The bars and foot kit went together well and attached to my factory rack. I don't have the accessories (bike carriers) on yet. The install was pretty straight forward. Rack was on in <1/2 hour. This rack replaced my old Thule square bar version on the same truck. I can't believe the wind noise with the "aero" bars. It sounds like someone is blowing in a coke bottle the entire time you are driving above 40mph. The rubber strip is even insalled the entire bar length to cover the t-slot. I can't figure out if the noise is coming from the wind across the load bar or something else. To top off my $$$ purchase, I'll have to break down and buy the faring to see if that makes the noise better.
Overall:
-Looks really nice.
-Can't stand the wind noise on the new aero bars vs. my old square bars Thule RB47 Rapid Aero Aluminum Roof Rack Load Bars (47-Inch, Set of 2)
pros:
1. Nice looking sleek design.
2. Increased capacity (165lbs) combined with 450R compared with 75lbs with my factory cross bars.
3. Provide wider load space than my factory bars.
4. These has T slots on top going all the way to each side so you can slide your roof rack carriers in and out much easier without totally unscrew the screws; you can't do that with the round or squared load bars.
cons:
1. Easily scrached, everything you put on needs protection (plastic spacers).
2. There is just no good ways to use the rubber strips that are supposed to cover the T slots. If you are likely to rearrange your carriers on the rack it is probably easier just not use these at all.
3. You can't cut these shorter to fit a smaller car, the cross section is not the same all the way through, there are slots at the ends for adapting to the end caps and the foots. I think there are just a few lengths there to choose from.
Ordered the Thule Fit Kit for my 2000 Mercedes E430 Sport. Had a little trouble getting the kit installed w/ the Thule RB47 Rapid Aero Aluminum Roof Rack Load Bars and Thule 400XTR Aero Rapid Roof Rack Foot Pack, it was a bit of a struggle getting the screws locked in, since I was performing the install directly on the car roof. Once I took all the pieces off, connected the fit kit to the load bars and fit kit off of the car and then loaded all the pieces together it worked. I need to buy the Thule skirt so that it blocks out the wind noise while driving. While driving there are no issues - at around 75-80mph I had no issues.
Bars are sleek, light, strong, and look good. However, they come without the end caps, which are part of a separate "fit kit". Endcaps are another $10+. It's like getting a pair of sneakers without the laces.
So they're not really "euro", but it was catchy. I loved the "style" or "design" of these aero bars over the Yakima round bars, and ultimately it's what sold me on the Thule system. The polished aluminum looks pretty slick with the black accent. Install was easy, there are only a couple things to note. First, it's a little tricky to get the rubber piping on. What worked best for me was to start at one end of the aero bar and get the rubber strip started. Then, I just worked my way down the bar, pressing the rubber strip into the grooves. Second, you'll need to cut a little of the rubber strip off at each end in order to get the endcaps on. The endcaps have a clip on them - open it up, slide the endcap on the aero bar, and close the clip. Cut the rubber strip so that it butts up to the endcap. It'll take a little trial and error, but it's not bad. Overall, it's a great looking product and is very sturdy and light weight.
Why is there no end-caps?? The picture I purchase has end-caps! I ordered the fairing, 2 bars, 4 locks, and Railing Roof Rack Foot Pack (Set of 4), but.... not include end-caps??
Finally, the end-caps come with the Foot pack..... So we have to purchase the foot pack for the end-caps.... I would change the rate to 4 star.
The bars were very easy to install and I like the look of these over the square bars or complete round bars, but I have to say that they are not that quiet and make a humming noise at high speeds. It is not a big problem for us because we install them only when we are travelling, but I would think that with the "Aero" design they wouldn't make so much noise. I don't have any experience with the square bar or round bar designs so it could just be that all bars make noise. Either way, we were pleased with the ease of installation the look and feel (very sturdy) of this design, so I would recommend it. We used these with the Thule Atlantis 1600 cargo box and the whole setup worked very well during our last trip.
The Rapid Aero series is the way to go. It's a few bucks more than the standard square, steel bars but the aluminum load bars are lightweight, aerodynamic, and do not rust. Plus, it works well with the quick grip hardware....makes life so much easier!
FYI this fits exactly with no hangover beyond the foot bracket on a 2009 Honda Accord. In my opinion the 53 inch bars would work well for the 09 Accord. Also I would get the next size up from the recommended fairing. - Aero - Roof Rack - Load Bars'
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