I know there have been a few 3rd gen. threads about this in the past but they are all at least several years old and products change, plus some of the links no longer work.

Need a roof rack for a 2016 Fit LX (in the USA) to use perhaps two or three times per year for a day or so each time. Mostly for carrying items such as a 2"x4"x10' board or a replacement storm door 4 miles from a hardware store and won't fit into the car (and I have yet to find some way to have something long hanging out the back and tying down the hatch). I want something that is relatively easy to install and remove so most of the time it isn't on the car but it won't take me an hour to install it every time I need it. Also maybe week-long camping road-trip every couple of years.

The current line of Yakima's don't receive great reviews and availability of some parts to the system seems spotty. Also pricey.

Thule instead? Pricey.

I see advertising posts by Rhino-Rack here. One comment from a few years ago complaining about how difficult it is to install properly. Any more recent experiences?

Others?

 

You can assemble your own rack as long as everything is compatible and the right match for your Fit.

Couple years ago, I assembled this Thule-based rack, all from different sources:

--Thule ARB47 AeroBlade load bars. $80 for both, slightly used, local sale.

--RockyMounts Jetline trays. $60 each new on sale in weird colors. I picked orange for visibility. No trouble finding my car in a crowded parking lot.

--Exodus FP4 (Halfords house brand for Thule in the UK) 480R compatible feet. $80/all four online.

--Thule FitKit for the GK5 (1541?) - $80 from an online discounter.

Saved a considerable amount by sourcing all the components myself, and then some time putting everything together and trimming the rubber on the AeroBlades.

It all works well enough. I put it on in spring and take it off for winter. Only using it to carry bikes, though, not building supplies.

 

Nice arrangement How long does it take to attache the Thule feet and crossbars?

I am not doing major building supply hauling, just our house maintenance, but the one major disadvantage to the Fit over my '81 Corolla was the lack of a way of putting anything more than 7 feet long into the car. With the Corolla I could put it on the roof rack or if it was a short distance, just stick it in the back with the end sticking out and then tie the door down to the bumper. I recently had to buy a screen door for the back of our house and after spending 15 minutes in the parking lot trying to get it into the Fit I had to take it back into the store and pay to have it picked up by the handyman who installed it. He showed up the next day with it strapped to a roof rack on his car so I was determined next time I needed to carry a door (we need another door for a different entry now) I was going to carry it myself and save $40.

 

It took me at least 3-4 hr. to assemble.

With the Thule Aero Blade design, there is no fairing, and instead, you get a teardrop profile load bar with a very smooth top surface and a channel that takes a rubber strip. You cut the rubber strips to length between each tray and on the outside of each tray based on your tray positions.

The putziest part is measuring, cutting and installing all those rubber strips that go on top the load bars. If you can make it through that, you're golden.



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Gosh , I remember Halfords from when I lived in the UK 40 years ago. Unfortunately that's a Halford's specific part and the only alternative here is Thule's own stuff, unless there's more commonality between brands than I originally thought and I can use somebody else's feet.

Those particular Airblades are no longer available, but perhaps the Wingbar is the new equivalent?

I don't need the trays since I just need to strap stuff to the crossbars. I might end up needing to buy a large basket thing if I use this for camping since then I'd be putting non-rigid items up top.