Thule WingBar Edge

The New Thule Roof Rack for Cars with Factory Rails

Mazda CX9 roof rails and roof racks, Sydney

The Mazda CX9 has been a very successful family vehicle in Australia but we have found one draw back with it. The Australian models do not have longitudinal rails fitted to them even though the anchor points are there. I suspect Mazda are keeping these up their sleeve to add later when the model needs a bit of a face-lift. The problem with this is that if you buy the genuine Mazda, Rola, Thule and Rhino roof racks they all attach to the mounting points in the roof that have been put there to attach the rails on overseas models. The problem with this is that the cross bars are over 90cm apart which is ideal if you want to carry long items like kayaks, ladders and surf boards. However, the racks are not much good for carrying bikes and skis and you can not fit a luggage box to them.

We have had several customers try to find a way of fitting a luggage box to their CX9s so we have now started importing the genuine Mazda roof rails for these vehicles. These are  manufactured in Japan which are fitted to oversea models. The vehicle shown in the images was fitted with the new rails to which we added Rhino Sportz cross bars and a Thule Atlantis luggage box. The whole set up looked really smart.

We are offering the rails as a package installed with either Rhino Sportz bars or silver Thule racks . This includes fitting to your vehicle at our Gladesville (Sydney) workshop or delivered Australia wide to install yourself for $999. (luggage box not included)

Call the store on (02) 9817 1475 to book a fitting or to order a set for delivery. www.shop1auto.com.au    

Postscript: Rhino plus Whispbar roof racks and a Yakima luggage box now available for the Mazda CX9

There is now also another solution which is not as slick as fitting rails but will allow you to fit a luggage box or bike carrier. The Prorack Whispbar or Rhino 2500series now fit the Mazda CX 9 using a strap system which is the typical method for attaching roof racks to a sedan. The brackets used are contoured to follow the roof return into the door opening. By taking this approach the racks can be attached closer together which allows the fitting off a luggage box. These racks can be used with a wide range of Thule, Rhino and Yakima luggage boxes. The rating on these roof racks is 60kg.

Please see our website for latest prices of roof racks.

 

Rhino 2500 Aero racks

Yakima Luggage Box:

If you have Mazda roof racks attached to the wide spaced mountings on the CX9 then we can now offer the Yakima Skybox Pro 12, 18 or 21 models which when modified can be installed on this roof rack system. This modifcation to the box mounting is simple and has been approved by Yakima so that it will not affect the manufacturers warranty on the luggage box. For more details on the Yakima Skybox Pro range please visit our website.

Yakima Skybox Pro 12 fitted to CX9

Mont Blanc - Scott, bike carrier

Today we had a look at the Mont Blanc Scott which is a new product to Australia. Scott my fitter attached the unit (his name sake) to a square profile roof rack. He tells me it went on easy and looked like a good unit. The older Mont Blanc bike carrier we had was a budget unit at $150 and to be fair it had the look and feel of a budget unit. The new Scott has the look and feel of a quality bike carrier but we are able to offer it at least to start with for $150. It is key locking and I think it is going to be successful. I don't think it is up there with the Rhino Barracuda or the Thule ProRide which are both exceptional bike holders but it is around $70 cheaper so offers excellent value. The Scott (the bike carrier not my fitter) will go onto any euro/square profile cross bars or any aero bars with a T-slot in the top face (except for Rola sports where the T-slot is too small). This includes Rhino Rack, Thule, Prorack Whisper and Rola APX racks.

Hyundai iload roof racks

Today Scott fitted a 3 bar, heavy duty Rhino track mount roof rack to a new Hyundai iload. The guys at Rhino have done a really good job with this one. The tracks are purpose made for the vehicle so they fit flush into the channels on the roof and look really neat. Rhino list their standard track mount leg for this vehicle but we have found the pigmy leg works just fine saving a crucial few centimetres on vehicle height. The Rhino track system is a fairly expensive way of fitting racks to the vehicle. We charged about $875 including a couple of hours for assembling all the bits and installing to the roof. It is however by far the best method allowing the cross bars to be positoned along the track and giving a whopping 125kg load rating spread over 3 cross bars. It can also be supplied with the same track and leg but using an aerodynamic cross bar which looks a bit more sporty (good option on the imax) and saves another centimetre which could make the difference on an underground carpark.

I like what Hyundai have done with the iload. It looks stylish and is not a slab of a vehicle like the HiAce. They seem well put together and being a Hyundai offer excellent bang for your bucks. I have been thinking about getting a van and I will certainly look at these.

Steve