Great roof rail design

You still need to purchase the OEM roof rails which are used to secure the Thule foot mounts. You will see 2 black 'strips' that run lengthwise on the LR4 roof - these pop off and are replaced with the rails. Installation of the rails is definitely a simple DIY - pop off the strips, cut them down and attach the rails with a few screws.

You can do much better buying the rails online vs at the dealership. I think I paid ~$250 for these shipped from the UK.

While the Thule system was definitely cheaper than the OEM solution, the biggest benefit for me was the ability to attach the crossbars in seconds only when needed, rather than have permanently mounted crossbars.

thanks for the reply.... would u remember that website?

vliberman said:

I am looking to purchase new LR4 and dealer is quoting around $1,100 for the roof rack system. Seems a bit excessive. Was wondering if by employing above Thule system, I would not have to get OEM rails at all?

Click to expand...

You do not need the OEM cross bars if you go with either Thule or Yakima system- these are far more universal than OEM bars. Price out the racks at REI.com, moosejaw.com or Rackattack.com. All these places usually have deals on various products. Not sure where you live but also try your local camping or bike shop and you save on the shipping costs.. I've been using Yakima systems for over 15 yrs and love the versitility for to carry cargo boxes, boards, bikes, wood, and furniture up on top!

vliberman said:

thanks for the reply.... would u remember that website?

Click to expand...

http://www.brit-car.co.uk/

I purchased the vehicle and as a part of the deal, dealer would install the rails. Will purchase Thule system tomorrow. Thanks again for the advise.

To all who might get the Land Rover roof rails: We purchased an LR4 about 2 weeks ago. The dealer installed roof racks as requested. The day before yesterday, while the truck was being detailed, a crack was discovered in the rear glass roof. The dealership luckily admitted that the crack was likely due to the roof rail installation. The lesson to take away from this is:

1. If you have the roof rails installed be sure to get up above the truck and do a thorough inspection.

2. If you install the roof rack yourself and the glass cracks as a result, you might be on the hook for the cost of replacement.

After having owned Thule racks on my last 4 cars, I bought the Thule roof rack system with the fit kit for the LR4 factory rails. After trying to install it, I was disappointed with the design. First, the rectangular plates that slide into the rails are too small, so they spin around when you tighten the bolts. (Keep in mind - these are supposed to be custom made for the LR3 and 4). Second, in order to remove the rack, you have to unscrew 8 bolts - even if you leave the 4 "feet" bolted to the car. So, today I brought it back to the store (RackSolid in Venice, CA), and exchanged it for the Yakima version. The design is 100% better. First, the pieces fit the rails perfectly. Second, once the feet are bolted to the rails, you can remove the cross-bars simply by unlocking them rack with the key and lifting a lever on each foot. Also, the feet that stay on the car are much smaller than the Thule. I was very disappointed with the Thule design. Score 1 for Yakima

I wanted to also highly recommend the Kuat NV hitch-mounted bike carrier. I've got the NV + the 2-bike add-on, so I can use it in either 2 or 4 bike configurations. I won't give the long sales pitch here, but google it and let me know if you have any questions. I can probably post pictures of it installed at some point. IMHO, the design kicks the snot out of the Thule and Yak designs.

Here's the official link: http://www.kuatinnovations.com/index.php?page=NV I ordered mine from backcountry.com (since almost no stores carry it)