am i missing something with the aerobars and factory rack?

D

dallison

New member
I was e-mailing thule about a pod for the roof. We decided on a force L for our needs. Per my e-mails the aerobars were all i needed. I get the box and semi assemble, and it seems like i am missing something.

We have a 2010 sr5 with the factory side rails.

I would assume that i will need something else besides the arb43 aerobars?

I am waiting to get an e-mail fro them to verify, but looking for your input. Some say that the factory crossbars are all you need.

help.....
 
Register to hide this ad
The one quick link I searched for your aerobars doesn't list the 4Runner as a compatible model. Thule's website looks like you need to get "feet" to go with the bars, and I don't see any that would fit the 4R side rails. The Thule box looks like the hooks under it SHOULD fit 4Runner crossbars, but that means if you don't have them you need to get a pair of those. And I don't know for a fact that it will. But that's how most of the people I have seen using this type of roof top storage are doing it. Sorry I can't be more helpful.... :noidea:
 
dallison said:
I was e-mailing thule about a pod for the roof. We decided on a force L for our needs. Per my e-mails the aerobars were all i needed. I get the box and semi assemble, and it seems like i am missing something.

We have a 2010 sr5 with the factory side rails.

I would assume that i will need something else besides the arb43 aerobars?

I am waiting to get an e-mail fro them to verify, but looking for your input. Some say that the factory crossbars are all you need.

help.....
Click to expand...

Pretty sure you need the Rapid Crossroad foot pack. I had the aerobars mounted to the rapid crossroad foot pack on my Explorer and transferred it over to my 4Runner. Looking at the Thule website, there appears to be two options - combo of aerobar (named aeroblade) plus crossroad foot pack or a combo bar/foot called the Aeroblade Edge (it might be new). I would also check the length of bars you want. I can measure mine but they extend over the doors a bit. Thule website shows 53" needed for 4Runner and 60" for the Explorer I had so mine are probably 60. Can send pics if interested.
 
The quick answer is that yes, you need feet for the Thule bars as mentioned. You can use their configurator to figure out your options:

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/fit-my-car?c=roof+racks

Be prepared - feet are a big hit to your wallet. Like another $300 new!

My advise is to take a step back and figure out what your goals are here. Are you just looking to fit the box or are you looking to fit other accessories (e.g. bike racks, a basket, etc)? How many? Would the box come off when you fit bike racks or whatever or do you want both on at the same time? If you just want to fit the box or a couple of bike racks (for example) then get shorter bars and mount everything "inboard" of the rails. If you want to fit several bike racks or the box plus a couple of bike racks then you'll want longer bars so that you can mount bike racks "outboard" of the rails.

If you just want to mount the box itself then by far your most economical route is to return the Thule bars and get some factory crossbars. You can find them online for under $100. They can be a bit limiting because there is no "outboard" option and their super low profile can make it hard to fit some accessories since they ride between the rails instead of on top of them like a Thule or Yakima system. But they'll work just fine for that box and keep it nice and low against your roofline. I'd call the factory bars "ideal" if you just want to mount the box.
 
Last edited:
All i want to do is put a Force L on the roof. I didn't have the factory crossbars so Thule recommended the aerobars so i bought them. They said that's all i needed......liars.


I can get the 450r on fleabay for $140 shipped brand new. I am fine going that way if it will work for our sr5.

We don't plan to carry other items on the roof. We have three dogs that we take on vacation and things get tight.


MossJenks said:
The quick answer is that yes, you need feet for the Thule bars as mentioned. You can use their configurator to figure out your options:

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/fit-my-car?c=roof+racks

Be prepared - feet are a big hit to your wallet. Like another $300 new!

My advise is to take a step back and figure out what your goals are here. Are you just looking to fit the box or are you looking to fit other accessories (e.g. bike racks, a basket, etc)? How many? Would the box come off when you fit bike racks or whatever or do you want both on at the same time? If you just want to fit the box or a couple of bike racks (for example) then get shorter bars and mount everything "inboard" of the rails. If you want to fit several bike racks or the box plus a couple of bike racks then you'll want longer bars so that you can mount bike racks "outboard" of the rails.

