Avant Roof Rack Cross Bars

[texadelphia]

I was looking at getting a set of cross bars for my avant and I'm a little confused about the options. I like the look of the low profile aero bars that don't have the "towers" on each side, but is there a functional advantage or disadvantage to them? I'll be using the rack mainly to transport bikes but I want to have the option to put a rooftop tent up there. Anyone have experience with what would be best for me?

[vce1232000]

The aero or whisper bars are not as strong

[C-Lo]

I use Whispbars. They’re very low profile. Almost looks like the box is sitting on the roof. Only downside for me is that you can’t tilt the sunroof.




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[texadelphia]

I use Whispbars. They’re very low profile. Almost looks like the box is sitting on the roof. Only downside for me is that you can’t tilt the sunroof.




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Interesting. I was curious how the sunroof would function.

Thule's website says that you can put a Tepui tent on their aeroblades so I don't think strength is an issue.

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[Charles.waite]

The benefit of Whispbars that sit flush between the rails is that they add close to zero aerodynamic drag. I love mine and would never switch back to ones with towers.

That being said because the clearance between the roof and the bars is so tight you often have to get pretty creative in mounting roof accessories. If you have a hardware store with a good selection of stainless steel metric bolts you should be fine though.

Pic of my friends roof box on my avant (he let me borrow it for a road trip):



The car drives like there’s nothing on the roof and the MPG hit is very minimal. I lost around 2mpgs on a trip to Montana and back with that box on there. That’s almost nothing given how large that box is.

[Charles.waite]

The aero or whisper bars are not as strong

The bars aren’t the limitation though, audi’s roof rail weight limit is only like 150lbs or something.

[vce1232000]

The bars aren’t the limitation though, audi’s roof rail weight limit is only like 150lbs or something.

You think those whisper bars would be able to handle the weight of the tent & occupant(s) that op option for . Ive have whisper bars also. But sketchy when I mounted my kayak on then 80mph on the highway. I switched back to thule tower bars when carrying my kayak & heavy things

[texadelphia]

The bars aren’t the limitation though, audi’s roof rail weight limit is only like 150lbs or something.

I believe the 165 lbs is the dynamic weight limit. Meaning you can't have more than that up there while in motion. Static limit is roughly 3 times the dynamic limit according to Thule. Also part of the weight is carried by the ladder when the tent is deployed.

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[texadelphia]

I believe the 165 lbs is the dynamic weight limit. Meaning you can't have more than that up there while in motion. Static limit is roughly 3 times the dynamic limit according to Thule. Also part of the weight is carried by the ladder when the tent is deployed.

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Found this. Obviously this does not apply to the Whispbars.Screenshot_20190704-225059_Drive.jpg

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[oVeRdOsE]

I use Whispbars. They’re very low profile. Almost looks like the box is sitting on the roof. Only downside for me is that you can’t tilt the sunroof.




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those bar got the best look. For the sun roof, imo its not a problem, the box is so noisy that you dont want it open.

I use the universal thule bars.

[texadelphia]

According to Yakima's website, the Whispbars/Railbars are not approved for their rooftop tent on the B7 but their Timberline universal bars are. It doesn't say why exactly, but I think it's because the Railbars just clamp to the roof rails.

Thule's website only gives approved dimensions for each tent. Some of their tents would work with their version of Whispbars (Aeroblade Edge) and some require a wider bar spread than can be accomplished on the roof rails based on where the manual says crossbars should be attached. I think the Aeroblade Edge are approved because unlike the Whispbars/Railbars there's a strap that goes around the roof rail as opposed to a clamp that just squeezes the roof rail.

[Charles.waite]

Yea if you're really concerned about heavy loads on your roof, between-rail bars aren't going to be the right solution for you. For the majority of cases, they're going to be fine though.

[Low and Behold]

those bar got the best look. For the sun roof, imo its not a problem, the box is so noisy that you dont want it open.

I use the universal thule bars.

What mudflaps are those?

[nizmosx]

i have whisper bars and love them. would never switch back to other bars. they are so much more quiet than any other bar i have ran.

[pw211]

Whispbars for the price were just unbeatable on my avant. Looked amazing and super quiet. Ran it with their fork-mount bike rack and it was great.

[oVeRdOsE]

What mudflaps are those?

universal rally armor. the classic.