Hey guys,

I have done extensive research on the Mini roof racks, and the factory ones seem to be the only option. I need to get my surfboard around with the Mini. While the factory racks seem to be the only option, they also seem very sturdy.

Have any of you had any experience with the roof racks? More importantly, do they make any annoying noises at higher speeds, or anything of that sort?

Any help would be great!

Thanks!

-Miles

 

I have a set of yakima racks for carting my surfboard and other toys around, they work just fine. I would have probably gone for the factory racks accept for the fact that they are perminant, and if i remember correctly they have to drill holes in your roof to put them on . I would recomend going the yakima route, unless you realy want the factory ones.
Christian

just a quick note:
If you ride a short board, you can put down the back seat on the drivers side and it slides right in. This would probably work with a board up to 7'2" or 7'4". so you are still good for those big days where you need the semi-gun.

 

Have you had the Yakima's long? I know they use the Q clips, so they mount on the roof-sill. Have you had any problems with ware on there?

 

How about roof racks that can be temporarily installed for trips to the local home store? What types or brands are out there to safely use?

 

I saw a mini that had the factory roof rack...when you take off the roof rack theres little covers that go over the holes. It looked a little odd at first because there were these 4 little bulges in the roof but you get used to them I guess.

At the long beach poker rally there was a mini with a surf board on the roof...looked really cool

 

Very happy with the Mini roof rack.

Simple, clean looking setup, I think it looks much better than the other system with the clips that go over the edge of the roof (just hmo). It's very easy to remove (see first pic below). Mine does not make any noise... well there is a little low-freq hum... it sounds exactly like driving on the freeway in 5th (as opposed to 6th) in my MCS. BUT this is not the case with all installs, i think i just got lucky... supposedly some do make whistling noises. The drilling a hole in the roof wasn't a big deal for me... the dealers have installed enough of these by now that they're pro's at it. My install looks great.

The only thing I didn't like was the silver cross-bars, especially on a black roof. So I got the bars powder-coated...gloss black and then clear-coated.

Pics (w/Ski holder attachment):

 

Like you, I also found the factory racks as the only viable option. Mine make a fair amount of noise, but so did Thule racks I had on a different car. The factory racks are so easy to install/replace that I usually only put them on when I need to use them. Another issue is that the little plastic caps that cover the studs keep falling off. As they cost $5 each I stopped caring and accepted the Frankenstein look.

I was rather dismayed at the fact that all of my Thule carriers would go to waste with these new racks. So, I adapted them to fit on the factory ones. The ski carriers adapt perfectly. The bike carrier was a little difficult. I have outlined my steps for both here: Thule parts on a mini rack. One caveat: I made more modifications to the bike carrier after I made the page to reduce swaying. Maybe at some point I will update it.

Even if you hate the racks you will have some cool studs in the roof which you could use for attaching various objects like giant horns, sails, or cannons. :^)

 

i have the factory rack and love it. I havent lost the cups( I actually surprised at this). The is little to know whistle( only in th 30-40 mph range) It comes on and off easy( I keep it off most of the time just put it on to transport bikes) The only problem I had was the bike carrier did not fit my bike ( I have no down tubes) I bought a Thule wide mouth with the VW adapter and a washer and it works great stayed on at speeds of 70 MPH without shake or rattle.

 

http://www.sarisracks.com i love my saris rack

 

I would highly recommend the Yakima roof rack. Inexpensive, easy to install/remove and holds a lot of weight.

 

Hey wifesmini!

Love that Union Jack grille! I always love to see someone do something fun, original, and fresh!