Model X Roof Rack|Hitch Rack|Trailer|Toys

[Duckjybe]

Can't you set the trunk opening height like on the Model S?

 

[goneskiian]

Can't you set the trunk opening height like on the Model S?

Yes. With a second push of the button. Now supposedly location aware too.

 

[sethstein]

Just got my Model X this week and this is my first post.

I am sharing my experience of making surf racks work on the MX.

History: I have owned a model S for 2.5 years and had the Whisper Racks on top to carry surfboards IF there was not enough room in the car. I have kids who surf and only occasionally when we took their friends surfing did we need to use the racks.

I ordered the X a long ways back and when Elon announced that suction cups could be used as a solution, I was glad I didnt have to cancel the order. I also changed my order to a 6 seater, which slowed delivery, but the 7 seat option functioned much less than I thought it would (not folding seats like the S, which would have solved a lot)

I went down to the service center and took some measurement and even brought a board bag to get a sense of scale/ width, etc... I put the board on top of the falcon wing door - and luckily it sensed it and it didn't open. Tested a few times... (Though this week, i had a board and part of a rack just placed on top and the door DID open (panic moment) )

The width that a suction cup could fit with 1 falcon wing open is 26". The width of the Seersucker is 30"+ ( i ordered the Stand Up Paddle Board versions because for some reason I thought it was NARROWER than the Surf version... but in hindsight i would have ordered the surf version) (ps. really hard to get even an email from Sea Sucker with answers)

I have ended up modifying the rack to be more like the surf version anyways, ( 1 suction cup per corner ) because of the little contact space on the glass .... the second suction cup on the front mount intersects with a seam.

Because the rack is TOO WIDE - I am having to cut down the metal cross bar, which is two bars, which slide into each other so the rack can be extended.... but at its most compressed size, it can't fit the 26" width all in.

Attaching some pictures of the progress.

Status: next step is having the bars CUT DOWN so i can make the rack narrow enough. Photo of how much i need to hack off.

The open issue is 2 fold.

1. Will the falcon wing doors sense the rack on top?

2. The TRUNK overlap, when it opens, may be a serious issue, and will the TRUNK sense the boards (doubt it).... and in the end, THAT may be the biggest issue.

If you look at how the TRUNK opens, it opens almost to the back of the falcon wings... the rack, MAY be able to avoid it by being mounted on the cross bar BUT the boards will absolutely intersect its path...

once the bars are cut down, i will create a video of the first attempt... and hopefully nothing breaks (board)... unfortunately leaving town for a week so will have to pick up this experiment when i am back.

seth

FOLLOW UP. SUCCESS.

Had to cut down the racks so that that the suction cups were just under 26" (they slide male and female into each other)

I mounted one of the racks on the windshield in front of the doors

The second is mounted right near the SENSOR on the center of the roof.

The SENSOR I was told is a "balloon sensor" in that it senses obstructions in space in the shape of a balloon of sorts .

The FALCON doors / SENSOR are very particular. Once the board is one and the racks are on.... The Falcon door tried to open... panic. Nothing broke and i stopped them quickly.

Figured out i need to open the falcon door that will remain open, then put the board on the side that should stay closed.

The only problem is that the once I shut the usable door - it sensed the board up there and did not want to open. I can "force" over ride it, so that should be fine.

I put on child locks so my kids don't accidentally open the wrong door.

Would be amazing if a door could be disabled or "locked" from the screen up front, so that I am not relying on the SENSOR, which is unpredictable to a degree and I have to get my board(s) scooted towards center.

I have not tested this at highway speed yet, but will this Sunday with 3 board bags on top.

The suction cups seems really solid.

So it does seem, a surfboard rack CAN be mounted and used - granted with the right knowledge/ caveats at this point.

Few SOFTWARE things Tesla and @elonmusk could do - to make it more bullet proof, specifically make an option to lock a door via the touch screen and not rely only on the sensor in the center of the roof. Attached is a bunch of pictures.

 

[sethstein]

some more images

 

[sethstein]

adding a few more

 

[sethstein]

Another quick note. I wanted to mount the boards far enough forward so that the trunk, when fully opened doesnt snap the nose off the board. So the board bag/ board ends at the back of the falcon door.

