R55 Rack on Clubman - Issues??
#181
#182
#184
Ok, let's not say that any negatives that someone mentions are "just fiction" because some people have had negative repercussions with this rack on their Clubmans, while we know others have not.
Right now MINI has put out a bulletin saying that they are not installing this rack on the Clubman - click on this link to read it as it exists: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...4&postcount=40. A number of people are finding ways to buy it and install it - and if that's what they choose to do, good for them. If some choose to wait - good for them, too.
Eventually MINI will come out with their "fix", it's an individual's choice to go whichever route they choose while being aware of the various realities.
Right now MINI has put out a bulletin saying that they are not installing this rack on the Clubman - click on this link to read it as it exists: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...4&postcount=40. A number of people are finding ways to buy it and install it - and if that's what they choose to do, good for them. If some choose to wait - good for them, too.
Eventually MINI will come out with their "fix", it's an individual's choice to go whichever route they choose while being aware of the various realities.
Last edited by Otra; 05-28-2008 at 12:38 PM. Reason: adding the link
#185
LOL - Tim, where in the directions does it say to disassemble both ends of the rack to install it like you did? While I admire your resourcefulness of getting the rack on there, it sounds like you had the same issue I ran into where the only way to get it on was to pull it apart - and it sure doesn't make it very easy for folks to pull the rack off in a pinch if they need to.
Also, just as a follow-up. From speaking to a couple of dealers in Northern California, they stated they had good luck with installs on some Clubmans, and terrible luck on others (where it was almost impossible to install). They SA's seemed to think something either changed with the rack ends or the gutter lip on the Clubman may have changed at some point. So, this may be the reason for the inconsistencies in rack installs.
Last edited by taskmaxter; 05-28-2008 at 01:12 PM.
#187
LOL - Tim, where in the directions does it say to disassemble both ends of the rack to install it like you did? While I admire your resourcefulness of getting the rack on there, it sounds like you had the same issue I ran into where the only way to get it on was to pull it apart - and it sure doesn't make it very easy for folks to pull the rack off in a pinch if they need to.
#189
#191
#194
Will not have Clubman until mid-summer, but ordered the rack, guess I have 2 months to figure whether the dealer should install it or not.
Would someone that has the rack installed provide the distance between the two crossbars and the width going across? We have a Thule tandem bike carrier, curious whether the spacing would allow us to throw it on the mini (that and our Yakima rocket box - maybe a dream...).
Tandem rig is a Cannondale MTN Bike (and yes we have done single track w/it ).
Would someone that has the rack installed provide the distance between the two crossbars and the width going across? We have a Thule tandem bike carrier, curious whether the spacing would allow us to throw it on the mini (that and our Yakima rocket box - maybe a dream...).
Tandem rig is a Cannondale MTN Bike (and yes we have done single track w/it ).
#195
My SA installed the rack when I bought the Clubman a couple of months ago (before the issue was widely know). Upon inspection (after reading here), the club door window had a gap. I went so far as to remove the rack myself, and meticulously re-installed it, still had a gap, so it definitely seems to be a design issue. As a workaround I simply applied a small bead of soft weather stripping around the window edges and now it no longer leaks. Until a permanent fix has made it to my SA, this works for me, of course, your mileage may vary.
#196
bob, thanks for adding your experiences and insights to this thread. I hope you've read this one the whole way through because of holdenontoits' experience at his dealer. He's away now so I know he can't give us an update.**I'd forgotten that he has not posted on this thread, so you can read more here: http://www.mini2.com/forum/mini-club...ml#post3416927 - his first post is #128.
Many thanks and I'm glad that you've been able to fix your own rack to keep it working. Please do let us know when you get the "official fix"....
So you have two MINIs, now - that's wonderful!
Many thanks and I'm glad that you've been able to fix your own rack to keep it working. Please do let us know when you get the "official fix"....
So you have two MINIs, now - that's wonderful!
Last edited by Otra; 05-29-2008 at 04:01 PM. Reason: memory failure plus a link
#197
#198
So, has anyone actually tried mounting the Thule #2145 fit kit and rack yet?
My Thule dealer friend just handed me the fit kit to see how it looks compared to the roofline of the Clubbie, but I still can't imagine it working out. It looks as though the rubber pads would be on the outside of the roof "dune line", and almost vertical. So, when you pull down on the mount with the gutter clamp, it seems to me that it would just pull down the side of the roof.
If she can get me a set of feet and a crossbar to play with, I'll do a trial fit and see how it actually looks and works.
My Thule dealer friend just handed me the fit kit to see how it looks compared to the roofline of the Clubbie, but I still can't imagine it working out. It looks as though the rubber pads would be on the outside of the roof "dune line", and almost vertical. So, when you pull down on the mount with the gutter clamp, it seems to me that it would just pull down the side of the roof.
If she can get me a set of feet and a crossbar to play with, I'll do a trial fit and see how it actually looks and works.
#200
For what it's worth, I spoke to my SA this morning on the rack issues and he said he had spoke to the MINI NA Accessories Manager (either this morning or yesterday) in regards to the Clubman rack. MINI has told him that a retrofit kit will be available sometime in July that will fix the design issues with the racks. It sounds like the original manufactorer deviated from spec at some point when building the racks and there is a risk that the bad ones could come off of the vehicles. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that July will bring good news.