Whispbar only at Tesla?

[Boatguy]

Looking for a roof rack for MS with pano roof. Whispbar is what Tesla sells, but apparently they were acquired in 2010 by Yakima and Yakima has or is killing the brand.

Yakima doesn't list the product that Tesla is selling and offers their own "Skyline" mount for the Tesla.

Does anyone have recent purchase experience with the Whispbar from Tesla, or the Skyline from Yakima. How about with various equipment mounting systems for those racks (bikes, kayak, etc.)

Thanks!

 

[Magomboman]

Here's an option I'm very pleased with. It's made by seasucker. Great thing about it you can remove it in matter of seconds. Check out the video on YouTube
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...IIKTAA&usg=AFQjCNE64obduP7GDQ2x1AugTmfCZ5fHBw

 

[PeterHG]

When you buy a roofrack you're buying a system that will outlive the car. I bought Thule decades ago at an eye popping price (for a guy in his 20s). We've added a handful of carrying features for different boats and bikes, and also cycled through a whole bunch of mounting kits for different cars. The mounting kits and ruggedness of the system have made the whole thing a very good value over time. So I'd say buy a big brand, either Thule or Yakima, use them for a few decades, and pass the parts on to the kids

 

[Boatguy]

Here's an option I'm very pleased with. It's made by seasucker. Great thing about it you can remove it in matter of seconds. Check out the video on YouTube
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fBK8pUPWu2A&ved=0ahUKEwj77sntxdvVAhUENSYKHeoAAsIQtwIIKTAA&usg=AFQjCNE64obduP7GDQ2x1AugTmfCZ5fHBw

I looked at those earlier but only saw the Komodo model which is $1,400 for one bike! I see you have the Mini-Bomber which is only $440 and holds two bikes. A few questions:

1. Looks like you need to not open the pano roof all the way? Had any problems with that?
2. Are you able to open the trunk lid? Have to be sure to loosen the fork skewers first?
3. What's the longest trip you've taken with the bikes up there? How often do you need to pump up the suckers?

When you buy a roofrack you're buying a system that will outlive the car. I bought Thule decades ago at an eye popping price (for a guy in his 20s). We've added a handful of carrying features for different boats and bikes, and also cycled through a whole bunch of mounting kits for different cars. The mounting kits and ruggedness of the system have made the whole thing a very good value over time. So I'd say buy a big brand, either Thule or Yakima, use them for a few decades, and pass the parts on to the kids

You were able to migrate your Thule to the Tesla with no issues?

 

[Magomboman]

I looked at those earlier but only saw the Komodo model which is $1,400 for one bike! I see you have the Mini-Bomber which is only $440 and holds two bikes. A few questions:

1. Looks like you need to not open the pano roof all the way? Had any problems with that?
2. Are you able to open the trunk lid? Have to be sure to loosen the fork skewers first?
3. What's the longest trip you've taken with the bikes up there? How often do you need to pump up the suckers?

You were able to migrate your Thule to the Tesla with no issues?

The great thing about the seasuckers you can place them almost anywhere. As far as the pano roof you can open it but be aware of the location of your seasucker. Me personally I dont open it while my bike is on the car. I never tried to open my trunk with the bike on my MS. Typically I use the frunk when my bike is on my MS. My longest drive was about 350 miles and checked them everytime i stopped. I pump them even when i dont see white to be safe... The Talon a two piece ($300)good for one bike but the Komodo is a one piece ($1400)...There are a few people that have the suckers in my area and they sold me on it since most of the autos cost in the area of the MS's...

 

[PeterHG]

You were able to migrate your Thule to the Tesla with no issues?

I have not tried to use it on my Tesla, but I'd be shocked if there was a problem. I've used it on 5 or 6 cars of 3 or 4 makes over 20 or so years. Thule markets dozens of mounting kits which are custom designed for virtually every vehicle on the road. If you want a Thule, just go to their website or local dealer, they'll sell you a kit guaranteed to fit on a Tesla. If I'm wrong, then they will not have kit anyway, so you will not be stuck with something that doesn't work.

 

[Hazelwood]

You can also look at the Thule Aerobars. I've used them multiple times on my Model S now to carry my bike from Northern Cali to Southern Cali, or more recently from Northern Cali to Phoenix. They have two versions, one looks more elegant (the edge wraps from bar to the roofline), the other one I liked because I can use a longer bar and carry more bikes if I needed (bar extends beyond mount). Only negative is drag from both a bike and a rack combined means slightly longer charging stops on longer trips.

**Oh one more thing, I've also owned my Thule system for over 25 years. With the Tesla I switched to the aerobars (meaning I basically upgraded the entire bar system but could use my existing bike racks). They do last forever though, and I do still use the square bars on our other vehicle.

 

[AAARSINIC]

I bit the bucket and ordered from Tesla. It seemed like it was difficult to confirm if anything else would work and that the fit kit was tough to come by as well.

 

[Boatguy]

I bit the bucket and ordered from Tesla. It seemed like it was difficult to confirm if anything else would work and that the fit kit was tough to come by as well.

After you install it, would you please post something about how long to install and remove, once past the initial learning curve?

 

[AAARSINIC]

After you install it, would you please post something about how long to install and remove, once past the initial learning curve?

I haven't taken them off yet but did install them today. It took me about 35 minutes to install mainly because of the fact the bars don't come at the proper length to mount. You must adjust them to the proper length and the instructions weren't particularly helpful on how exactly to adjust them. There is a bolt that you have to loosen approximately 10 turns. Then you push the bolt in which allows you to set the width. I feel like I could easily put them on in about 10 minutes next time. The quality of the bars seems very high. I'll let you know how the removal goes when I take them off.

 

[AAARSINIC]

I haven't taken them off yet but did install them today. It took me about 35 minutes to install mainly because of the fact the bars don't come at the proper length to mount. You must adjust them to the proper length and the instructions weren't particularly helpful on how exactly to adjust them. There is a bolt that you have to loosen approximately 10 turns. Then you push the bolt in which allows you to set the width. I feel like I could easily put them on in about 10 minutes next time. The quality of the bars seems very high. I'll let you know how the removal goes when I take them off.

I took the bars off today. It was a snap. Less than 5 minutes. I was able to store them right back in the box that they were shipped in. I feel confident that the next time they go on it will take 5-10 minutes tops. There isn't much to say about removal. Once you figure out the proper way to put them on, taking them off is even faster.

Like I said before, adjusting the width is difficult but only needs to be done the first time. Popping the covers off the pano up, make sure it swings outwards towards the doors of the car. Other than that it's fairly straight forward.

 

[Boatguy]

I took the bars off today. It was a snap. Less than 5 minutes. I was able to store them right back in the box that they were shipped in. I feel confident that the next time they go on it will take 5-10 minutes tops. There isn't much to say about removal. Once you figure out the proper way to put them on, taking them off is even faster.

Like I said before, adjusting the width is difficult but only needs to be done the first time. Popping the covers off the pano up, make sure it swings outwards towards the doors of the car. Other than that it's fairly straight forward.

Thanks for the information, sounds like a great solution!