 

[sethstein]

Put double board bags stacked (4 boards total ) and drove freeway speed for 1.5 hours. Worked well.

Main call out is getting up on top of the racks and strapped down. Needed to bring a step stool since can't stand on the edge of an open door to get high enough, plus I'm not particularly tall.

Also gotta have the opposite side falcon wing door open to know how far to push the boards to center BUT then that door sees the obstruction as well and wont open, so have to override.

I can also say, now having put the car in the field for different uses - the doors are cool at first but that is about it. I personally cannot see the benefit to these doors that outweigh the inconvenience. The work around to get boards on top has been some work... but in general day to day use, the doors are my least favorite thing about the car.

photos at Oxnard Supercharger on the way home.

 

[ohmman]

I can also say, now having put the car in the field for different uses - the doors are cool at first but that is about it. I personally cannot see the benefit to these doors that outweigh the inconvenience. The work around to get boards on top has been some work... but in general day to day use, the doors are my least favorite thing about the car.

You and me both.

Thanks for the detailed photos and updates on your project. Very nice job, and glad you were able to make it happen.

 

[vandacca]

Put double board bags stacked (4 boards total ) and drove freeway speed for 1.5 hours. Worked well.

Main call out is getting up on top of the racks and strapped down. Needed to bring a step stool since can't stand on the edge of an open door to get high enough, plus I'm not particularly tall.

Also gotta have the opposite side falcon wing door open to know how far to push the boards to center BUT then that door sees the obstruction as well and wont open, so have to override.

I can also say, now having put the car in the field for different uses - the doors are cool at first but that is about it. I personally cannot see the benefit to these doors that outweigh the inconvenience. The work around to get boards on top has been some work... but in general day to day use, the doors are my least favorite thing about the car.

photos at Oxnard Supercharger on the way home.

I see that you have straps going into the driver's window and 2nd row (driver side) door. Is this simply to keep the straps from flapping in the wind or is there a structural/safety component to it as well?

 

[giacopona]

Put double board bags stacked (4 boards total ) and drove freeway speed for 1.5 hours. Worked well.

Main call out is getting up on top of the racks and strapped down. Needed to bring a step stool since can't stand on the edge of an open door to get high enough, plus I'm not particularly tall.

Also gotta have the opposite side falcon wing door open to know how far to push the boards to center BUT then that door sees the obstruction as well and wont open, so have to override.

I can also say, now having put the car in the field for different uses - the doors are cool at first but that is about it. I personally cannot see the benefit to these doors that outweigh the inconvenience. The work around to get boards on top has been some work... but in general day to day use, the doors are my least favorite thing about the car.

photos at Oxnard Supercharger on the way home.


View attachment 187094View attachment 187095

Nice report. Thanks. I'm seriously thinking about implementing your solution, when get my X few weeks ahead.

Do you think it would be feasible to put a narrow cargo box attached to your roof rack solutions (in order to have my skis protected from salt,...), such as the
RocketBox Pro 11 (L 89.00” x W 24.00” x H 16.00”) or
SkyBox 12 Carbonite (L 92.00” x W 24.00” x H 16.00”)

Are the seasucker bars strong enough to hold such cargo boxes (about 38-41 lbs )?

How far are the two bars spread on your setup ? Minimum and maximum crossbar spreads are 24” – 40” for the rocket pro 11, and 24” – 42" for the skybox 12.

Are the modified bars long enough to hold the box. I guess yes, as the external width is 24" and the system is quite a way inside even though I haven't found the exact distance.

And what about the tailgate clash clearance (the distance from the center of the front crossbar to the hatch seam of the vehicle) 62" for the rocket, 57" for the skybox 12, according to Yakima websites.

 

[sethstein]

I see that you have straps going into the driver's window and 2nd row (driver side) door. Is this simply to keep the straps from flapping in the wind or is there a structural/safety component to it as well?

@vandacca the straps were too long and they are heavy duty and not good for tying off so i put them in the window and then just closed the window. We did stop for dinner and left the boards on the roof rack so by putting the straps in - you could say it provides some security as well. So yes, it was so they weren't flapping and a benefit is they provided some additional "security" as a byproduct.

 

[sethstein]

Nice report. Thanks. I'm seriously thinking about implementing your solution, when get my X few weeks ahead.