If you just want to mount the box itself then by far your most economical route is to return the Thule bars and get some factory crossbars. You can find them online for under $100. They can be a bit limiting because there is no "outboard" option and their super low profile can make it hard to fit some accessories since they ride between the rails instead of on top of them like a Thule or Yakima system. But they'll work just fine for that box and keep it nice and low against your roofline. I'd call the factory bars "ideal" if you just want to mount the box.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
dallison said:
All i want to do is put a Force L on the roof. I didn't have the factory crossbars so Thule recommended the aerobars so i bought them. They said that's all i needed......liars.


I can get the 450r on fleabay for $140 shipped brand new. I am fine going that way if it will work for our sr5.

We don't plan to carry other items on the roof. We have three dogs that we take on vacation and things get tight.
Click to expand...

The 450r foot packs will work on the 4Runner - that is what I have on mine.

However, if you can return the crossbars to Thule for a refund, I would just order factory crossbars if you only intend to mount the Force L on the roof. Factory bars will look better 99% of the time.
 
Oh sorry, I don't know why I read 430 instead of 450. Yeah, Thule fitment guide shows the 450 and that's a heckuva price on them too (I'd still do the factory bars if I were in your shoes).
 
jkintn said:
The 450r foot packs will work on the 4Runner - that is what I have on mine.

However, if you can return the crossbars to Thule for a refund, I would just order factory crossbars if you only intend to mount the Force L on the roof. Factory bars will look better 99% of the time.
Click to expand...

I had purchased the bars new from ebay for $100 so i'm not easily able to return them. But i am sure i can sell them for close to that if needed.
I'll use the pod a few times a year so it's a decision that i need to figure out.

I can get the feet locally from CL for probably $80 or so brand new. At least i don't have a ton of money invested in it. $180 for the thule setup vs $100 for factory crossbars.

But i get why you would say the factory crossbars would look better. I bet it sits lower too..
 
$80 new?!? Man, I wish we had deals like that on CL here. That kind of thing is WAY too dear here in Colorado. They're cheaper on eBay than on Denver CL. That is a smoking deal all around ($400 full retail). It would give you great flexibility in the future if you decide you want to carry more than just the box.

It does sit considerably lower on the factory bars. At least 2" I would think just eyeballing it.

I still think the factory bars might be better for your stated needs but I couldn't in good conscience steer anyone away from a full Thule setup brand new for $180. I've been a Yakima man for decades but I'd definitely switch if I could put together a deal like that for myself.
 
Last edited:
If you haven't already bought the aerobars, some come with their own feet (like the aero blades), but you're still going to be out $300 or more for a pair in either case.
 
I was looking to fit the Thule Sonic XL cargo box on the factory rails a few months ago. After a bunch of research, it looked the cargo box would work but the mounting "claws" on the cargo box would touch the roof when the claws were open. So when putting it on you have to be careful before closing the mounting claw system.

Also some people were concerned about the flexibility of the factory racks and with any weight in the cargo box, and you hit a bump, the cargo box's mounting "claws" could hit the top of your roof due to the flexible nature of the factory rails. But I believe a few people in the forum were running this setup without issues.

I got the Sonic XL cargo box and the mounting claws do hit the roof before you have a chance to secure them. So you have to lay a towel down or be really gentle when installing. Last week I ordered the Thule AeroBlades, and the required foot pack, from LLBean. I got a super deal since they were running 20% off and I had a ton of coupons (I paid about $150 cash for the entire setup). So hopefully I'll receive it in the next week or so and I wont have the roof scraping issue anymore.

Of course this only relates to my experience with the Sonic XL and factory rails. Other cargo boxes may be different and work out fine with the factory bars.
 
Toffees said:
If you haven't already bought the aerobars, some come with their own feet (like the aero blades), but you're still going to be out $300 or more for a pair in either case.
Click to expand...

