, etc.) to them or because they already have roof mounts. Purchasing a roof rack and roof rack mounts from the same brand is the easiest and least expensive option.
While some goods can be used with several crossbar types, others need additional adapters that must be bought separately or simply won’t function with particular crossbars.
Consider your needs and whether a certain brand is best suited for the equipment you plan to place on your roof rack.
What’s Going To Look Good?
Everyone has own tastes, right? You might choose square or round crossbars; you might need more height; you might prefer silver or black; you might prefer round crossbars or square ones. Before making a choice, compare a few different rack manufacturers because they all have slightly distinct designs.
Roof racks might they harm your car?
A roof rack that is installed and utilized correctly will provide years of trouble-free service and won’t harm your automobile. Your automobile may sustain harm from a poorly fitting, overloaded, or improperly torqued roof rack.
How can I tell if a roof rack will work with my vehicle?
If you don’t have access to your vehicle’s owner manual, you can find the roof rack and load carrier capacity online.
What distinguishes roof rails from roof racks?
You’ve probably thought about acquiring roof rails or roof racks if you want to expand your car’s cargo space. The best, safest method to transport luggage, bicycles, kayaks, and a variety of other items that simply won’t fit inside your car is using roof rails and roof racks. To support a roof basket, baggage box, ski rack, bike carrier, or kayak carrier, even a basic roof rail rack foundation may accommodate a wide variety of attachments and accessories.
Roof rails are another easy method to give your car a distinctive appearance and flair while also allowing you to secure cargo to the roof. The information provided here should assist you in choosing between roof rails and roof racks if you want to improve the load carrying capacity of your automobile but aren’t sure which option will work best.
Both roof rails and roof racks let you carry things safely on top of your automobile. This makes them extremely comparable. The direction in which these are positioned on top of your vehicles’ roofs is the key distinction between the two. For instance, roof racks are fitted across the roof and roof rails run the length of the car’s roof attached by feet or other installations.
Roof rails offer points of attachment for crossbars or other add-ons like a cargo box, a ski rack, or a cargo carrier. When necessary, it is simple to add and remove these baggage attachments. Vehicle roofs with flush-mounted roof rails lie flat with no gap between the rail and the roof.
Another distinction between the two is that roof racks are more durable and made to support heavier loads. It is crucial to have roof racks properly fitted since they can select the appropriate kind of roof rack for your requirements. They will also discuss the risks associated with loading the roof rack beyond its capacity.
Surprisingly, most people are unaware of the risks posed by a vehicle top that is overloaded. In addition to endangering the safety of the vehicle and its occupants, an overloaded roof rack can invalidate auto insurance claims in the event that the automobile is involved in an accident and its overloaded roof is found to be the cause.
Can every automobile have a roof rack?
Although roof racks are compatible with 98 percent of automobiles, you will need particular equipment to attach them to your car. Any roof rack that is put on your car’s rain gutters will almost probably work, although you might need to adjust the foot height and bar width.