Thule Roof Rack

PauSum

Forum Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
316
Location
Perth Australia
Car Year
2005 and 2014
Car Model
Forester and Outback
Transmission
5 speed manual and 7 speed CVT
I was about to purchase a pair and the guy in the shop "suggested" me using ROLA as he said Thule rack is much more noiser than ROLA.

Anyone using Thule rack here? Is Thule rack really noisy? :surprised:
 
I have a set of Thule's,

Funny thing is the guy who gave me advice on the shop said the opposite!

I cant hear mine unless I forget to twist straps when I tie on my kayak, then it makes a roraing hum sound that increases with speed.
 
Just get a faring..mines quiet..my faring rattled a little but I just put some little foam pieces under it on each side and it's very quiet..
 
I can just barely hear mine if I listen for it but then they're square bars with a wire basket (which generally means stuff in the basket as well). I've always used Thule and couldn't be happier with their products. I'd say Rola are probably just as good, we're not talking rocket science after all.

I would suggest that maybe the guy you were talking to had a slightly better profit margin on the Rola and so pushes those when he can but I believe you'd be happy with either.
 
I've got the Rola's and I do hear a slight noise when they're on at highway speed.

My Rola's have a slight curve to match the roof shape - this is ok for thin things but not so good for a wide flat thing like a table top.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback!

I would suggest that maybe the guy you were talking to had a slightly better profit margin on the Rola and so pushes those when he can but I believe you'd be happy with either.

This is what's in my mind as well - ROLA bars are a little bit dearer than Thule....
 
I have a set of Thule foot mounts on my Forester MY 03, which means that I can take the whole rack off in about 30 seconds (push in four buttons and lift). They are available with locks, but I haven't bothered so far (no one's tried to nick it so far, but then again I only have it on the car when I need it.)

Jon
 
The Rola's have theft proof screws and are on and off pretty quick - I only put mine on when I need them.

the thules have key lock and undo by unlocking and untwisting the end


ive got the thule aluminium aero's and dont make any noise but iv'e usually got the music cranking:rock: i like the look of the Rolas better because the sit the same level as the mounting bars but i wanted the extra clearance between the bar and the roof and the extra width the Thules gave:)
 
They feel pretty solid, however I haven't carried anything heavier than fishing rods on them. You're welcome to come have a look at them on the car if you like I'm in Como/Gosnells

have you seen the tech info?

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Telescoping aerofoil[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1] - Rak’s unique aerofoil shape patented crossbar was developed on the Boeing aircraft Cray super-computer to ensure the best possible combination of strength, aesthetics and performance. The resulting design has been extensively tested for both static and dynamic performance.

[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Downdraft[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1] - At 80kmh, each metre of aerofoil produces .5kg of downdraft. In the same way that wings and ground-effect mouldings function on race-cars, this has the effect of improving vehicle roadholding. Tests further indicated that RAK aerofoil actively improved airflow over the test vehicles above 55kph. By reducing air turbulence, fuel economy improved and the rear windows of the test vehicles remained cleaner.

[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Drag[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1] - RAK aerofoil crossbar and a competitor’s square crossbar of equivalent depth were tested to compare the drag factor per 100km of travel. RAK achieved .46km drag, less than 10% of the 4.89km drag produced by the square bar. In practical terms, this means much better fuel economy.

[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Strength[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1] - RAK aerofoil has been tested to withstand a 100kg download at the centre of a 1 metre bar. The strength increases where RAK's telescoping aerofoil bars overlap. RAK's end sections have been tested to a breaking load of 400kg per end. Such is the strength of RAK, that the size and weight of load to be carried is more likely to be determined by the load and handling limits of the vehicle to which they are attached than by RAK's limits.

[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Noise[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Sans-serif,sans-serif][SIZE=-1] - The outstanding performance of RAK's patented aerofoil crossbar is further enhanced by mini-turbulators which have been moulded into the aluminium extrusion to further reduce noise levels.Test results show why RAK is regarded as the quietest in the business [/SIZE][/FONT]
 
The Thule Aero bar is rated to 75kg whick is 15 more than the Subaru (Rola) ones.

Just noticed that the Thule Australia site has an Outback on the main page... Nice one :ebiggrin:
 
The Thule Aero bar is rated to 75kg whick is 15 more than the Subaru (Rola) ones.

This is why I prefer Thule to Rola, and of course cheaper too.....:iconwink:

But this Rak systems is even cheaper and can carry 100kg :biggrin:
 
They feel pretty solid, however I haven't carried anything heavier than fishing rods on them. You're welcome to come have a look at them on the car if you like I'm in Como/Gosnells

have you seen the tech info?

Yeah... I have read the info on the web site already.... I may arrange with you to have a look at your rack systems............
 
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