1. Herb Chambers Mini of Boston will install it for you but it will cost you.
2. I don't drink but i do eat so lunch/dinner of steak and potato's would work.
3. Neither my MA or SA have heard any thing about a new rack, only the roof rails and from what they are hearing it will be at least septmeber. (i have mentioned these in earlier posts.
3a. If they are not wanting to currently they probably will not want to in a week.

 

Good morning - quick update, Inskip MINI is on the ball this morning and had a SA call me out of the gate. My MA had forwarded my email to the SA, the SA at Inskip talked w/a technician at MINI of Boston (I mentioned they installed racks in my email).

Main Points:
1.) there was a notice from MINI re: installation of roof rack
2.) Inskip was not currently doing installations
3.) Inskip after talking w/MINI of Boston will install the rack (swapped notes w/Mini of Boston on installation protocol they were doing).

The SA at Inskip did describe a bit of the process, they would be taking apart the tower (as described in these threads previously). I am not sure if they are doing this out of an abundance of precaution, etc.

Schatzy, any objections if I email your install guide over to Inskip? May save them some time/aggravation.

Nice to see the teamwork at MINI!

 

You're refering to Inskip in RI correct? This is good news for me since I ordered mine from them, arrival should be mid August. I was not going to have them do the install and just use Schatzy's directions, but I might have them walk me through the process. I want to be able to learn how to install and un-install the rack.

 

Yes Please send it to them if it will help get the rack installed for you.

I have also sent yo a PM about this .

I found that taking the ends off the rack made it almost impossible to get it back together after putting the mounting brackets on the car. In fact i took the mounting brackets off the car and and installed them back onthe cross bars before finishing the install. It then went much easier doing it per my instructions.

 

Got your PM/replied and thank you for the detailed guide/responses along the way - very helpful.

 

Going to make an attempt to get this thread looked at and specifically your RR installation instructions by the "powers that be".

Keep up the good work!

 

Who are the power to be? Mini USA customer service?. or Your other half? If its Mini USA, hopefully you have better luck with them than i did.

 

I hope that it is MINI USA...currently we have all asked our dealers or parts departments and recieved ....zip.

 

Well talked my dealer into finally selling me one so I'll let you guys know later tonight how the install goes

 

Yes, I plan on sending, calling MINI USA, and my dealer through a cyberly active MA, as well...got waylaid today due to a trip to the ER for my husband - kidney stone attack.

Best wishes for a speedy and great install, MBX5!

 

Got the rack on and it looks great. Only problem was when I closed the clubdoor it pushed the window out just a bit. Didn't even know it until I drove by a loud car. Hit it at the self car wash full power and only 1 tiny drop that came from the club window. When I got home I played around and found out I had the rear bar on wrong. Took it off and turned it now the club window is closing fine. Thanks schatzy62 for the PDF. it worked great!

 

Nice work MBX5!

I did not install a new rack, but I had a chance to remove/reattach the rack on Swiss Miss that Schatzy installed. Once you get it up there, it is relatively quick and easy work to get it on/off. I used to have a Yakima rack on my Volvo XC70 and MINI's OEM rack was easier and faster to work with.

Thank you Schatzy for driving over and letting try it out on your Clubman, the rack sells itself. Swiss Miss looked great too!

 

MINI USA knows there is a reported issue. If they look at this thread or not.
They are aware, and are very actively working on a solution. Those instructions are quite complete and helpful. Now, getting the "factory" to adapt and re-instruct is kinda like waiting for the ice cap to melt. Takes a while, but eventually........all falls into the correct place.
Best to hubby - another friend of mine also had a similar experience, recently, and is now fine.

p.s. Saw Swiss Miss at Anthony's Pier - quite niiiice!

 

If I am buying a MINI product; I would like a warranteed installation.

Call me crazy...

I hope that they get it together soon.

 

Thanks Peter and I appreciate your posting both about the "ice cap" as well as the hubby and his stone. It would, however, be interesting to see what the MINI Technicians thought about Schatzy's Installation pdf.

 

Thanks

Just wait till next year when she is really complete.

Things to come or done since MTTS 2008
1. Custom Dog Bed - three piece matching interior cloth fabric and stitching - done.
2. Custom sun roof graphics by my niece
3. Europlates and US plate brackets.
4. Custom interior lighting (extra mood lighting)
5. New fully hidden sound system - unknown what it will consist of yet, finding the room to house all of it as hidden items is the hardest part.
6. Custom painted Hot Chocolate Roof Rack.
7. Other things i have not thought of yet

 

Ok, I'm leaning on giving this another try since I really need a rack to carry bikes and MINI can't get their act together in giving us any decent information on if/when a fix will be out. I spoke to my SA today and he states now there may not be a corrected fix and MINI may just opt to go with a bolt on permanent solution (probably the JCW rear rack that I think was mentioned in this thread). If I can't get my dealership to sell me a R55 rack, any suggestions on where I should mail order it from? (I'm going to skip Morristown since I ordered it once thru them and sent it back since it would not properly fit).

