2nd Generation (GE 08-present)The New Fit... Generation specific talk and questions here.
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Just got off the phone with Thule.
Roof rack now available for the 09 fit.
There are 2 available:
Rapid system 400xtr
fit kit 2199
load bars rb47
lock 544 this will lock the rack
lock 596 this will lock the rack and say kayak mount (2 locks 1 key)
lock 588 this will lock the rack, kayak mount and bike mount (3 locks 1 key)
Fairing 871XT (medium)
max. wt 130lbs
Aero system 400xt
fit kit 2199
load bars lb50
locks 544
max wt 130 lbs
Rapid system as it implies is easier to get on and off and is more aerodynamic.
Aero system sticks out on the sides more.
I believe they said you cannot carry a canoe with the rapid system but kayak is ok.
All information if from Thule customer service.
Update: Called cusomer service back with more questions and I believe it will be a few more weeks until the
fit kit 2199 is ready for shipping to distributors.
MsFit
Last edited by MsFit; 02-26-2009 at 04:35 PM.
Reason: added info
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Nice! Thanks for the info, we can't wait to get racks on. The site still says nothing available via the search, and I cannot find the fit kit on the site, so I think I will just jot down this list and visit my local Thule dealer. Gonna go with the XTR kit - I had the standard ones on my Suby and they made lots of noise - you could really tell a difference with or without racks. Hoping the aero ones will treat the Fit better.
And another thank you from me. With two available kits, it sounds like I will be able to re-use parts from my '07 Thule Fit rack system, like the bars, faring, and locks, and just buy the new towers/clamps.
I think I am going with the xtr kit too as I am starting from scratch.
I want to get a hitch for a bike rack and will use the roof rack for a kayak. Trying to decide on a kayak rack.
Wonder which hitch looks best. LOL
Update: Thule said to be first to get the fit kit 2199 have your place of business preorder it so you will be sure to get the first wave of them.
Rackattack.com told me they were a discontinued item. Not true. This is a brand new item. Just not "officially" available.
I just looked the the Thule website and 2009 is now listed on the "Rack your car"
drop down box!!!!
Thanks for the new announcement. You are like our own "60 Minutes" investigative reporter. Now that the '09s are listed on the Thule site, it turns out that with the base kit, the 07-08-09's all use the same #400XT feet. The member in PA on another thread who did a trial fit of a '07 Fit rack on his new '09, front bar only, in the snow, with good results, was right. People with Thule racks from 1st. gen Fits can use them on '09s too.
i am sorta confused about the "rapid aero xtr" being easier to take on and off the car, i have a 400xt from other cars, and now it is on our civic. its not bad to take on and off, but a little bit of a pain in the butt if the feet slide while you are removing it (having to line them up again to put it back on)
how is the rapid aero easier to get on and off? are the feet attached to the bar with a set screw or something? i did not see anything in the directions that would make it easier.
its obvious it would be a lot quieter than the 400xt.
also, i am a little annoyed with thule now since it has taken them nearly 5 months to get this product to the market. i was close to buying the yakima that has been out for months, but i have an assortment of thule parts that i have collected over 12 years or so.
now if i can actually get this magic 2199 fit kit i will be a happy thule owner again!
the kayak holders i have now are kayak wings Great Lakes Kayak - Kayak Wing
i have tried the thule kayak saddles, the goalpost thing, and a few others along with yakima hully rollers, and the kayak wings are the easiest to load and treat my wood boats very nice.
but they make a ton of noise when there is no boat on them...
i have been very happy with that purchase.
the thule goalpost thing is a nightmare to try and get the kayaks strapped down to... just my opinion. might not be bad if you were 6.5' tall...
spinnb7-
Since the "Aero" system is the new one, I don't know this for sure due to the lack of detail in Thule's description, but it seems as if the crossbars are held onto the feet with some mechanical feature, like a bolt, that is not visible in the photo. With the original rack that uses the 400XT feet, the time consuming part of mounting it was adjusting the feet and bar mounting at exactly the right distance apart to fit the car. Once that is done correctly, taking the bars on and off is simple and quick.
If, instead of a spring loaded clamp that joins the bar to the feet, you used a bolt and sliding nut joining system, the initial set-up would be much faster than it is with the original system.
Does anyone know the weight limit of the roof?
When I first inquired they said 130lbs.
I wanted to get the kayak holder hullavator but it is not listed to work with our car due to weight.
I called thule and now they say wt limit is 110.
Anyone know the correct weight limit?
Hullavator weights 43 lbs and my kayak weights 40 lbs. Not sure how much the rapid system rack is.
Does anyone know the weight limit of the roof?
When I first inquired they said 130lbs.
I wanted to get the kayak holder hullavator but it is not listed to work with our car due to weight.
I called thule and now they say wt limit is 110.
Anyone know the correct weight limit?
Hullavator weights 43 lbs and my kayak weights 40 lbs. Not sure how much the rapid system rack is.
Thanks for the help
Since the rack "feet" rest on the weld seams on both sides of the roof, and the seams are the most rigid areas of the roof, I will trust the 130 pound weight limit of the rack and won't worry about the roof suffering any damage. If you were to flip the whole car onto the roof in an accident, the roof won't just cave in and crush the occupants- sure it will dent and get beat up, but it will support the entire rest of the car.
The weight limit from Thule is based on the strength of the clamps that hold the feet to the edges of the roof, and what they feel is a safe limit that won't interfere with safe handling. 130 pounds on the roof will make a noticeable difference in your steering and stability on curves because it changes the center of gravity of the car. Carrying heavier weight than that will have a greater negative effect on vehicle stability.
Whatever the actual design weight limit of the roof that Honda built into the car is very likely figured into Thule's printed weight limits also.
I just ordered everything today at my local rack shop. Note that if you use the XTR system you may need to get an adaptor kit since the XTR rails are wider than the standard ones. For example, the "Peloton" bike carrier will not attach to the XTR rails without an adaptor kit.
I will take pics and such when all the pieces come it. Thanks again for the tip!
Hmm that sucks. The folks where I ordered mine didn't say anything about that - might give them a call today and see what was up. They asked if I wanted to next day air the parts to have them "next week" which implied they were available. I will see what they say.
i was also told late April by my local rack shop (rack-it san diego). they said nothing has shipped from sweden yet. i could special order and have it airmailed but it would be primo expensive.
there is a third option put out by Inno that is orderable now. supposed to be delivered by the end of the week.
AAAAARGGGGH! Just got a call from the local shop saying the fit kit parts are now on backorder for "several weeks" due to a needed last minute change to the foot clips or something. He also stated that nothing on this kit is made in Sweden, it's all here in the USA. I inquired about a Yakima setup as I really just want to get bikes on the roof at this point, but it would have been about the same price for lesser gear (round crossbars instead of aero, bike carriers seem slightly medieval, etc).
I guess this "several week backorder" fits into the late April timeframe that csteve21 pointed out earlier... Just got to wait I guess. I shouldn't have sold my Subaru just yet (had the full Thule setup on there).
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