Roof Rack

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garypq said:
I can't tell you what the roof rack might do, but today I used a Yakima hatch mount to carry 2 bikes. The range on the highway was HAMMERED. I hit the freeway with 100 miles in the "tank" and 10 miles later I as at 51 miles.
Thanks for the info - I was afraid of that. Any surfers out there know what a surfboard does to range?
 
When I tested my bike on my hitch rack the miles per kWh went from ~3.7 to ~3.2 for a 30 mile drive with 45-60 mph speeds. (80 down to 67 mile range assuming 21 kWh batt.)

More discouraging for the roof racks out there, I witnessed for the first time this weekend a driver forgetting about his bike on the roof. I heard a loud crunch and looked across the street to where a driver had driven into his hotel parking entrance. The bike was limply hanging off of the back of the vehicle and it and the rack were in shambles... I think this would happen to me if I went this route too!!
 
I've carried a lot of things on roofs including bikes. I always tape a note to the upper windshield with my height written on it. When driving towards something like a hotel overhang my eyes go towards the note.
 
Electric4Me said:
..................forgetting about.......bike on the roof. I heard a loud crunch.................. The bike was limply hanging the back of the vehicle and it .......(was).. in shambles... !

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hate to admit it BUT----------I did this once to an expensive road bike. I worked a 14 hour day and totally forgot about the bike :cry:

Frame and wheels were trashed. I bought a new frame and wheels and transferred all components to the new frame. Cost was $1,500 for being tired and forgetting the bike on the roof of my 1957 classic VW ragtop sunfoof bug :x

VW, Yakama rack and garage door were fine :oops:
 
FYI - Yakima just released a new base rack system that is specifically designed to be very aero. It's called the streamline and you can find details here: http://www.orsracksdirect.com/yakima-new-product-2016.html. The funny thing is that Yakima doesn't have it on their website yet and doesn't expect to for a week.
 
This thread has been quiet for a few years, but I'm hoping to get some more current advice. I just bought a 2018 Leaf SV and want to get a roof rack to carry my SUP. Any current info on what to look for/beware of when putting racks on the roof?

There are a number of premade that indicate they can be used on a Leaf. Would like to hear from anybody who uses a premade.

(These things are expensive!)
 
The biggest thing to expect is a pretty drastic reduction in range, especially if you are doing highway driving to get to your destination. Unfortunately, SportRack doesn't make a roof rack that fits the LEAF, so you're likely looking at a Thule or Yakama rack which, as you noted, are really expensive.
 
I totally agree with Alozzy, even if the roof rack itself is aerodynamic, whatever you carry is going to greatly reduce that.
Personally, if I needed more room I'd look into a receiver hitch with a rack to hold your goods. Trailing the Leaf it will be much more aerodynamic than anything you'd put on the room and gaining access it much easier than a roof rack. If you really really need more storage and want to carry heavier things then I might suggest a receiver hitch and small motorcycle type trailer. I've been eyeing up a couple real nice lightweight aluminum covered trailers that wouldn't add much drag(probably less than a roof rack) and you'd have easy access to things, heavy or light. They aren't cheap, the ones I'm looking at were over $2k plus the receiver hitch(several hundred dollars) but it could be used on multiple vehicles or by multiple people and being aluminum and covered, should last almost a lifetime :)
 
jjeff said:
I totally agree with Alozzy, even if the roof rack itself is aerodynamic, whatever you carry is going to greatly reduce that.


Thank you, Aloozy and jjeff. Let me just clarify on what you said : Do the roof racks themselves cause the drastic reduction or is it when they are loaded? I am glad to know to look for some that are aerodynamic. If the racks alone cause some reduction vs drastic reduction, it may not be a huge issue for me. I live on a small island (St. Croix) and since the 2018's get good range and I do very little highway driving, I may be able to live with some reduction.

I find the idea of a trailer very intriguing and since I'm no spring chicken, I like the ease of loading/unloading, but ... the cost! A workman recently ran over my SUP board so I have to replace it, too.
 
Whoops, my message was embedded as a quote, so here it is on it's own:


Thank you, Aloozy and jjeff. Let me just clarify on what you said : Do the roof racks themselves cause the drastic reduction or is it when they are loaded? I am glad to know to look for some that are aerodynamic. If the racks alone cause some reduction vs drastic reduction, it may not be a huge issue for me. I live on a small island (St. Croix) and since the 2018's get good range and I do very little highway driving, I may be able to live with some reduction.

I find the idea of a trailer very intriguing and since I'm no spring chicken, I like the ease of loading/unloading, but ... the cost! A workman recently ran over my SUP board so I have to replace it, too.
 
Maybe this is meant to be: a friend of a friend is selling a soft rack. I'd never heard of one before today. Even if his doesn't look like it will work, I see many available on-line for under $100. Any thoughts on using a soft rack with a 2018 Leaf?
 
Looks like Inno racks makes a 2018 LEAF compatible roof rack for a SUP:

https://www.innoracks.com/fitguide/index.php

That brand is definitely less expensive than Thule or Yakama
 
Yes I'd imagine different racks have quite a bit of difference on drag, the one I used was very large and blocky, thus it reduced MPG(I used it on a gas car) quite a bit. Speed would also make a big difference, going very fast(70+ as I did on my gas car) would cause a lot more drag than say going 40 or even 55 MPH.
I hear you, the little trailer I'm looking at is well over $2k and seem to be almost impossible to find used, hence why I don't have one yet :)
 
I'm looking for a roof rack for only occasionally hauling some stuff from Home Depot that's light but too long to fit inside, so I'd prefer one that's easy to attach only when needed and then take off. There don't seem to be any good options. Has anyone tried something like this with a Leaf: https://www.amazon.com/Seah-Hardware-Universal-Cross-Bars-Inches/dp/B07YVBLRWD/
 
psalmon said:
I'm looking for a roof rack for only occasionally hauling some stuff from Home Depot that's light but too long to fit inside, so I'd prefer one that's easy to attach only when needed and then take off. There don't seem to be any good options. Has anyone tried something like this with a Leaf: https://www.amazon.com/Seah-Hardware-Universal-Cross-Bars-Inches/dp/B07YVBLRWD/

For transporting light but lengthy items on your roof, you could probably get away with a kayak rack:

https://amzn.to/39QMWXZ

https://amzn.to/3uqUwSG

https://amzn.to/3onWnXG

Personally, I would use some long, ratcheting tie-down straps to secure everything with as some of those kayak racks come with cheapo straps that work themselves loose too easily.
 
alozzy said:
psalmon said:
I'm looking for a roof rack for only occasionally hauling some stuff from Home Depot that's light but too long to fit inside, so I'd prefer one that's easy to attach only when needed and then take off. There don't seem to be any good options. Has anyone tried something like this with a Leaf: https://www.amazon.com/Seah-Hardware-Universal-Cross-Bars-Inches/dp/B07YVBLRWD/

For transporting light but lengthy items on your roof, you could probably get away with a kayak rack(from this list):

https://amzn.to/39QMWXZ

https://amzn.to/3uqUwSG

https://amzn.to/3onWnXG

Personally, I would use some long, ratcheting tie-down straps to secure everything with as some of those kayak racks come with cheapo straps that work themselves loose too easily.
Hi, I'm new here, thank you for the info. What do you think about Thule racks? Are they overvalued because of marketing?
 
Thule products are generally quality made and last for years, as are Yakima products. I don't have a roof rack for my LEAF, as the range impact is pretty drastic.
 
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