Image of a 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX car rack cross bars kayak carrier, featuring the Thule 480 Traverse roof rack with Fit Kit 1210 and 50" load bars, Thule 881 Top Deck kayak saddles, and a Thule 544 4-pack of locks.

A great roof rack kayak setup for a 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX.

Rain or shine, this system is ready to get you and your boat en route to adventure.  These customer installation photos were sent in by K.N. of Austin, Texas, who installed a superb 2004 Subaru Impreza car rack kayak saddles system using the Thule 480 Traverse roof rack on his 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX. The Thule 480 Travese complete system shown here includes Fit Kit 1210 and LB50 50″ load bars. A Thule 881 Top Deck kayak rack is mounted on the cross bars, which includes four rubber kayak saddles to cradle and protect the boat, load straps to secure the boat side-to-side, and bow/stern tie downs as well.  A four-pack of Thule 544 locks will lock the 480 Traverse feet onto the vehicle’s roof for extra security. Now K.N. can load his boat quickly and efficiently, and keep from getting wet until he hits the water!

For more information, visit the Thule kayak rack roof crossbars for 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX installation page.

2012 Toyota Prius C - Needs a Roof Rack!

Q: I want to carry bicycles on top of my 2012 Toyota Prius C but can’t seem to find anything that will work in the rack manufacturer’s fit guides.

A: The problem with the Toyota Prius C is that the degree of the doorframe is at an angle that makes it almost parallel with the door when the Prius door is closed. This general “lack of angle” makes it very hard to attach a clamp rack on the vehicle. In addition there isn’t a place for the bracket to grab the doorframe (no indentations etc.).

The answer is a “permanent” roof rack installation meaning you have to drill into the roof. There are 2 options for this – you can attach Thule TP42 Roof Tracks with the Thule 3101 Fit Kit and use the Thule 460 Podium roof top car rack system ( and then add bike rack attachments or whatever you want) – you can position the rack where you want on the tracks ( it’s movable) – OR you can use the Thule 3114 Podium Fit Kit to install the 460 and 460R podium roof rack in a permanent position – great if you don’t like the looks of the tracks.

Image of a 2009 Ford Escape Limited platform trunk bike rack, featuring the Thule 9003 Raceway.

This Thule platform strap rack for the 2009 Ford Escape Limited is a convenient and simple way to transport bikes.

The Thule 9003 Raceway has revolutionized the world of trunk-mount bike racks, and it’s easy to see why. This platform-style rack offers effortless loading and unloading, and fits virtually any bike out there.  C.B. of Delphi, Indiana was looking for a way to transport her and her daughter’s bikes by herself, and she found a great solution with this rear hatch platform bike rack for a 2009 Ford Escape Limited: the Thule 9003 Raceway.  The 9003 Raceway Platform trunk bike rack offers the convenience and protection of traditional roof-style bike trays with the versatility and ease-of-use of a rear strap-style rack. Installation is simple, and the 9003 Raceway fits a wide array of vehicles.  It even includes locks and keys to lock both the bikes to the rack and the rack to the vehicle.

For complete details, check out the 2009 Ford Escape Limited platform hatch door bike rack installation page.

Image of Thule 604 Ascent 1600 Roof box for 2003 Mini Cooper - includes 480R Rapid Traverse Roof Rack with 1366 Thule Fit Kit and AeroBlade ARB47 Bars.

This customer installation picture of a cargo box for 2003 mini cooper shows that you can still load up your gear and go even if you have a teeny weeny car. The Thule 604 Ascent 1600 Roof box is mounted on a Thule 480R Rapid Traverse Roof Rack system that uses Thule 1366 Fit Kit to mount to the roof of the 2003 Mini Cooper and Thule AeroBlade ARB47 premium cross bars.

For complete 2003 Mini Cooper Roof Rack and Cargo Box details…

Image of Thule 604 Ascent 1600 Roof box for 2003 Mini Cooper - includes 480R Rapid Traverse Roof Rack with 1366 Thule Fit Kit and AeroBlade ARB47 Bars.

Image of a car rack crossbars bike rack and wind fairing for a 2010 Mazda 3 fixed point roofline, featuring the Yakima Control Tower rack with LP11 landing pads and 48" cross bars, the Thule 871xt fairing, and two SportRack ABR611 Nomad bike racks.

A great way to carry bikes on a 2010 Mazda 3!

J.M. of Palmer, Massachusettes is ready to hit the trail with this convenient and versatile 2010 Mazda 3 roof bike rack wind fairing for fixed points setup. J.M. installed the Yakima Control Tower car rack on their 2010 Mazda 3 5-door, using four Control Towers, two pairs of Landing Pad 11, and 48″ cross bars.  This system connects directly into the preset mounting points on the 2010 Mazda 3 roof for a secure fit and a seamless look.  J.M. then installed a Thule 871xt 38″ wind fairing to minimize wind noise and a pair of SportRack ABR611 Nomad bike racks onto the cross bars.  The Nomad bike rack is high-quality but affordable, and loading bikes doesn’t even require removing the front wheel. The result is a dependable multi-purpose rack system that will get J.M.’s bikes to their destination and be ready to haul whatever gear and accessories come up down the road.

For more information, visit the Wind Fairing Car Bike Rack for Preset Mounting Points on a 2010 Mazda 3 5-door installation page.

