Quote:
Originally Posted by DrewBird
Thanks Manxman...
When you say you take it off when not needed, do you mean literally every single time you use it? That would have me taking it on and off a couple of times a week...????
 |
I don't carry bicycles or kayaks- just occasional long loads from Home Depot, etc. Yakima & Thule racks are noisy on a Fit without using the available fairings, so I use the fairing, and there is no noise. But, the wind resistance of all of the hardware on the roof hurts fuel economy (a lot). My mileage is around 27 mpg with the rack, and around 35-38 without. Also, if the rack is left on the roof constantly, the rack "feet" will deform the rubber seals in the lengthwise channels on each side of the roof. The seals cover weld seams.
When I was shopping for my rack, I found several brands of racks that use tracks that bolt onto the roof permanently. A permanent rack that does not use the weld seam channels might suit your needs better. The permanent racks were of a "universal fit" design where you pick the length of tracks to match your individual roof dimensions. You would have the advantage of being able to remove the cross bars from the tracks when not loaded, so your mileage would not suffer unnecessarily.
The Thule racks attach to the tops of the
door frames and do not touch the "window seals". The seals at the tops of the doors are very thin and flexible and will not be permanently deformed by the rack clamps.