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In search of an MB or after market roof rack system to transport my surfboards and paddle boards, anyone have a specific rack they prefer? I mainly will use it to transport my boards to the beach and back, not to carry any other items with my GLE
I like Thule hardware. We have taken two adult bikes on the roof a total of about 10,000 miles on the W166 with good success. Wingbar Evo is the crossbar, then an accessory mount is used for bike, kayak, ski, etc attachment. On the vehicle side, towers or feet to interface with the vehicle roof rail are selected using Thule’s configurator. It’s an easy and effective process and product.
In search of an MB or after market roof rack system to transport my surfboards and paddle boards, anyone have a specific rack they prefer? I mainly will use it to transport my boards to the beach and back, not to carry any other items with my GLE
Reason I haven't ordered mine yet as people here have reported panorama roof will not open with roof racks installed (both 3rd party and OEM). Can anyone confirm?
Reason I haven't ordered mine yet as people here have reported panorama roof will not open with roof racks installed (both 3rd party and OEM). Can anyone confirm?
The roof will not slide open will the OEM bars; it will pop up at the rear a small amount (~3/4" gap). The issue is the inside portion of the clamping mechanism of the front bar comes very close to the operable roof panel.
Got it and Thanks.
One more question, where is the best location to install 2 bar on the roof.
Is there any marking can be found from the side bar?
I think it just depends on what your needs are for the racks. If you need them narrower, then set them closer together. If you need them farther, then set them farther. For example mine has thule bike racks which requires more distance, but when i throw snowboard racks up I tend to scoot them closer together since my wife's board is much shorter
I think it just depends on what your needs are for the racks. If you need them narrower, then set them closer together. If you need them farther, then set them farther. For example mine has thule bike racks which requires more distance, but when i throw snowboard racks up I tend to scoot them closer together since my wife's board is much shorter
Hi hyperspeed, would you mind confirming if the Aeroblade Edge bars allow the sunroof to operate, or do they interfere with it?
sunroof operates just fine. The sunroof goes down and inside the ceiling panel. Not up and out above the roof
Thanks for the quick reply! Are you referring also to the glass portion that is retractable above the ceiling panel and lets in air, or to the cover which I think is the part that goes down and inside the ceiling panel?
Thanks for the quick reply! Are you referring also to the glass portion that is retractable above the ceiling panel and lets in air, or to the cover which I think is the part that goes down and inside the ceiling panel?
Do you have a sunroof or panorama roof (all glass)? The panorama roof portion lifts above roof while regular sunroof retracts inside. Folks here already established that panorama roof opening will be blocked if you have roof racks.
Thanks, yeah I have the panorama roof, wasn't aware that the normal sunroof retracts below the ceiling so that explains my confusion with the previous reply.
I'm sure there exits some crossbars that don't interfere with the panorama sunroof, but I doubt the low profile Aeroblade Edge are one of them. I'm getting them later this week anyway and can confirm.
Finally pulled the trigger on the Thule Evo Raised Rail and the Wingbar Evo 50" in black, will report once installed. The OEM one sits a bit too high and it's silver, I prefer black being it an AMG Night Package, you know. Will have either a roof basket or ski rack on them. Getting ready for Thanksgiving trip so gotta have these bars ready!
About to put in order for Thule roof racks but read a review that said straps used to secure may not last very long. Can anyone comment on their Thule roof racks? Thanks.
About to put in order for Thule roof racks but read a review that said straps used to secure may not last very long. Can anyone comment on their Thule roof racks? Thanks.
They will last you a good 5+ years if your car is parked in a garage (not under UV exposure for years n years)
If you remove the racks and store them during off seasons, then they'll obviously last even longer.
I had the same Thule aerobars installed on my X5 and after 5 years parked every day under the 100 degree california sun the straps did start to crack. Thule was nice enough to warranty them and I got a full set of them completely free.
Current setup on my GLE has been ~2 years with no signs of any wear / tear or cracking. Car is parked in the garage ~90% of the time due to WFH
They will last you a good 5+ years if your car is parked in a garage (not under UV exposure for years n years)
If you remove the racks and store them during off seasons, then they'll obviously last even longer.
I had the same Thule aerobars installed on my X5 and after 5 years parked every day under the 100 degree california sun the straps did start to crack. Thule was nice enough to warranty them and I got a full set of them completely free.
Current setup on my GLE has been ~2 years with no signs of any wear / tear or cracking. Car is parked in the garage ~90% of the time due to WFH
Hope that bit of info helps
Thank you very much for sharing your experience, hyperspeed - it was very helpful!
Got the Thule roof rack installed. I was actually able to slightly open my panorama roof a bit with the rack installed.
BTW, ordering the Thule racks from online sites was a bit hard since they don't specify the exact model number until you check out. I found most online sites ask you to specify size (i.e., S, M, L, XL). For the GLE, order XL (7504B) and L (7503B).
Thule Aeroblade Edge are the best and the most expensive. A good cheap alternative is [1] from Amazon. I also replaced the crossbar strips with [2] to minimize the wind noice.
09-13-2021, 08:33 PM