Do you think it would be feasible to put a narrow cargo box attached to your roof rack solutions (in order to have my skis protected from salt,...), such as the
RocketBox Pro 11 (L 89.00” x W 24.00” x H 16.00”) or
SkyBox 12 Carbonite (L 92.00” x W 24.00” x H 16.00”)

Are the seasucker bars strong enough to hold such cargo boxes (about 38-41 lbs )?

How far are the two bars spread on your setup ? Minimum and maximum crossbar spreads are 24” – 40” for the rocket pro 11, and 24” – 42" for the skybox 12.

Are the modified bars long enough to hold the box. I guess yes, as the external width is 24" and the system is quite a way inside even though I haven't found the exact distance.

And what about the tailgate clash clearance (the distance from the center of the front crossbar to the hatch seam of the vehicle) 62" for the rocket, 57" for the skybox 12, according to Yakima websites.

-

@giacopona I suspect it would work. Imagine one of the falcon wing doors open - the flat surface on the roof is 26".

The seasuckers can apparently hold well over 100lbs of force per suction cup or something like that. So I am fairly certain they would be plenty strong.

Definitely check the dimensions of the attach points. The racks I am using can extend beyond 26" (outer edge of suction cup) - and the front rack, mounted ahead of the doors - i had a fraction wider since i didnt have to be exact since the operational falcon wing door was not in play. The back rack, was mounted in such a way that the edge came right up to where the functional falcon wing opened. I am guessing the rack width on that back one to be 21" or 22" though if you need exact, i can put em up and measure.

LENGTH: The surfboard bags are about 72" and they could have been longer... I had more "room" if i just moved the racks more forward to avoid the trunk being an issue. I feel pretty confident you can make the 92" work - by mounting the front rack a bit more forward ...

If you want me to measure and take a picture of what 92" looks like, I am happy to do that.

Dimensionally it seems it will work. Suction cup wise, I think it will work as well.

As a side note, i sent Tesla a few thoughts on creating a button on the screen that would allow a user to "lock" one falcon wing... so that you couldn't open it by accident without removing an on screen prompt.

Ps. your second falcon wing door will sense the rack there and will need to be over-riden to be opened.

Hope that is helpful.
seth

 

[giacopona]

-

@giacopona I suspect it would work. Imagine one of the falcon wing doors open - the flat surface on the roof is 26".

The seasuckers can apparently hold well over 100lbs of force per suction cup or something like that. So I am fairly certain they would be plenty strong.

Definitely check the dimensions of the attach points. The racks I am using can extend beyond 26" (outer edge of suction cup) - and the front rack, mounted ahead of the doors - i had a fraction wider since i didnt have to be exact since the operational falcon wing door was not in play. The back rack, was mounted in such a way that the edge came right up to where the functional falcon wing opened. I am guessing the rack width on that back one to be 21" or 22" though if you need exact, i can put em up and measure.

LENGTH: The surfboard bags are about 72" and they could have been longer... I had more "room" if i just moved the racks more forward to avoid the trunk being an issue. I feel pretty confident you can make the 92" work - by mounting the front rack a bit more forward ...

If you want me to measure and take a picture of what 92" looks like, I am happy to do that.

Dimensionally it seems it will work. Suction cup wise, I think it will work as well.

As a side note, i sent Tesla a few thoughts on creating a button on the screen that would allow a user to "lock" one falcon wing... so that you couldn't open it by accident without removing an on screen prompt.

Ps. your second falcon wing door will sense the rack there and will need to be over-riden to be opened.

Hope that is helpful.
seth

@sethstein : Thank you very much for your information. Indeed, I would be very interested by some measurements. It would be nice if you can give me the distance A<->C and B<->C, according that the bars are place in a way it is more or less flat to put the roof box with a fair distance between A and B and a small margin not touch the open trunk. If you think there are some margins possible to place A and/or B you can also give the margin you think is possible.

If I want to follow, the roof rack instruction, I should have a minimum A-C distance of 57" for one model and 62" for the other.

I would also be interested in the usable bar length for front and back racks.

And my last question is regarding the temperature. Is it an issue to use the seasuckers at below freezing temperature in the range of 15 to 32 ºF (-10 to 0 ºC)? I guess not (seasuckers provide ski racks).

