[mikek]

Loving the Bolt life. Moved up north and got a kayak on sale ... was excited to finally use the roof rail system that the bolt premiere came with and went to my closest roof rack seller and installer only to find out that it would cost around 750 dollars Canadian more then 3 times the price of the kayak... was not aware how much these systems cost.

I have a background in tool and die with previous work in medical mounting field and now work in aerospace so I took it upon myself to fab up some mounts. I found some used roof rails at a garage sale and just used the bars.

Was surprised to see there are only a couple roof rail companies and was even more surprised to see these companies using a one size fits all for most applications even when the oem manufacturer supplies the mounting holes on the cars.

 

[boltage]

Your first and fifth photo are too far away to see how the parts you made attach to the crossbar and rails.


Your third photo shows what looks like a regular Thule 460R Rapid Podium foot with aerobar attached. If you had that, the fit kit to make it attach to the Bolt's rails would have been a lot less than $750.

 

[mikek]

I’m at work right now but there basically like a clamps. 2 6mm screws clamping down the bar to the adaptors I fabricated.

It’s been about 100 km tested so far with the whole system working. I’ve driven about 1000km just with the fronts mounted.

Tonight I may put on my kayak see how that is. I’m sure it will be ok. The Thules in the picture are actually from a co worker he paid 750 .

I just find it funny Thule can’t be bothered to use the holes from the car manufactures. And another coworker is actual in the middle of taking Thule to court he’s roof system failed all together flew off.....

I bought a used set for 20 dollars at a garage sale and used a grinder and chopped of the big bulky steel adaptors.

I already have ideas for a carbon fibre bar not using the Thule at all. I think it can all be made for half the price of a Thule system too ?

 

[boltage]

I just find it funny Thule can’t be bothered to use the holes from the car manufactures.

I bought a used set for 20 dollars at a garage sale and used a grinder and chopped of the big bulky steel adaptors.

The Thule system for the Bolt with rails does attach to the holes in the rails, according to the instructions for KIT3168:
https://cdn1.static-tgdp.com/assetloader.axd?pimid=3168999&id=584040&brand=Thule&market=US&att=1


Not sure why you needed a grinder to take apart a used Thule rack, since you should have been able to take it apart by reversing the assembly instructions.


But yes, a new Thule rack system is rather expensive if you need to buy everything new (as opposed to reusing stuff that you already have or can get inexpensively used).

 

[mikek]

The used thules I had were really rusted out. If you search online you can see it’s sorta an issue . Instead of playing around I used a grinder couple of minutes it was done. Simple and easy.

 

[boltage]

Do you have close up photos of how your adapters fit to the rails and the crossbar?

 

[mikek]

Do you have close up photos of how your adapters fit to the rails and the crossbar?

Sorry been a bit busy lately.