Thule roof rack Problems on double cab.

dogdad4 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 04:23 PM

Anyone besides me try the Thule roof rack. I found water leaking in at the top of the doors. The clips do not allow the doors seals to close all the way. I am wanting to carru kayaks. I have a roll-n-lock that fits on top of the bed rails ,so i think most bed racks are out . I had the 2076 fit kit as needed to fit this truck.

Disco · #2 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 07:34 PM

Yakima makes a product called the Outdoorsman 300. It lifts the load over the bed.

http://www.yakima.com/home.html

rakent · #3 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disco

Yakima makes a product called the Outdoorsman 300. It lifts the load over the bed.

http://www.yakima.com/home.html

The roll & lock probably won't let him mount that Yakima or most any other portable bed rack, at least not with the cover closed. Most of them bolt to the lip of the bed. You'd have to remove the racks every time you wanted to close the cover or drill through the bed rails and mount them permanently.

I've seen some really nice custom aluminum ladder racks, we've got a company here that builds spotting towers for offshore boats that also builds ladder racks, but they'd still have to be bolted into the top of your bed to keep the bed cover. They just might look better than the temporary jobs.

I don't have much experience with the thule products, but have owned a number of Yakima racks over the years and help set up several more. Like the thule, the clips can cause leakage around the doors even when installed perfectly. I'd take it to a shop that installs a lot of these things and see if they can give you some pointers (position of the crossbars, etc.), and you might want to check out the Yakima clips (if there are any) for your truck in case they might be smaller, thinner, shaped differently, etc., and thus less likely to leak. Of course, if you've already bought the thule rack, that doesn't help much.

I've seen folks try to use clear silicone to seal around the clips and the factory seal - but if you're gonna do that you might as well drill the roof and mount the thing permanently. I sure wouldn't recommend the silicone, it would probably make things worse.

There are also some products that slide in your receiver hitch to carry the back of the load. If you could get one crossbar to work and not leak, then you could use one of those to hold up the rear. Most kayaks would easily span the length of the bed.

Disco · #4 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogdad4

Anyone besides me try the Thule roof rack. I found water leaking in at the top of the doors. The clips do not allow the doors seals to close all the way. I am wanting to carru kayaks. I have a roll-n-lock that fits on top of the bed rails ,so i think most bed racks are out . I had the 2076 fit kit as needed to fit this truck.

Sorry missed the bed cover.

John-O · #5 (**permalink**) 05-19-2005, 10:53 PM

The Pace Edwards Jack Rabbit rolling hard tounou cover is available with side rails that will accomodate a variety of racks including a high rack to hold ladders and such above your truck and still allowing you to close and lock the rolling cover. I have the cover and rails and am using cross rails much like those found on the roofs of SUVs and it's a wonderful idea.

Falco04 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-20-2005, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogdad4

Anyone besides me try the Thule roof rack. I found water leaking in at the top of the doors. The clips do not allow the doors seals to close all the way. I am wanting to carru kayaks. I have a roll-n-lock that fits on top of the bed rails ,so i think most bed racks are out . I had the 2076 fit kit as needed to fit this truck.

After much consternation I got the Thule roof rack to fit on the rear doors without springing the top. Have Thule fax you the double cab fit dimensions, the rack is sensitive in width and location.

dogdad4 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-20-2005, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falco04

After much consternation I got the Thule roof rack to fit on the rear doors without springing the top. Have Thule fax you the double cab fit dimensions, the rack is sensitive in width and location.

I called Thule themselves and talked to the head fit person. I even went to the dealership where I bought my double cab. It does the same on the new truck also. I thought it fit until water leaks in.

65Topless · #8 (**permalink**) 05-20-2005, 05:40 PM

Here's a link to the dimensions as were mentioned earlier. I found this on Thule's web site.

Link

dogdad4 · #9 (**permalink**) 05-20-2005, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65Topless

Here's a link to the dimensions as were mentioned earlier. I found this on Thule's web site.

Link

Actually what you see there is the measurements for the access cab tundra. THULE's measurements are 23" from the corner of the window and 25" from the center front rack to the rear rack for the 4 door double cab. The distance of the bracets are wider to .I called Thule.. This comes from the manager( Eric) in charge of thules fit and design team. It doesn't work. Yakima has a fit kit also for the access tundra but that kit DOES not fit the double cab. You would think that if thule says that the same kit fits both the access cab and double cab, then Yakimas would also. I think thule needs to re-look at their kit for the double cab. It does not fit correctly.The doors at the top bow out and create a space for wind and water. The door hits the brackets ,causing this bowing. I even tried this on a new truck at a dealership. Does the same thing!

nano602 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-19-2005, 01:16 PM

Any resolution on this problem yet? I have exactly the same problem with Thule fit kit on Tundra double cab. I have used Thule on several vehicles before and I am pretty sure I follow the spec. dimensions correctly and I moved around the feet a little bit but the problem persisted. anybody know the best phone # to call to bring this problem to Thule's attentions?

Chuck999 · #11 (**permalink**) 06-20-2005, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogdad4

Anyone besides me try the Thule roof rack. I found water leaking in at the top of the doors. The clips do not allow the doors seals to close all the way. I am wanting to carru kayaks. I have a roll-n-lock that fits on top of the bed rails ,so i think most bed racks are out . I had the 2076 fit kit as needed to fit this truck.

I know you've got a bed cover - but if you really want a rock-solid rack system - think about the TracRac. I've got one and it's absolutely GREAT for boats. Holds 1000 lbs! 4-6 boats up there NO PROB. All alluminum - no rust. Easy to slide racks off / on. Easy to adjust front to back ..

What about bed cover? ... TracRac said they might come out with a matching tonneau - if the quality is anything like the rack it would be worth the wait. TracRac also works with Peragon covers but Peragons have decidedly mixed reviews ......

nano602 · #12 (**permalink**) 06-24-2005, 10:03 PM

ok, found out the origin of the problem with the Thule rack so let me answer my own question.

The fit kit for Thundra double cab (2076) was not cut correctly so if you follow the instructions it would not fit. The fit can be improved if you move the rubber fit inward (that is, shorten the distance between the two feet) by about 1/4" to 3/8". This, in effect, lifts the fit plate up a bit. Because the rubber feet do not follow the contour of the truck anymore, when you tighten the bolt, it will slip and you have to alternate the tightening on each side back and forth which is time-consuming and a pain. The tolerance of the fit is so tight, even after 1 hour of careful adjustment, there is still a small leak on the driver side door.

I think it is clear Thule made a mistake in making the 2076 fit kit. I don't know whether they plan to correct the mistake (I have informed them about this problem). my suggestion is to avoid buying the Thule rack until this mistake is corrected.

pistolpete · #13 (**permalink**) 06-25-2005, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck999

I know you've got a bed cover - but if you really want a rock-solid rack system - think about the TracRac. I've got one and it's absolutely GREAT for boats. Holds 1000 lbs! 4-6 boats up there NO PROB. All alluminum - no rust. Easy to slide racks off / on. Easy to adjust front to back ..

What about bed cover? ... TracRac said they might come out with a matching tonneau - if the quality is anything like the rack it would be worth the wait. TracRac also works with Peragon covers but Peragons have decidedly mixed reviews ......

Chuck...you're right the tracrac is one solid piece albeit pricey!...they have come out with the matching cover...or at least their website says it was suppose to be out in April....you can read and see it here on their website....TracTonneau They also claim you can buy the OL-21609 rails which lack the 3rd inside rail and should be compatible with RETRAX rolling bed cover....I am talking to a local dealer to see if I can order one for my RETRAX and return it if it doesn't fit.