Cross bars ?

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mbasjm

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
58
I know the Outlander has fixed point braces on the rails. I'm looking at buying the crossbars, either the Mitsubishi ones or Thule (which might be the same thing anyway). However these run about $750 CAD. I'm curious if anyone has generic crossbars that clamp on (not to the fixed points), and if these are secure? They are much cheaper, like around $150 CAD. I'll be putting skis and snowboards on them. My equipment isn't high-end. I just don't want them to fall off or get stolen.

As a side note - I think all the crossbars, both OEM and not (but particularly the Mitsubishi and Thule ones), look rather ugly on the Outlander. They are so high and the towers are so tall. I prefer the side rails to be a little higher and the cross bars to be flush with the rails.
 
Hi mbasjm,
What did you end up buying? Did you install and test them already?
Thanks
 
Yes we have the equivalent in America:
https://www.harborfreight.com/Universal-Roof-Cross-Bars-Set-of-2-64877.html
 
Bzhash said:
Hi mbasjm,
What did you end up buying? Did you install and test them already?
Thanks

Hi Bzhash

I ended up buying these:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CX7S368/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've installed them onto my rails, but I haven't put anything on the crossbars yet. I'll be skiing in a few weeks time, will let you know afterwards.

But I have to honest - I wish I Andrev had posted his link for Harborfreight before I bought mine from Amazon... :)

The ones I bought seem pretty snug. It's probably just psychological, but I'm just leery of the fact that the rail is not raised (ie no gap underneath) and that it is flat on one side. I'm very paranoid that the bars will come off easy. However I tugged on the bars and they seem ok.

I spoke to Mitsubishi about the clamp-on style vs the fixed-point style. Here's the info that I got:

Apparently a few years ago, the crossbars that Mitsubishi (and ergo Thule) sold for these vehicles were the fixed point type. However many people then complained that they couldn't move the bars to different positions. So Thule/Mitsubishi stopped making the fixed point type of bars and only now make the clamp-on type. They kept the grommet in the rail because it was cheaper/more efficient to just continue making the same thing, as opposed to redesign it (however small it may appear to be), and also to be backwards compatible with anyone who still had the old fixed-point type of crossbars.
 
mbasjm said:
As a side note - I think all the crossbars, both OEM and not (but particularly the Mitsubishi and Thule ones), look rather ugly on the Outlander. They are so high and the towers are so tall. I prefer the side rails to be a little higher and the cross bars to be flush with the rails.

I agree about the OEM crossbars, aesthetically they look too high, I am wondering if this is intentional to mitigate wind noise or to accommodate larger fasteners? Anyway, there is a flush crossbar from Yakima called Railbar (https://www.yakima.com/railbar), but this might not have enough clearance on the Outlander, since the demo pictures show them mounted on raised roof rails (versus the Outlander's flush roof rails). If anyone can provide pictures or suggestions on low-profile crossbars, at least lower than the OEM ones, that would be appreciated. The ones suggested so far still look too high for my preference.
 
Woodman411 said:
mbasjm said:
As a side note - I think all the crossbars, both OEM and not (but particularly the Mitsubishi and Thule ones), look rather ugly on the Outlander. They are so high and the towers are so tall. I prefer the side rails to be a little higher and the cross bars to be flush with the rails.

I agree about the OEM crossbars, aesthetically they look too high, I am wondering if this is intentional to mitigate wind noise or to accommodate larger fasteners? Anyway, there is a flush crossbar from Yakima called Railbar (https://www.yakima.com/railbar), but this might not have enough clearance on the Outlander, since the demo pictures show them mounted on raised roof rails (versus the Outlander's flush roof rails). If anyone can provide pictures or suggestions on low-profile crossbars, at least lower than the OEM ones, that would be appreciated. The ones suggested so far still look too high for my preference.

If you input your car on the Yakima site it says they fit.
 
IslandLife said:
Woodman411 said:
mbasjm said:
As a side note - I think all the crossbars, both OEM and not (but particularly the Mitsubishi and Thule ones), look rather ugly on the Outlander. They are so high and the towers are so tall. I prefer the side rails to be a little higher and the cross bars to be flush with the rails.