Not if you can find the deals these guys are getting! I had no idea they could be had for so cheap. Heck, I paid $250 for Yak LowRiders and bars - back in 2001!
 
That was the other issue i had read about and my wife would probably kill me. I think the feet and aerobars will be the way to go. For the price we can have the possibility to expand our needs in the future.

Thank you all for your help and guidance. I'll have to take pics this weekend once installed.

rcfs1834 said:
I was looking to fit the Thule Sonic XL cargo box on the factory rails a few months ago. After a bunch of research, it looked the cargo box would work but the mounting "claws" on the cargo box would touch the roof when the claws were open. So when putting it on you have to be careful before closing the mounting claw system.

Also some people were concerned about the flexibility of the factory racks and with any weight in the cargo box, and you hit a bump, the cargo box's mounting "claws" could hit the top of your roof due to the flexible nature of the factory rails. But I believe a few people in the forum were running this setup without issues.

I got the Sonic XL cargo box and the mounting claws do hit the roof before you have a chance to secure them. So you have to lay a towel down or be really gentle when installing. Last week I ordered the Thule AeroBlades, and the required foot pack, from LLBean. I got a super deal since they were running 20% off and I had a ton of coupons (I paid about $150 cash for the entire setup). So hopefully I'll receive it in the next week or so and I wont have the roof scraping issue anymore.

Of course this only relates to my experience with the Sonic XL and factory rails. Other cargo boxes may be different and work out fine with the factory bars.
Click to expand...
 
dallison said:
I had purchased the bars new from ebay for $100 so i'm not easily able to return them. But i am sure i can sell them for close to that if needed.
I'll use the pod a few times a year so it's a decision that i need to figure out.

I can get the feet locally from CL for probably $80 or so brand new. At least i don't have a ton of money invested in it. $180 for the thule setup vs $100 for factory crossbars.

But i get why you would say the factory crossbars would look better. I bet it sits lower too..
Click to expand...

I measured and my bars are 60". I'm sure 53" would work well and probably look better but I already had these. Here are a few pics where you can see the bar width and height difference over factory crossbars.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9911.jpg
    IMG_9911.jpg
    135.3 KB · Views: 222
  • IMG_9915.jpg
    IMG_9915.jpg
    132.9 KB · Views: 237
  • IMG_9917.jpg
    IMG_9917.jpg
    133.4 KB · Views: 222
I would suggest going with the yakima showcase cargo box. It fits the stock roof rack perfectly, no issues at all and rear hatch still have plenty of space.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3676.jpg
    IMG_3676.jpg
    135.9 KB · Views: 308
dallison said:
All i want to do is put a Force L on the roof. I didn't have the factory crossbars so Thule recommended the aerobars so i bought them. They said that's all i needed......liars.


I can get the 450r on fleabay for $140 shipped brand new. I am fine going that way if it will work for our sr5.

We don't plan to carry other items on the roof. We have three dogs that we take on vacation and things get tight.
Click to expand...

We are kind of similar. I have a Yakima cargo box that goes on the factory rails fine.

I also picked up one of these, that is a massive help when taking family trips/camping with the dogs. Dirt cheap at Walmart, and they have accessories like a waterproof bag, bungee net, side rails etc. But I can fit all of our luggage on it, cinched down, then throw the odd loose stuff, Christmas presents etc in the cargo box.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hitch-Ha...75035&wl11=online&wl12=16778176&wl13=&veh=sem
 
Last edited:
Now that looks pretty useful. I may have to look into that.

spetka said:
We are kind of similar. I have a Yakima cargo box that goes on the factory rails fine.

I also picked up one of these, that is a massive help when taking family trips/camping with the dogs. Dirt cheap at Walmart, and they have accessories like a waterproof bag, bungee net, side rails etc. But I can fit all of our luggage on it, cinched down, then throw the odd loose stuff, Christmas presents etc in the cargo box.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hitch-Ha...75035&wl11=online&wl12=16778176&wl13=&veh=sem
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 594 (members: 1, guests: 593)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,316
Messages
3,554,111
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top