Roof Rack For Fit Sport?

[DrewBird]

A couple of days ago I dropped a $500 deposit (refundable) on a new 2008 Fit Sport. After driving a Mazada B4000 4x4 around for the past four years I am really excited about getting the car.

BUT, imagine my surprise when I contact the local 'roof rack' shop to be told that they do not reccomend fitting a rack to the Fit because it 'scratches the paint' and 'damages the door seals'. They are a dealer for both Thule and Yakima. They suggested I call the Honda dealer, but a call to the Parts dept at my local dealer revealed that they dont sell a Honda rack for the Fit.

Is anyone out there using a rack for the fit that is not 'scratching paint' and 'damaging door seals'?

I need a rack for carrying two kayaks. No matter how verstatile the interior of the Fit might be, you wont fit 2 16' long sea kayaks in there

While it may seem like a small issue, this could be a deal breaker that sees me getting that refundable deposit back and slapping down 25K on a Toyota Matrix. You have got to save me from myself!!!!!!!!

Any help or advice appreciated.



Drew.

[SpoonSportFit]

Here is a link to the thread on the Thule Rack....Finally got my US market Thule fit kit., it might help answer some questions. But you can always switch to playboating haha

[manxman]

My Thule rack works just fine and does not cause any damage, but I don't leave it on the car all the time- only when it is needed to carry a load. You are getting bad advice both from the rack dealer and the car dealer. You won't regret buying either the Fit or the rack.

[DrewBird]

I checked out the link to the thread on the Thule rack and looked at some of the pics. It does look like the rack deforms the window seals. I guess I would be a little concerned that over time it becomes permanent.

I am gonna keep digging, but I think the Thule is the way to go...

Originally Posted by SpoonSportFit

Here is a link to the thread on the Thule Rack....Finally got my US market Thule fit kit., it might help answer some questions. But you can always switch to playboating haha

[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...????

[manxman]

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.

[DrewBird]

Thanks for the info all who have helped with this.

I made my decision and just went to the dealer to take my new ride for a spin. I did make one change - I went for the Silver instead of the Blue. Just preferred the look of it.

[Idaho Jake]

Check out my new piece on roof rack installation in this forum. Idaho Jake