Hey folks,

I've driven my 2010 PW R55 (Dubbed Oreo by my kids) for a little over a year now, and I love love love my car. It's a 'naked roof" and I'm now looking at roof racks for a kayak.

I am not versed in roof racks, and am looking at the OEM rack wondering about kayak specific attachments, of which I see none. I've also looked at Thule and Yakima, who have full package options, but I do like the look of the OEM rack.

My specific questions about the OEM rack are:
-Do the towers have locks
-What aftermarket attachments work with it since there appears not to be m/any kayak options with the oem racks (I want paddles/saddles/rollers and not hullraisers/Q towers).
-Can I open the sunroof with this configuration or am I better off looking at taller aftermarket towers?


Thanks, I appreciate any insight.

 

Check out my gallery pics there are a few there that show the OEM racks. NOT the rail system that runs down both sides.

The towers do lock. Just about any rack item from Thule or Yakima will work with the OEM racks.

I have kayak, and bike racks, and two different roof top boxes that go on my clubman regularly. In fact this past weekend i had three (yes 3) kayaks on the roof of my car and three people and all our gear in the car for a day long Kayak trip.

 

Wait a minute, my kids call mine OREO!




Sorry for the off topic response, I had to chime in.

Todd

 

I have the factory roof rack and it fits great and is very rugged. As mentioned, the rails will accept any attachment made for the Thule Aero system or the Yakima system.

The install is a little tricky, but once you do it once and understand the thinking behind the design, it is a pretty easy on/off process.

I'm a road biker and purchased 2 Rocky Mount bike trays. They are particularly stout and, amazingly, they match the finish of the rack.

Rich

 

I have the OEM racks on my Clubman. The only thing I'd add to what's already been said is that the Thule saddles come standard with a "short" bolt to attach the saddles to the crossbars. Since the OEM crossbars are the larger diameter size, you will want to buy the "long" bolts. The standard "short" bolts are simply too short.

That said, the best idea is to actually try one of the saddles at the time you buy them. One never knows whether the saddle you buy at your nearest store may come with bolts long enough. (But safer to check while you're at the store than making the drive home only to discover that you need to go back.)

I don't know what the situation is with the Yakima saddles. I'm a little surprised by schatzy62 saying that their saddle would fit, as they're generally designed for their own round bars which are *much* smaller in diameter than the MINI OEM crossbars. But I'm prepared to take his word for it as he has more experience than I in this matter.

--
Darryl

 

I have the factory roof rack and it's a really rugged rack and fits great. I'm a roadbiker, so I added 2 Rocky Mount bike trays. They also fit great and are much more robust than the Thule equivalent,...oh and they match the finish of the rack.

As mentioned above, any Thule Aero attachment will fit fine. Their traditional system will not work well. Also Yakima attachments work fine.

The Rocky Mount bike trays easily allow for the sunroof to open and close. I think, again, as mentioned above, worst case you might have to buy shorter mounting bolts, but I wouldn't look for an alternative.

Lastly, the factory rack is a little tricky to install. It's important that the racks are oriented correctly (each tower is designed to connect to a specific side and front or rear). But once you understand the theory behind the design it goes on and off quickly.

Rich

 

I have used Yakima attachments on the Thule Aero Bars (that is what the MINI bars are based on) and as you stated about longer bolts is usually the only needed change.

BTW both Thule Square or Round and Yakima Round bars are very similar in size and as such the attachments are very commonly used on either. As for the Thule Aero bars Yakima makes attachment kits to make their items easier to attach to the Aero Bars ( they can be hard to find). But in most cases it is just longer bolts or in some a shorter bolt and square nut that fits in the channel of the Aero Bar.

Also of note is that I found the Thule Aero Bar Attachment kits to be rather expensive for just a few longer bolts. Why pay $30 or more when I could buy all new stainless steel hardware at the hardware store for less than $8.

 

Hey! Great kids think alike. Owners apparently too. I also have the tow hook plate holder. Lovin those black rims!

 

Lots of great input here, I really appreciate it. It was clear to me the OEM cross bars were thicker, and that was my main concern about aftermarket attachments. Thule Aero (or longer bolts) look like a great option. I see kayak attachments f/s all the time on craigslist, so I can probably get a good deal on something barely used now that I know what I'm looking for.

I ordered the OEM base rack from Amazon, in case anyone else is looking for the same. It was listed for less than the dealer price, plus I could apply Amex points and have Prime (free) shipping so I got a deal I was pretty pleased with.

Now if I could only find a PW Clubman caricature to replace the Cooper in my sig, I'd be golden