I wanted to make a post to give everyone info on what I've learned trying to buy a Whispbar roof rack for cheap. And most importantly, how to get them. Obviously, you can buy them from Tesla directly for $550 but IMO it is a steep price to pay for their installation.
NOTE: This post is only talking about the Whispbar (now owned by Yakima) roof rack. There are other roof racks available from Thule that works well with the Model S but I'm not discussing that today.
The Problem
Whispbar, the company that makes the aerodynamic roof rack sold by Tesla, no longer makes the S37W roof rack kit. They discontinued production of the kit a while back so it is almost impossible to get it in the US from a retailer.
The S37W has three major parts. Two cross bars (1 x 1050 mm and 1 x 1150 mm length) and a fitting kit.
Whispbar/Yakima still makes the cross bars. In fact, I believe the S7 and S9 roof racks are of 1050 mm and 1150 mm in length. So if you want just the cross bars, you can technically just split up an S7 and S9 kit. In fact, ReRack sells them as an S37 set. So finding a cross bars should not be an issue.
Which brings us to fitting kits.
Depending on the model year, your car is compatible with either a K930W (newer models) fitting kit or a K704W (older models) fitting kit.
Whispbar/Yakima no longer makes these. And that's the problem.
Getting a fitting kit
If you have the roof rack and you want just the fitting kit, these are your options:
1. Call your Tesla service center, ask for the parts department and place an order for the following part numbers.
K930W - P/N 1036383-00-B
K704W - P/N TBD (If you know the number, please comment/message and I'll edit the post)
This is easier than calling all the Tesla service centers you can think of and asking if they have the fitting kit. With the part number, Tesla is able to search the inventory worldwide and place an order with the warehouse if needed.
The fitting kits run about $75-$100 from Tesla. This is pretty much the cheapest way to get the kit. But know that Tesla is experiencing severe shortage of the kit so it may take months to get one.
2. Give Roof Rack Store (Roof Rack Store Sydney Australia - Thule, Yakima and Whispbar) a call.
A huge thanks to summit123 for this tip!
For whatever reason, the fitting kit is still in production outside US and you can buy one from this store in Sydney, Australia. Even with international shipping, the fitting kit is fairly cheap (around $75 for the kit and $75 for shipping IIRC)
You might not find the kit on their website but they do carry it. And they use UPS international shipping which means you get it within 3 days.
Getting the complete S37W kit
If you want a new, complete, S37W kit with the cross bars and the fitting kit, these are your options
1. Give Roof Rack Store (Roof Rack Store Sydney Australia - Thule, Yakima and Whispbar) a call.
Again a huge thanks to summit123 for this tip!
Roof Rack Store sells the S37W kit (in silver and black) for AUD 350 (USD 255!). That is less than half the price of what you'd get it for from Tesla and only few dollars more buying just the crossbars from ReRack.
Even with shipping, I paid only USD 400 to have the entire kit shipped to NYC and I got it within 3 business days via UPS. That still saves you more than $150 when compared to buying directly from Tesla. This to me, is the best and easiest option for anyone buying the entire kit.
2. Have a friend in Europe? Ask them to check their local stores and local Tesla service centers.
Again, for whatever reason, the roof rack kit is still available outside the US. Not only that, from what I've heard, they are cheaper in Europe (even direct from Tesla). So if you have friends in Europe, they might be able to get it for cheaper and you can have it shipped here.
Just be sure to compare the total cost with getting it from a place like Roof Rack Store.
Future
According to Yakima customer service, Yakima and Tesla are working on adapting new fit kits (they call them landing pads now I think) and new aerodynamic crossbars for the Tesla Model S and the Model 3. However, the release has been delayed due to Tesla still doing some testing on the cars.
For people who are not in a rush to get a roof rack may want to wait and see what the future brings. But there is a slight risk that the new roof racks, when introduced, may be only compatible with MY 2019 cars and up.