 

[sethstein]

@giacopona I took measurements and photos.

working backwards: if the SPAN between A and B has to be 59" - then the front rack is moved forward, all the way up to where the rear view mirror/ sun visors cross. I am not sure what the rear distance (B to C) minimum you can have is, so just know you can always slide backward... AND the further you go back, the NARROWER the bar width becomes because the curvature of the doors opening to the roof.

Measurements:
A to B = 60" on center (photo)
B to C = 22.5" on center (photo)
Useable bar width: 19" or less when placed back to create 60" a to b.

If you can live with less A to B distance- then you can gain about 1" on Useable Bar Width and 28"+ B to C depth pretty easily with the trunk open.

On another note, when I moved the back racks backward - working off the front being as forward as the rear view mirror/ sunshade crossing... the back suction cup overlapped the actual sensor. Not a problem since you can over ride the door - but just something to be aware of.

One thought to make the back rack bar width be wider ; use smaller suction cups for the rear - You would have to customize obviously but in my research there are suction cups that are smaller and very strong... (amazon.com) and other sites.

Hope this helps and let me know if you need any more detail

Seth

 

[giacopona]

@giacopona I took measurements and photos.

working backwards: if the SPAN between A and B has to be 59" - then the front rack is moved forward, all the way up to where the rear view mirror/ sun visors cross. I am not sure what the rear distance (B to C) minimum you can have is, so just know you can always slide backward... AND the further you go back, the NARROWER the bar width becomes because the curvature of the doors opening to the roof.

Measurements:
A to B = 60" on center (photo)
B to C = 22.5" on center (photo)
Useable bar width: 19" or less when placed back to create 60" a to b.

If you can live with less A to B distance- then you can gain about 1" on Useable Bar Width and 28"+ B to C depth pretty easily with the trunk open.

On another note, when I moved the back racks backward - working off the front being as forward as the rear view mirror/ sunshade crossing... the back suction cup overlapped the actual sensor. Not a problem since you can over ride the door - but just something to be aware of.

One thought to make the back rack bar width be wider ; use smaller suction cups for the rear - You would have to customize obviously but in my research there are suction cups that are smaller and very strong... (amazon.com) and other sites.

Hope this helps and let me know if you need any more detail

Seth

@sethstein : thanks for all the very detail measurements. I will help me.

Actually, it's A to C that needs to be at least 60", (not A to B).

A to B should be between 24” (min.) and 40” (max.).

That should make things easier to set up. I guess, it would be possible to have something la 27" B to C, around 38" A to B and about 27" front overhang. Would that be possible?

 

[sethstein]

@giacopona I just went out and measured at it works. With the trunk open - 92" works well....
The back racks are placed in the center of the back door, the forward rack is aligned with the front of the door handle and the overhang is about where the front mirror is.

The attached images are the racks placed at those distances and i just did the diagram as well.

All that being said, i would not suggest going much longer than 95"

Seth

 

[giacopona]

@giacopona I just went out and measured at it works. With the trunk open - 92" works well....
The back racks are placed in the center of the back door, the forward rack is aligned with the front of the door handle and the overhang is about where the front mirror is.

The attached images are the racks placed at those distances and i just did the diagram as well.

All that being said, i would not suggest going much longer than 95"

Seth

@sethstein : Thanks for all the information and the time spent. I will keep you informed.

But first I still have to wait for my MX: VIN 013XXX, should be soon leaving the factory, expected delivery in Switzerland : late September, early October.

 

[goneskiian]

Thanks for being a guinea pig for us @sethstein! Thanks also for sharing all the set up measurements. This is great information for sure.

As an aside, those are great looking wheels! Perhaps I missed it but what are they? Thanks!

 

[McManX]

@sethstein do you think it would be easy to modify the seasucker suction cups to attach onto a traditional roof ski rack by buying just the suction cups. It seems like they no longer make their ski rack and I don't really want to deal with a hitch rack. A cargo box is a little overkill for me.

 

[sethstein]

Thanks for being a guinea pig for us @sethstein! Thanks also for sharing all the set up measurements. This is great information for sure.

As an aside, those are great looking wheels! Perhaps I missed it but what are they? Thanks!

@goneskiian - wheels are Ace Convex 22" - really happy with them- about $1900 for 4 rims without tires

Best
Seth