Posting this here in case it helps anyone that may be looking for a more sleek-looking roof rack system compatible with the Getaway. I just purchased and installed the Thule Aeroblade Edge system and couldn't be happier with the way it looks. Including a photo of the parts manuals for reference.
Great post! I was going to post a question regarding this but have learned to look around a little first and your post was exactly what I was looking for. Simple and elegant looking. The rails do not look that much higher than the awning. Thanks!
If a person doesn't have a desire for the rounded uprights, the other types that let the bars extend past have some advantages. At the end of the day it important to grasp that anything on the roof needs to come off when you pop the top. Also, I'd personally ensure light weight cargo and nothing too bulky or heavy. Keep uplift in mind.
Great point. I personally don’t have a need for the wider bars but I can see their value for those needing to lug larger cargo or wanting to stack surfboards side by side.
Worth also noting that the SCA pop top load limits are 50lbs open and 125lbs closed. Considering some racks can weigh up to 25lbs, that means loads should be kept at 25 and 100lbs respectively. Thanks Peace Vans for the info!
I plan to remove any cargo prior to popping the top regardless of whether or not it’s under the limit just to be safe. 🤙
These look good! I have the Driverge-upfitted Peace Vans weekender. I believe the rails in the pop top are Rhino Rack Track RTS523
I bought Yakima towers, bars, 'landing pads' last August and they went on the van easily.
I did choose the more narrow 50" bars and they are pretty close to the roofline edge (i.e. don't hang over), but don't mess with the awning. They are slightly above the awning but not much
I have only used my Thule box (mounted in center of vehicle) with this setup when we went on an Oregon road trip last year and I found:
1. Manufacturers specs seem legit and non fungible. Even with the box empty, the pop top didn't go up all the way. I didn't weigh the box and bars/towers but my guess is that it was right around 50. Manu specs on box say 42lbs.
At night when camping it seems impractical to take the box off or to put all the stuff from the box in the van (there were 4 of us), but a friend told me he carries a cheap tent and puts his extra bags/etc in the tent after he pops the top. Smart.
2. I have a hitch mount for bike rack so wouldn't mount bikes on roof, but it was actually hard to get up to the box without standing on the bench seat and hanging onto the cross bars. I'm 6'2" so not usually a problem for me!
3. Per something I read I tried to put the bars far enough back that the box would be more aero and less lift-y.
Not sure if this worked out but it felt fine and stable on the road.
Getawaay - Would you mind posting the Thule part number of the rack (and fit kit) you ordered? I measured the rails spacing at 49.5" but cannot figure out from the Thule website which Aeroblade model number (size) to order. I think your solution looks very nice. Thanks.
Getawaay - The Thule manual cover has the parts numbers listed for every size so I could not tell which one is yours in particular. Thanks for the contact though, I will go that route!
If you find you need to carry more weight on the roof than the top can carry you can get the reimo multirails. They mount along the roof edge below the top and give you a gutter to mount rails. The rack would not have any weight on the top, but to use the poptop you would need to remove the cross bars.
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