Last week I bought a Yakima roof rack on eBay. It has 1a towers that are made for cars with rain gutters (or so the online brouchure says); I figured these were right for the Mini as it has rain gutters. For some reason I have now started to do some checking and from what I have read here and elsewhere I'm not so sure that I am getting what I need to fit my car. So, did I get the right towers?



Also, I'm guessing it's not going to come with instructions (as per previous eBay experience). I'm pretty mechanically inclined so will I be able to install it, without it falling off on the highway with several thousand $'s of bikes? I've looked but can't find install instructions online; any links?



On a side note, you gotta love OLN for re-airing the TDF today. I'm watching Lance win (again) and it's just as exciting as the first time.

 

The (new) Mini does not have rain gutters. Think you have the wrong towers.

 

Maybe I'm not so inclined. Perhaps I failed to mention I'm an idiot. So what you're saying is that the mini doesn't have rain gutters. So what's the black trim around the windows? Is it just plastic trim. That would explain why it (the black trim) doesn't work at all like a gutter. Did I mention I'm a nit wit?

 

I just went out to see what was what. I don't know what I was thinking that black plastic was. Theres NO WAY that will hold. I guess I will sell these towers on eBay. I'm a doofus!

 

"Doofus" is a pretty strong word. Don't be so hard on yourself.

 

I think you need the Q-Towers, which are a sort of "universal" item (not for all cars, but for most) and then the clips which mate the Q-Towers to the particular car.

I was able to find Q-Towers on eBay a few years ago. (Also sold my 1As there.) I paid about half what new Q-Towers would cost, and got back a few more bucks when I sold my 1As. I wasn't able to find the clips on eBay - they're specific to each car - so I bought some at a local sports shop. They weren't very expensive.

I seem to recall that Yakima has a fitting guide on their website. Or was it sportsrack.com? Check around - you should be able to put together a list of what you need online. If not, stop into any good bike or ski shop. They should be able to tell you what you need.

 

Hey Elbee... yeah, you need the Q Towers with a set of Q Clips to make it work on the MINI. It fits just fine.

Q Towers and the Q78 clips to be exact, and then you'll want to pick up a couple 48" crossbars to go with it. Then after that comes the different attachements (i.e. bike, ski, etc.)

Hope that helps!! I work at a sporting goods store part time, so I'm fortunate enough to be around that stuff a lot.

 

well, my ebay deal is not much of a deal afterall. I priced the towers and clips earlier at the bike store. Now I need to decide to relist the whole package on ebay or keep the bars and attachments and try to sell the towers on ebay. Oh well. Live and learn.


Another question about mounting the towers, do they need to go in the door openings or could the read tower go further back along the back window? I have a sunroof if it matters.

 

I believe they can also mount farther back toward the back windows. I'd put one up front somewhere along the front windows, and one along the back.

 

Don't buy the Q-Towers at the bike store if you can help it. They're the most expensive part of the system. If you're patient, you should be able to find them on eBay. (That's how I got mine - about half the price of new.) Another alternative is to watch for sales. With the ski season coming, watch ski outfitters. Around here (Sacramento) Yakima stuff seems to go on sale quite often. I don't think I ever paid full list price for any of my Yakima gear - bought it all either used or on sale. (Except may a lock set and some replacement parts.)

The clips are suited only to one particular car, so those will be hard to find on eBay. But they're the cheapest part of the system, too, so that's not so bad. And don't forget that you'll probably get a few dollars back if you sell your 1A towers.

 

WARNING: Someone recently said his sunroof can do the vent thing and open with his Yakima rack in place, but you must be very careful about how you mount your accessories. In other words, if the hardware hangs down below the level of the bars, your sunroof may hit it. He moved his bike racks to the outside and was fine. But just a heads-up to be careful.

Good luck finding some good deals...

 

Update: I bought q78 clips and the accompanying (sp?) towers. I got the towers on sale as they were a demo model on the little Yakima display vehicle / rack; they're slightly scratched but no worse than they'll be in a few days with me. I've put everything together in the living room so I'm ready for the final install tomorrow. I just took one of the clips outside to try it out because it looks like theres hardly anything to grab with on the bottom. Just as I suspected it grabs on to the black plastic trim piece (which is not a rain gutter). Is this right? Shouldn't it grab on to something further in to the car than the non-gutter trim peice? It doesn't seem right to me.

Also, the pads that go on to the clips (the black sticker things), are these supposed to go around the bend onto the gripper part of the clip or is it okay of they just go along the larger peice until the bend in the clip? I did one and it stops at the bend. I couldn't figure out how to get it flush around the bend.

 

I am working on a Yakima roof-rack based project now. The Yakima system for the Mini consists of four main units.

1. 4 Q-Towers (make sure they have the urethane bottom pads)
2. 4 #78 clips
3. 4 lock cylinders
4. Two crossbars (40")

Then on top of this, you will need any specialized mounts to hold something specific like a bike, canoe, cargo basket, or surfboard. Other accessories are available like crossbar pads, fairings, and specific mounting hardware for special loads.

You can look for bargains on E-Bay, but the #78 clips do not come up that often.