Image of a factory flush rail roof rack on a 2011 BMW X3, featuring the Thule 460R Rapid Podium roof rack with 4023 Fit Kit and ARB47 Aeroblade bars.

A versatile and aerodynamic Thule roof rack for the 2011 BMW X3.

A sleek new rack system for a sleek new car…that’s what B.C. of Saint Hyacinth, Quebec set up with this 2011 BMW X3 flush factory side rail car roof rack.  B.C. installed the Thule 460R Rapid Podium roof rack with 460R Rapid Podium feet, Fit Kit 4023, and ARB47 Aeroblade load bars, which mounts directly onto the flush side rails on their 2011 BMW X3. The Aeroblade’s low-profile design makes for a quiet, attractive system that is also easy to install and versatile for carrying all kinds of rooftop gear. Thanks for the photos, B.C.!

For more information, visit the 2011 BMW roof rack cross bars for flush factory rails installation page.

Image of a GMC Safari Condo four bike hitch rack, featuring the Thule 9027 Apex Swing 4 bike rack.

Image of an excellent bike rack for GMC Safari Condo trailer hitches.

Here’s a premium, brand-spanking-new Thule hitch bike rack in action. B.C. of Saint Hyacinth, Quebec sent these installation photos of a Thule four bike swing away hitch rack for GMC Safari Condo camper 2″ receiver hitches, using the Thule 9027 Apex Swing 4 bike hitch rack. The Apex Swing 4 can carry up to four bikes, and swings away from the vehicle with bikes loaded for convenient trunk, hatch, or rear door access. The Apex Swing 4 fits 2″ trailer hitches, and includes cradles to keep bikes stable and protected in transit and locks to secure the rack to the receiver hitch and the bikes to the rack for peace of mind. Now B.C. will be able to fit everyone–and everything–inside the camper, and still have room for the bikes on vacation!

For complete information, go to the GMC Safari Condo camper van receiver hitch four bike rack installation page.

Here's a handy trunk hatch bike rack for the 2012 BMW X3, featuring the Yakima King Joe Pro 3 bike rack.

A convenient, versatile way to transport bikes on most cars, wagons, minivans, SUVs, and more: the Yakima King Joe Pro 3.

Want a bike rack that’s affordable, versatile, and easy to load?  Look no further. E.S. of Colchester, Vermont sent these install pictures of an excellent 2012 BMW X3 trunk hatch bike rack, using the premium Yakima King Joe Pro 3 bike rack. The King Joe Pro 3 carries up to three bikes, offers plenty of padding to keep your car and your bikes protected and cradles to keep bikes stable, is simple to install and adjust, and fits a wide variety of vehicles.  As E.S. learned, you can’t go wrong with a 2012 BMW X3 strap bike rack like this one!

For more info, visit the Yakima Bike Trunk Rack on 2012 BMW X3 Rear Door installation page.

Image of a truck bed rack kayak carrier for the 2011 Ford F250 Crew Cab, featuring the TracRac G2 Sliding Truck Rack and two TracRac-Malone MPG1001 Kayak Mount Kits.

A superb way to transport kayaks in a 2011 Ford F250 truck bed.

These are some sweet shots of a multipurpose 2011 Ford F250 Crew Cab truck bed rack kayak carrier.  As you can see from the photos, M.S. of Norfolk, Virginia installed the top of the line TracRac G2 Sliding truck rack and two sets of Malone-TracRac MPG1001 Kayak Mount Kits.  The TracRac G2 Sliding truck rack is adjustable front to back along the bed rails, made in the USA, and can carry an amazing 1,250 pounds. The G2 Sliding rack installs onto the 2011 Ford F250 shown here using 21510 base rails and 42000-03 overheads. M.S. installed a pair of MPG1001 Kayak Mount Kits onto the TracRac bars, which include saddles and straps for secure, stable transport. Now they’ll be ready to get their kayaks to the water, or carry whatever else they need on this versatile TracRac truck rack.

For complete information, go to the Pickup Truck Bed Rail Rack Kayak Carrier  on 2011 Ford F250 Crew Cab installation page.

Image of a 2012 Subaru Impreza kayak stacker bike rack for factory cross bars, featuring the Inno INA450 kayak rack and INA381 Fork Lock bike rack installed on the OEM roof rack.

A great 2012 Subaru Impreza factory rack kayak bike carrier combo!

Don’t know if you’ll want to paddle or bike on your next road trip?  Why pick just one! Here’s a nice kayak stacker bike rack on 2012 Subaru Impreza wagon OEM cross bars setup.  J.M. of Kutztown, Pennsylvania installed the Inno INA450 kayak rack and INA381 Fork Lock bike rack on their 2012 Subaru Impreza factory roof rack.  The Inno INA450 stacker-style rack carries one or two kayaks, and left enough space on J.M.’s rack to fit a convenient and sturdy Inno INA381 fork-mount bike rack alongside.  Both carriers mount on most vehicle factory cross bars, and the bike rack even includes locks to secure the bike rack to the cross bars and the bicycle to the rack. Now J.M. can hit the water, the pavement, or the trail with a worry-free way to transport kayaks and bikes on 2012 Subaru Impreza cross bars.

For more info, check out the 2012 Subaru Impreza wagon bike rack kayak carrier for OEM roof rack installation page.