I agree about the OEM crossbars, aesthetically they look too high, I am wondering if this is intentional to mitigate wind noise or to accommodate larger fasteners? Anyway, there is a flush crossbar from Yakima called Railbar (https://www.yakima.com/railbar), but this might not have enough clearance on the Outlander, since the demo pictures show them mounted on raised roof rails (versus the Outlander's flush roof rails). If anyone can provide pictures or suggestions on low-profile crossbars, at least lower than the OEM ones, that would be appreciated. The ones suggested so far still look too high for my preference.

If you input your car on the Yakima site it says they fit.

If you go to Yakima's "roof rack systems", it says the Railbar system wont fit. I guess that answers my question. That matches what Thule says too, as their site says the Thule Aeroblade Edge for the Outlander must be mounted on towers versus directly on the roof rails. Both their products seem too tall for my tastes.

Update: I asked etrailer.com about the roof racks, and among the brands they carry (Thule, Yakima, etc), they said the Rhino Rack (http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/products/roof/roof-racks/vortex/vortex-sx-silver-2-bar-roof-rack_ja1754) is the lowest one.
 
mbasjm said:
Bzhash said:
Hi mbasjm,
What did you end up buying? Did you install and test them already?
Thanks

Hi Bzhash

I ended up buying these:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CX7S368/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've installed them onto my rails, but I haven't put anything on the crossbars yet. I'll be skiing in a few weeks time, will let you know afterwards.

But I have to honest - I wish I Andrev had posted his link for Harborfreight before I bought mine from Amazon... :)

The ones I bought seem pretty snug. It's probably just psychological, but I'm just leery of the fact that the rail is not raised (ie no gap underneath) and that it is flat on one side. I'm very paranoid that the bars will come off easy. However I tugged on the bars and they seem ok.

I spoke to Mitsubishi about the clamp-on style vs the fixed-point style. Here's the info that I got:

Apparently a few years ago, the crossbars that Mitsubishi (and ergo Thule) sold for these vehicles were the fixed point type. However many people then complained that they couldn't move the bars to different positions. So Thule/Mitsubishi stopped making the fixed point type of bars and only now make the clamp-on type. They kept the grommet in the rail because it was cheaper/more efficient to just continue making the same thing, as opposed to redesign it (however small it may appear to be), and also to be backwards compatible with anyone who still had the old fixed-point type of crossbars.

I don't like the design of the Outlander PHEV rails. They are flat on one side and have a small lip on the other side. Because of that design, I am very leery of any kind of crossbar.

The ones I bought had good reviews for the Outlander PHEV and so I took a chance on it. The price was good, about a third compared to the Mitsubishi and Thule brands. I had a little trouble with one of the footings, but the seller helped me right away, his customer service is excellent. Once I had the whole thing on, it was still a couple of weeks before I finally put them to use.

I put a ski rack on it and I just finished a 5-hour (each direction) ski vacation with 3 snowboards and 3 pairs of skis along one of the windiest mountain highways in the country (Coquihalla Highway). The crossbars are very stable and I would easily buy these again if I needed to.
 
Hi mbasjm - can you repost the link or model name/number for the bars you liked? the link now goes to moderately unattractive hat.

thanks!
 
nkane said:
Hi mbasjm - can you repost the link or model name/number for the bars you liked? the link now goes to moderately unattractive hat.

thanks!

https://www.amazon.ca/ROKIOTOEX-Extendable-Universal-Aluminum-Crossbars/dp/B07CX7S368/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=1BAA33K8IFIM6&dchild=1&keywords=rokiotoex+roof+rack+crossbars&qid=1604034074&sprefix=rokiotoe%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyU1lJMDA5QklHR0RXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjAyMTg1MjVFUlpBREIyRVA0JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNTgwMDNFVFQwSUdVWkZERDgmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

ROKIOTOEX Multi-Fit Roof Rack Crossbar Flush Rails Cross Bars Rooftop Ski Bike Rack Side Rail luggage Carrier Cargo Box Aluminum Lockable Accessory 1 Pair Silver (SGCB9999)
 
Thanks! The link still goes to the hat, but I found them by searching directly. It appears they're not available in the US, sadly.
 
Ordered these, they worked fine for a decent length road trip with a roof box.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0897D3B2L/ref=twister_B08DDFHZ9J?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
 
Weird. Amazon seems to have issues with links across national borders.

It's ASIN B0897D3B2L, PHATRIP 53" Universal Roof Rack Cross Bars Set, 4 Legs with Key Lock, Aluminum Bars, Idea for Ski Rack, Bike Rack, Kayak Rack Fit SUV Vehicles with Raised Side Rails and Flush Side Rails
 
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