I’ve been doing endless research and reading forum after forum on roof racks for my ‘06 mini (r50) I just want to be sure I have it all squared away before I pull the trigger.

I'm wanting a rack mainly for 2 adult mountain bikes and 2-3 snowboards. Might be getting kayaks soon, as well.

Thule:
-1366 fit kit
-480R foot pack
-50” square bar
-487 short roofline adapter
-38” air screen BUT I’ve seen a lot of people talk about their fairings being too small, so I’m wondering if I need to go up a size. No one really mentioned the sizes and the threads were quite outdated. 38” is what is recommend by Thule, as far as I’m understanding.
-T517 Thule peloton fork mount bike carrier
-Thule 91725U ski/snowboard carrier
- lock cores... how many is necessary? Will a pack of 4 work or do I need 4 for the rack alone and then more for each accessory?

I’ve found it all new online, but I’m wondering after searching for all those parts if Yakima racks are better after reading some of the threads here.

I have fitted my car for the q-towers, clips, and bars. But it’s recommended for 2 sizes of q-clips q83 and q116. I CANNOT find them in stock anywhere. I did happen to see someone mention in a thread they thought these sizes were incorrect, but didn’t offer a different size. Is there something else I can use? or just go with the Thule system since I can find it all.

one more question, the Thule system has a short roofline adapter... does Yakima also have something of the sorts? I can’t find anything online to suggest so, but just a thought.

 

I found gently used 2 Yakima accessories for a steal on marketplace. The sprocketrocket bike rack and big powderhound snowboard rack.

I saw that they’re possibly compatible with the Thule square bar, but wondering if anyone know for sure.

Is mixing Thule and Yakima a big no-no in the first place? I love the look of a rack, so I definitely want it to be functional and still stylish.

 

Late last year I bought a set of Yak racks with all of the hardware (including the Q clips) from a member here- alistaircookie, who seemed to have access to parts which appear to be NLA elsewhere. you can find him in the For sale section, he's got stuff for sale there. you can find the installation instructions for the racks online.

 

thanks! Really appreciate that bit of info.. I’ll definitely hit him up.

 

Yakima doesn't make the q clips for the R50/R53 anymore, but the Q83 and Q116 are the correct ones. I have a set sitting in my basement that I bought new late last year to go with some rack parts that I already had. There may be a few sets floating around NIB still, but more likely you'll have to buy them used along with all the other parts like towers and bars.

As far as I know the Yakima doesn't need a short roof adapter. It mounts behind the drip rail instead of on the outside like the Thule.