Accessories compatible with OEM roof rack base support
 

Do thule accessories for the aero bars (I.e. bike or ski rack) fit the OEM base system for the F54/F60? We I read the previous generations needed some washers to refine the fit but was ultimately not a problem. Im curious if you are married to the whole system or if there is a broader selection of accessories to choose from.

Can someone either direct me to an existing thread or help to share if they have information?

So I have been researching this for a while now, you have several

Thule actually sells the larger BMW/MINI compatible T-Bolts as an accessory on their European website however they don’t ship to the US You can possibly find them on Amazon or eBay with international shipping.

etrailer.com sells a rectangular T-Bolt adapter that’s perfectly sized to fit into the larger T-Track on the OEM bars.

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Thule/853-5147.html

You can also use any standard 1 inch stainless steel washer.

One other option is to buy an actual Thule rack. They’re not cheap, compared to MINI’s OEM option, but they do look good and you don’t have to worry about the difference in T-Track size. I actually found a way to get a Thule rack for more than half off by purchasing it on Amazon’s UK site. Since the item is shipped and sold by Amazon they’ll deliver it to the US within 3 days to 2 weeks. I bought the new EVO Flush Rail setup with their new EVO rails that don’t require removing the rubber gasket when using the T-Track. All in, including shipping, I paid 283 for it after conversion fees. In the US it’s nearly 600 for the same rack.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...feb319ffda.png
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...3d2ee12792.png

I haven’t had any issue with using the standard t pieces that come with the Thule roof rack accessories. I have two pro ride bike carriers, one came from MINI (branded MINI) and one was bought before I had a MINI. Both came with the same pieces and both fit the original MINI roof rack. I have used them on a R60, F55 and now an F54. I am in the uk so it is possible that what we get in the box is different from what you might get if your not in the uk.

Hope this helps.

Thank you guys, this is super helpful. I’d love a Thule but it appears to be the much more expensive alternative. I’m located in canada, so access to the assortment on amazon is different and I can’t find the European seller. Great to hear that Thule accessories can be made to fit it limited modifications. They come up often used and I plan on using them sparingly so it’s the option I was pursuing. I need a ski rack and 2 bikes racks, which ends up being an expensive set up. Rack trip is a local seller of some generic racks and accessories that is local to me. They are cheap, look pretty good, but nothing worse than the whistling rack reminding you for hours of a road trip that you cheaped out

Just to check, the Thule 7324 ski rack seems to work universally with the oem rails and the Thule Pro Ride 591 and 598 bike rack also work? For the bike rack the website says 20x20 mm t-track rails are compatible but 24x30mm are not. Minis t-track looks to be the smaller 🤷🏽

I don’t know what size mine are but they came with the Proride bike carrier that I use(the MINI branded one) and the other one. My only thought is that both mine are over 3 years old so that might mean they have changed the spec of them.

I’m not sure it would make sense for them to change the rack specifications. Some accessories have the same product code as the R series. The compatibility of the thule stuff isn’t super clear. I’m pretty crafty but it’s a huge pain to buy something online with no return policy.

Thought I would go looking for random car stuff the other day in the garage and some things have been cleared up. The general opinion has been that the Thule ones are smaller and that had been confirmed as I have found the box that I keep the manuals and spare keys for the roof racks in and it contained another set of t pieces - the smaller Thule ones. So I must have swapped those out at some stage and just can’t remember. I have just checked them in the channel and yes they are definitely smaller but should work with a washer that is big enough.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...66d07f0fd.jpeg
Comparison of the two t pieces.

Hope this helps.

That’s genius. I bought the OEM crossbars today. I know the Thule 4 ski rack (#7324) but the 6 ski rack (#7326) seems to be a little wider than the Mini OEM 5 ski rack. Not sure that will fit. The OEM touring rack seems to be less expensive than the Thule options so might be better to stay with that. I appreciate the help. I’m surprised how convoluted this is to figure out. Would make a great thread to itemized what alternatives there are for the OEM cross bars