By JA on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 05:40 am: Edit

I'm putting a Thule or Yakima gutter rack on. How wide should the bars be? I don't want a world of overhang -- but some is definately ok.
I'm putting a more aesthetic version of something the size of the Sears "Extra-Cargo" (no tacky snail) on the roof, and MAY want to sneak something alongside.
Help on width?
-JA

By lazboy on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:16 am: Edit

There's this thing called tape measure thing.
You have one?

By Mr.Helpful on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:19 am: Edit

roof is about this wide (I'm holding my arms about this far apart)

By JA on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:19 am: Edit

How can you honestly call yourself lazboy if I'm asking YOU this question?

I have a tape, but I'm at work and wanted to get a rack on the way home. (vaca tomorrow)

Anyone else have a clue/actual helpful comment?

-JA

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:23 am: Edit

I think stock roof rails are 46" or 48" apart. I'll check my rig in a little bit (have to unload cargo anyway) and post exact measurement a little later.

P.S. I was holding my arms about 46" apart with that last post

By JA on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:42 am: Edit

Thanks Blue --
-JA

By John C. on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 06:46 am: Edit

JA, just go to Thules website and look up the load bars for your model Rover.

By garrett on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 07:21 am: Edit

i have Thules on my Discovery and they 64" load bars with about 2" of overhang beyond the gutters. this is not the 'official' length as I just went out to my truck and measured them. but they are the perfect size.......don't have to worry about clipping pedestrians or yourself as you get in and out of your truck. i can put my Mad River Explorer (canoe) with room to put one mountain bike on either side.

By JA on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 07:30 am: Edit

Garret, I'm a little confused. Help me out. Bluegill says the gutter overall width is 48 inches tops - and you're saying you have a 64 inch bar that only overhangs 2 inches on either side? You mean overhangs the gutter width or the widest width in the vehicle.
Nevertheless, if you're convinced the 64 inch is enough slight overhang without taking down street signs, I might as well pick one up and return it if its a no-go.
-JA

By John C. on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 07:42 am: Edit

Bluegill said the RAILS are 48" apart.

Thule recommends 50" load bar if you have an existing stock roof rack on your Disco.

You can also go with the 65" load bar and they will extend a little (probably 2" like Garrett indicated).

The overall width of a Disco II is 74.4" (from what a read in a review on the web).

Hope this helps.

By garrett on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 07:55 am: Edit

Go with the 65" load bars for sure. I could not imagine having anything any shorter. I am certain you will be happy with the 65" bars. And yes.....the end of the load bar extends only 2" beyond the edge of the gutters. check out www.rackzone.com if you do not have a local Thule dealer.

By Chris Merritt (Smokinbro) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:07 am: Edit

Two ways to put on Thule Racks.
The first is for attachement to the factory bars that run front to back,
The second is to use the Thule stantions attached to the gutter. (My personal preference as you can spread them quite far apart).

I put on the recommended bar length from the Thule site. 68" i think.

I havn't banged my head on them yet, and every pedestrian i've sideswiped is still alive!

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:12 am: Edit

Stock Roof Rack Rails are 46" wide.

Rain gutters are about 60" wide.

Just returned from the parking lot with a tape measure in hand.

By Chris Merritt (Smokinbro) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:17 am: Edit

Here is a photo of the Thule stantions and load bars. Get locks!!

By Chris Merritt (Smokinbro) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:21 am: Edit

sorry for the size!

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:23 am: Edit

I have 48" Thule cross bars and two locking Thule bike mounts with the long tire trays lying in the garage if anyone's interested. I had this rack on my 1996 jeep cherokee so I also have the locking "footers" or "towers" that clamped onto the jeep's stock roof rack rails. The 48" cross bars are a little short for the Disco, but will overhang the stock rails by 1" on either side if you go with the "foot pod" mounting scenario which clamps onto the stock rail rather than the gutter-mount scenario. Is everyone confused now? I am, and I own the shit...

I have no use for the Thule bike stuff since some god damn low life piece of shit motherfucker stole my custom downhill racer and my wife's full-suspension cross country cruiser (over $7k loss) two years ago. Now I have a Rover to suck up my funds (and a wife and a baby and a house), so no bikes in my near future. Damn, now I'm all pissed off again just thinking about it... If anyone sees my Mountain Cycle San Andreas or my wife's Jamis Dakaar give me a call and I'll unleash the dogs of war.

By Chris Merritt (Smokinbro) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:27 am: Edit

ahhhh, the sound of rising blood pressure!


nothing that a little rock bashing wouldn't solve...No?

By Wes Legaspi (Wes) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:28 am: Edit

According to Yakima, the recommended bar length is 66". Another option is the 78" length. In my opinion (no one needs to go by this), the Yakimas are better then the Thules. The round bars seem to make less noise. JA, what do you plan on putting up there?

By Chris Merritt (Smokinbro) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:28 am: Edit

the benefit to the thules is that they can be removed manually to fit into low parking structures, vs. the automatic method of tearing them off of the roof when you forget!

By garrett on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 08:38 am: Edit

yep that is the same setup i have chris. those are the 65" bars i think that i have and that john c. was refering to. if you have dual sunroofs just make sure to locate the front bar just beyond where the glass slides back. and the rear one you just can't use. least the way mine are set up. due to the set length of my bike rack. yeh....get locks. not just on the bike attachments, but the stantions. i know someone that had their whole freaking rack stolen with the bikes attached. as for which ones are better. that is a toss up. yes the Yaks may be a little quiter, but i use to have problems with the attachments getting loose and they would spin on the round bars. that just sucks Blue Gill......sounds like a nice ride. sorry......won't mention it again.

By Chris Merritt (Smokinbro) on Tuesday, June 26, 2001 - 12:18 pm: Edit

garrett;

unfortunately no sunroofs, so stantion placement isn't an issue for me. By the way, I have locks on all four stantions. Both the Thule and Yak racks are designed for easy removal. Since thieving bastards don't really give a crap about your paint job, its even easier for them to remove so...

lock lock lock lock