How do you like having a rack on your Fit? I am in the process of mounting a used Rhino Rack on mine. I hope the fitting process is worth it in the end. I've had to buy parts, measure, tork, talk on the phone etc, and I'm hoping it's all worth it.
I know you're not suppose to tow with the Fit but I have a small Harbor Freight trailer that I can use for a Kayak. Don't see how that light of a load could hurt anything.
But with the rack I'll have an option. I can use the rack for longer trips, and the trailer for trips close to home. I don't like the idea of towing that trailer on the highway for long distances.
I'm just rambling here, hoping for some feedback. Thanks. Mine's a 2016 Fit with CVT and 62,xxx miles.

 

I liked having a roof rack on my Fit for my bicycles, but the slight decrease in mpg and slight increase in wind noise caused me to remove it. I typically only carry one bicycle which can fit on either the hitch-bike-rack or inside my car. When I did carry a bicycle on top of the car, days with strong winds made me wonder if the car would be pushed around by a gust. I do not know about the profile of a kayak on the roof - perhaps it would be less affected because it does not stand as tall.

 

I don't know where you get the information that you are not suppose to tow with the Fit. They make study tow bars and like you I would use the light weight Harbor Freight trailer to tow stuff, even sheets of 4x8.. If I find it necessary to carry large items, I think it would be safer to tow rather than to carry the items on top of a roof rack. As for carrying a bike, I usually put it in the raised back seats or over a hanging hatchback bike rack.
I like to keep things simple. You either have to keep the rack installed all the time, or spend time installing it when you need it.

 

I assembled this rack out of various Thule-compatible parts: two 47" Thule AeroBars, four Exodus feet (from Halfords of London, 480R copies), three Rocky Mounts Jetline trays, and the Thule 1751 Fit Kit for the GK5.

Doing it piecemeal like this was fine for me, but I wouldn't recommend it for everybody. There is a fair amount of futzing to cut the little rubber strips that fit on top of the AeroBars to keep wind resistance at a minimum without a fairing (AeroBars are designed to be used without a fairing; the profile is teardrop-shaped already). Then there's more futzing as you attach it to the roof. You have to be careful not to overtighten the foot locks so as not to dent/damage the roof, as it's fairly thin sheet metal. You also have to be careful as to positioning fore and aft. The instructions are very specific about how far back from the windshield the forward foot goes.

I used it just for bikes. No complaints. There is some added wind noise and drop in MPG, but generally I'm satisfied. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

I was under the impression you weren't suppose to tow with the CVT. I'm just wanting to take a kayak and maybe a bicycle with me.
I should have the rack on this weekend. I've had to do some minor modifications.
Thanks for the encouragement.

 

The owner's manual states not to tow with the Fit, but that is Honda's way of covering their assets.

 

shameless plug ..... I have inno racks, brand new in box. with snowboard attachment. if someone is genuinely interested ... PM me for details


I recently acquired a 1st gen honda insight, and that will be my new project moving forward

 

Dibs on the GK!

 

Well, I finally got the rack all mounted and tested. I couldn't be happier! It works well with my little white water kayak. I haven't noticed any appreciable wind noise or loss in mileage (Without the boat on top.)
Going down the road with the boat on top I can't tell it's there unless I look. I've only taken it on local excursions. I hope to take it on a longer trip soon.

 

I never noticed that my kayak was so small. I'm now in the market for a bigger, fishing-type kayak.

 

Looks like the one you have already is the perfect....fit. Although it does bend the tip of the antenna a wee bit.

Can the hatch be opened all the way?

 

No. Can't open the hatch all the way. It's a good thing that antenna bends. I'm tickled to have it on there.
I bought the rack on CL for cheap then put it in my shed and forgot about it because it seemed like a hassle. Once I put my mind to it it was easy.
I did have to hunt down some missing parts but that worked out once I found a source on the web.

 

 

You have some nice lakes up there.

 

How about switching the post style antenna for a shark fin? ... it it's a problem.