Alternative roof rack - SeaSucker

[52 16 57 39]

I enjoy carrying bikes, skis, cargo boxes, lumber etc... literally anything can be strapped to the top of a car. As a former rower & rowing coach - NRS straps are a necessity in my book.

I’m challenged by the options for my Tesla MYP - as the Tesla roof rack seems very sketchy, finicky and potentially expensive if the glass roof fails.

Anyone tried SeaSuckers on a MY? I’ve seen them used in M3’s and MS’s and even super cars. If I get a roof rack for the MY I’m leaning towards seasuckers as they can be installed on literally any car and the ease of install & removal.

Anyone have first hand experience?

 

[akballow]

From past experiences with my phone suction cup mount in my car the thing would be rock solid for months then one day it just toppled down from breathing on it. Imagine how horrible a loose rack and bike is on a freeway..

 

[bpjod]

From past experiences with my phone suction cup mount in my car the thing would be rock solid for months then one day it just toppled down from breathing on it. Imagine how horrible a loose rack and bike is on a freeway..

SeaSucker suction mounts are to your phone suction cup as a kids archery set with suction cup arrows is to a big game hunting compound bow. From their website:

Let’s get one thing out of the way: SeaSuckers are vacuum mounts, not suction cups. There's a big difference between the two.

First, each 6” SeaSucker vacuum mount is pull rated at over 210 lbs. Each 4.5” SeaSucker is pull rated at over 120 lbs. We’d like to see a suction cup that could pack that kind of punch.

Suction cups also lack one incredibly important safety feature: the indicator band. SeaSucker’s orange indicator band begins to appear once the vacuum mount loses some of its suction, letting you know it’s time to re-pump well before it detaches.

Lastly, unlike suction cups, there’s no licking required, unless you’re into that sort of thing, and that’s cool - we don’t judge.​

My Bomber rack has five 6" vacuum mounts for 1050 lbs pull force for the front end of three bikes, then another 6" for the rear wheel of each bike. My Monkey bars has four 6" on the front cross bar (840 lbs. pull force) and two on the rear crossbar (420 lbs. pull force). I think they'll hold.

Some tips for use:

• regular maintenance: keep pads clean and free from debris; apply the lube to the o-ring in the pump a couple of times per year
• spray bottle and microfibre cloth in the car to wipe dust off (and leave damp) where you're attaching the mounts to the vehicle
• whenever you are about to drive off, glance at the pumps to be sure there's no orange showing; if there is, pump those mounts before leaving.

I only have two reservations about these racks:

• a few cases of Model 3's roof glass breaking - hasn't happened to me, fingers crossed, and
• no great way to secure them to the roof against theft. I remove them from the roof and put them in the car when I've taken my bikes, canoe, paddleboard off and am out using these but if I'm stopped for dinner or overnight and leaving these on the roof there's no really good security system compared to what a good roof rack offers.

Any other questions? Fire away.

 

[quentinsf]

Useful info - thanks.

One thing that appeals to me is that you can, presumably, put the Seasuckers farther apart than the standard Tesla 28ins? (I gather it's 28 ins on the Model 3, at least.). Seems as if a wider separation might help stability for longer loads...

 

[52 16 57 39]

Security is a major concern of mine also and I’m thankful that the seasucker can break apart and be stored inside the MYP.

 

[chisss]

For what is worth, I don't own a Tesla (YET) but I do have a seasucker on a glass roof Alfa Romeo Giulia and I carry a $4000 bike on it when I go MTB. So far (over a year) no issues at all, it's very secure and takes less than a min to mount it and 10 seconds to remove.

Always make sure you clean the glass before you mount it and you'll be fine.

 

[₸≡≶⦜⩝ ⩎⦙⊮≡]

Bringing this back from the dead

Those who had their roof glass break, was it due to weight or the excessive suction of the vacuum mount? I only want to haul skis and boards, not bikes.