[admg]

Hi All,

Been having a look for a set of roof bars for my new car, I've got the 520L roof box which is a big box. Been having a look at the thule bars but they state they're only good for 50kg?

The cars manual states it's good for 100KG and the bmw bars themselves are saying they can do 75KG which is the same as what my old bmw brand bars could do on my 3 series touring.

What bars do folk go for? I thought thule was the brand of choice but they seem a bit weak.

Cheers

[hollpe]

Hiya,

I've always had the BMW bars and they've been great. They're also 'fairly' quiet due to the rounded off ends.

My previous F11 BMW roofbars are the same part no as the G31 ones and fit perfectly. So you might find the same is true for the F10/G30 saloon.

Cheers

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by admg

Hi All,

Been having a look for a set of roof bars for my new car, I've got the 520L roof box which is a big box. Been having a look at the thule bars but they state they're only good for 50kg?

The cars manual states it's good for 100KG and the bmw bars themselves are saying they can do 75KG which is the same as what my old bmw brand bars could do on my 3 series touring.

What bars do folk go for? I thought thule was the brand of choice but they seem a bit weak.

Cheers

Seems like the question is, is your roof box > 50kg? If it is, Thule is out. I am sure they know the weight rating of their bars. Thule products aren't cheap, I can't imagine the BMW bars cost significantly more if your hunt is to save a few bucks. Just think about the worst case scenario, you take a chance on Thule. The bars collapse and the roof of your car gets all scratched up, or your box of crap is all over the roadway, or both. Go BMW OEM.

[admg]

Thanks both,

The roofbox itself is 27KG, so the OEM bars are the best option giving me the most weight to play with on top of the car. The BMW bars are cheaper - the appeal of the Thule is that they're supposed to be more aerodymanic and a bit quieter!

Definitely true! I was hoping to find a set of bars that support the 100KG that the cars roof can supposedly take but I think the OEM bars are the best bet.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by admg

Thanks both,

The roofbox itself is 27KG, so the OEM bars are the best option giving me the most weight to play with on top of the car. The BMW bars are cheaper - the appeal of the Thule is that they're supposed to be more aerodymanic and a bit quieter!

Definitely true! I was hoping to find a set of bars that support the 100KG that the cars roof can supposedly take but I think the OEM bars are the best bet.

Good rationale. Can you post a pic after you install them? I am curious what they look like.

[hollpe]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Good rationale. Can you post a pic after you install them? I am curious what they look like.

This is what mine look like:

[admg]

I think the touring's bars can take the full 100KG can't they?
On my F31 the bars could do 75KG which makes sense for the smaller frame.

I'll post the fixed point bars when I've got them.

[hollpe]

Originally Posted by admg

I think the touring's bars can take the full 100KG can't they?
On my F31 the bars could do 75KG which makes sense for the smaller frame.

I'll post the fixed point bars when I've got them.

Yep - Just checked the bars and the max load is 100KG.

Hope you get yours sorted.

Cheers

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by hollpe

This is what mine look like:

Attachment 2628651

Attachment 2628652

Thanks for this. I wonder if they only come in base aluminum or if black aluminum is an option for a dark car? They would really stand out on a dark car.

[hollpe]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Thanks for this. I wonder if they only come in base aluminum or if black aluminum is an option for a dark car? They would really stand out on a dark car.

They only come in the base aluminium but I guess they could always be wrapped

[Frozen Fractals]

Roof max load is 100kg or 220 lbs. This accounts for the dynamic load, so technically speaking the static load is much higher (e.g. if you plan on putting a roof top camper while stationary).

Personally, I purchased the Thule AeroBlades and Thule Motion XT XL (~500 L). I recently took a ~6000 mile cross country road trip with the box fully loaded with little issue. To be honest, I am pretty sure I overloaded the roof box, since I had my spare tire up there along with three suitcases. If I had to guess, with the box and all of the stuff, I was easily pushing over 250-275 lbs. I would notice the box oscillate up and down slightly at high speeds with undulations in the road due to the roof bars flexing. It definitely concerned me, but honestly it makes sense from a physics perspective why you'd want some flexibility and wouldn't want it to be 100% rigid.

In any case, I drove with the roof box for ~6000 miles with many miles cruising on the highway well above the recommended 80 mph maximum speed. The box does make a good amount of wind noise above 75 mph, but it wasn't too bad. The roof bars themselves are relatively silent without any load albeit with a little whistling if you have the sunroof shade open. I highly recommend the Thule solution. It is albeit a little expensive, but more than makes up for it with the usability, aesthetics and quality of the product.