 

Try Classic Mini in Ohio they have listing in the vendor area they also give a 20% discount to NAM members

 

Sorry i missed this post earlier but Mini of Boston has always put them on and if your dealer will not maybe you can get them to call Mini of Boston or use my directions. Then maybe they will understand that this is really not a problem.

 

Does anyone use Yakima or Thule bike holders with the OEM rack?

 

The OEM Cross bar is manufactured by Thule and is the same designs as their Rapid Aero Bars but they do not have the same end caps as the Mini OEM Rack Mounting Brackets (towers) cover the end of the bars.

Thule makes special hardware kits for this cross bar and that is an extra cost item for most of the bike, kayak etc rack attachments.

 

Can you direct me to that? I have the standard Thule load bars, and bike trays that fit those.

 

Below is a "non-answer" that I received when I emailed Mini from the Owner's Lounge.

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: RE: Roof Rack for Clubman [1-792971444]Date: 11 Jul 2008 18:42:34 -0400From: MINIOwnersLounge@askMINIUSA.COMTo: garywise@

Hi Gary,

Thanks for writing MINI. I appreciate your inquiry and am sorry to hear of your concerns.

Unfortunately, as most models have different specifications, we do not have information regarding parts or technical support for installation. Your parts department has the most up to date information regarding your inquiry and has access to find out the answer to your inquiry as soon as it becomes available. I apologize I am unable to directly assist you with this particular concern.

If there are further questions I can assist with, please feel free to drop me an e-mail. I would be happy to lend a hand.

LET'S MOTOR.
Jase Gammon
MINI Customer Relations and Services
Representative
866.ASK.MINI (866.275.6464)

-----Original Message-----

From: garywise@
Sent: 7/11/2008 12:00:00 AM
To: miniownerslounge <miniownerslounge@internal>
Subject: Roof Rack for Clubman

formid: 1001

Comments: Our new Clubman is presently on the ship Fidelio making its way across the Atlantic to New York. We hope to take possession of the car by the end of July.

When we ordered the car on 4-16-2008 I told my Motoring Advisor at Mini of Sterling, that I wanted a roof rack. He told me that it could be a dealer installed option after the car arrived.

In the interim, from reading Northamericanmotoring.com, I understand that there is a problem with the OEM Roof Rack and it is not now being sold or installed on the Clubman.

While the Clubman has more room internally for luggage, I was really counting on the roof rack for long distance travel.

Please make this a priority - to find a way to fix the problem. And please let me know when I can order a roof rack for my new Mini Cooper Clubman.

Thanks!

Gary

 

W8EEY, thanks for posting - even though their response was unhelpful at best.

I am hoping for some kind of information next week - even a vague bit of corroborating info would be nice. I realize we're all after the same thing here and that the expression "herding cats" comes to mind, but when it comes to purchasing a car which for many is a large outlay of money - consumers should be on a need to know basis with their car company.

Here's hoping for some more concrete info.

P.S. My post is not intended to negate schatzy's very important installation pdf and all the information that he and others have posted about how they have been successful. I will also note that I recently sent a copy of schatzy's installation sticky to my MA and have asked him to show it to my dealership's service dept.

 

Gary,

You should not have any problem with installing the OEM roof racks on your Clubman. The ONLY problem is that some dealers will not install them because they do not know how.

If you have read thru this thread over the past month i have stated this over and over. THERE WAS a problem and in the cars since April there has been no problem. Also when i was inprocess of purchasing mine i was at Mini of Peabody and went out to see the service area and they were in the process of installing one on a Clubman. I have seen at least 10 personaly with racks on them that do not leak. Mini of Boston has been installing them all along with no problem and done over 30 of them. Inskip Mini in Rhode Island just the other day talked to Mini of Boston and has started installing them as there is not real problem.

Now the problem was that owners or service people had installed them incorrectly. And of course if install incorrectly then YES there will be a problem.

If the dealer ship refuses to install it then give them a copy of my instructions and see it they will do it if not install it your self with the instructions i wrote up that are in a sticky at the top of the thread list. If you follow the direction in the manual that come with the OEM Racks then you will probably get it installed incorrectly as they for get to tel you required steps.