I'm not sure when they will release the new kit but with the discontinuation of the S37Ws, I'm hoping it will be within the next year.
NOTE: This post is only talking about the Whispbar (now owned by Yakima) roof rack. There are other roof racks available from Thule that works well with the Model S but I'm not discussing that today.
The Problem
Whispbar, the company that makes the aerodynamic roof rack sold by Tesla, no longer makes the S37W roof rack kit. They discontinued production of the kit a while back so it is almost impossible to get it in the US from a retailer.
The S37W has three major parts. Two cross bars (1 x 1050 mm and 1 x 1150 mm length) and a fitting kit.
Whispbar/Yakima still makes the cross bars. In fact, I believe the S7 and S9 roof racks are of 1050 mm and 1150 mm in length. So if you want just the cross bars, you can technically just split up an S7 and S9 kit. In fact, ReRack sells them as an S37 set. So finding a cross bars should not be an issue.
Which brings us to fitting kits.
Depending on the model year, your car is compatible with either a K930W (newer models) fitting kit or a K704W (older models) fitting kit.
Whispbar/Yakima no longer makes these. And that's the problem.
Getting a fitting kit
If you have the roof rack and you want just the fitting kit, these are your options:
1. Call your Tesla service center, ask for the parts department and place an order for the following part numbers.
K930W - P/N 1036383-00-B
K704W - P/N TBD (If you know the number, please comment/message and I'll edit the post)
This is easier than calling all the Tesla service centers you can think of and asking if they have the fitting kit. With the part number, Tesla is able to search the inventory worldwide and place an order with the warehouse if needed.
The fitting kits run about $75-$100 from Tesla. This is pretty much the cheapest way to get the kit. But know that Tesla is experiencing severe shortage of the kit so it may take months to get one.
2. Give Roof Rack Store (Roof Rack Store Sydney Australia - Thule, Yakima and Whispbar) a call.
A huge thanks to summit123 for this tip!
For whatever reason, the fitting kit is still in production outside US and you can buy one from this store in Sydney, Australia. Even with international shipping, the fitting kit is fairly cheap (around $75 for the kit and $75 for shipping IIRC)
You might not find the kit on their website but they do carry it. And they use UPS international shipping which means you get it within 3 days.
Getting the complete S37W kit
If you want a new, complete, S37W kit with the cross bars and the fitting kit, these are your options
1. Give Roof Rack Store (Roof Rack Store Sydney Australia - Thule, Yakima and Whispbar) a call.
Again a huge thanks to summit123 for this tip!
Roof Rack Store sells the S37W kit (in silver and black) for AUD 350 (USD 255!). That is less than half the price of what you'd get it for from Tesla and only few dollars more buying just the crossbars from ReRack.
Even with shipping, I paid only USD 400 to have the entire kit shipped to NYC and I got it within 3 business days via UPS. That still saves you more than $150 when compared to buying directly from Tesla. This to me, is the best and easiest option for anyone buying the entire kit.
2. Have a friend in Europe? Ask them to check their local stores and local Tesla service centers.
Again, for whatever reason, the roof rack kit is still available outside the US. Not only that, from what I've heard, they are cheaper in Europe (even direct from Tesla). So if you have friends in Europe, they might be able to get it for cheaper and you can have it shipped here.
Just be sure to compare the total cost with getting it from a place like Roof Rack Store.
Future
According to Yakima customer service, Yakima and Tesla are working on adapting new fit kits (they call them landing pads now I think) and new aerodynamic crossbars for the Tesla Model S and the Model 3. However, the release has been delayed due to Tesla still doing some testing on the cars.
For people who are not in a rush to get a roof rack may want to wait and see what the future brings. But there is a slight risk that the new roof racks, when introduced, may be only compatible with MY 2019 cars and up.
I'm not sure when they will release the new kit but with the discontinuation of the S37Ws, I'm hoping it will be within the next year.
