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Crossbar (roof rack) options?

8604 Views 69 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  JJ AWD, 
HogarthH
Not seeing any information on crossbar or roof rack options for the Solterra. Has anybody spotted or know of what style crossbars will work with this rail system?
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yalla
I have a Thule WingBar Evo mounted. Looks Ok. Very quiet.
Car Vehicle Wheel Land vehicle Tire
Hood Automotive tire Motor vehicle Combat vehicle Bumper


Part numbers at Thule.com:
Thule Wingbar Evo | 711300
Thule Fixpoint Evo | 710700
Kit 187133

Rack at Thule.com
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Ducatista
yalla said:
I have a Thule WingBar Evo mounted. Looks Ok. Very quiet.
View attachment 1279 View attachment 1280

Part numbers at Thule.com:
Thule Wingbar Evo | 711300
Thule Fixpoint Evo | 710700
Kit 187133

Rack at Thule.com
Click to expand...
What kind of winter wheels and tires do you have on it?
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yalla
Ducatista said:
What kind of winter wheels and tires do you have on it?
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Tires: Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV. The winter tires with the lowest rolling resistance according to elbil24.no testing.
Wheels: 18 inch wheels from the dealer, not sure which model. Unable to see any logos or brand- name on them.
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CTValleySubaruGuy
And before this becomes a tires discussion: Thule makes at least one model, and there is an official Subaru OEM part (at least according to their websites). There is also at least one vendor on eBay offering "Guaranteed to fit / Unbranded" installations if you like to live dangerously.

You're better off searching for the type of carrier you want: luggage, bike, sleep-on-top tent, etc.

Just remember: as with an ICE vehicle, anything that increases drag is going to suck range out of your battery, so use with care.
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yalla
CTValleySubaruGuy said:
And before this becomes a tires discussion: Thule makes at least one model, and there is an official Subaru OEM part (at least according to their websites). There is also at least one vendor on eBay offering "Guaranteed to fit / Unbranded" installations if you like to live dangerously.

You're better off searching for the type of carrier you want: luggage, bike, sleep-on-top tent, etc.

Just remember: as with an ICE vehicle, anything that increases drag is going to suck range out of your battery, so use with care.
Click to expand...
I have had ev-s for the last six years, with bikes, skis and roof boxes on the roof. The consumption increases off course, but not as much as I thought, at least not during average country road speed (On narrow norwegian roads we normally average around +/- 60km/h). On highways it is another story :)

For bikes etc you will get better range by putting them on the tow hitch in my experience..
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JIm_in_PA
The options for this kind of thing will likely come from the usual suspects.
---

Yalla, there's no hitch receiver option for the Solterra as there is zero towing capacity per the specifications. (sadly)
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yalla
Okey. I have tow hitch mounted on my Solterra Nordic edition.. Only 750kg legal capacity, but thats enough for bikes or a thule cargo box.
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Ducatista
JIm_in_PA said:
Yalla, there's no hitch receiver option for the Solterra as there is zero towing capacity per the specifications. (sadly)
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Yalla is not in North America. Only the North American cars don't have a tow rating. We only have the activity mount. European cars have a tow option.
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JIm_in_PA
Ducatista said:
Yalla is not in North America. Only the North American cars don't have a tow rating. We only have the activity mount. European cars have a tow option.
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Thanks for the clarification. I was unaware that outside of North America, one could tow with the Solterra. This is actually something that could be a factor in our household if we ever wanted to go to a single vehicle that was "merely" and EV. I need to be able to tow my 5x8 utility trailer occasionally.
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Ducatista
JIm_in_PA said:
Thanks for the clarification. I was unaware that outside of North America, one could tow with the Solterra. This is actually something that could be a factor in our household if we ever wanted to go to a single vehicle that was "merely" and EV. I need to be able to tow my 5x8 utility trailer occasionally.
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Yep I can see it being an issue for a lot of people. I’m still baffled as to why Euro can and NA can’t though. It’s the exact same chassis. Same brakes. Same suspension. Same motors. There must be a slightly different rear impact beam design or something to meat collision requirements maybe in NA? Maybe it can’t accommodate the hitch as a result so we are left with the more basic activity mount? Baffling.
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n6nl
The official description of the US Solterra activity mount:

”The Genuine Subaru Activity Mount features a durable steel construction and mounts to the rear unibody structure of the Solterra. This replaces the rear bumper beam of the vehicle and is designed and tested to be an integral safety component. The mount is not a trailer hitch and not intended to tow a trailer, but does allow you to carry up to 100 lbs. of additional gear.”

Sad, but it sounds like it’s well engineered from a safety point of view.
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jg.
Ducatista said:
… meat collision …
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Sorry, I couldn’t resist
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  • Haha
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Dave
yalla said:
I have a Thule WingBar Evo mounted. Looks Ok. Very quiet.
View attachment 1279 View attachment 1280

Part numbers at Thule.com:
Thule Wingbar Evo | 711300
Thule Fixpoint Evo | 710700
Kit 187133

Rack at Thule.com
Click to expand...
Hi - I can't quite tell but it this the trim with the cargo rails or with out it?
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Ducatista
jg. said:
Sorry, I couldn’t resist
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I deserved that! :LOL:
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Ducatista
Was on Thule Canada website today and you can select the Solterra to see what crossbars show up. This is what came up as options (prices are Canadian).

Automotive parking light Hood Automotive lighting Product Car
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I
Ducatista said:
Was on Thule Canada website today and you can select the Solterra to see what crossbars show up. This is what came up as options (prices are Canadian).

View attachment 1294
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info. They make good stuff, though not cheap. I will probably go for the Evo, which I believe allows wider bars if needed.

Still curious as to whether it would be doable to install an aftermarket 2 inch hitch (don’t see why it wouldn’t be). I don’t actually want to tow but some of the accessories I would like require 2 inch. For example, I will need to get a hitch mounted spare tire. I have tried using those sealant kits in the back country without success and would not want to risk being off the beaten path without a proper spare. Hopefully Subaru will come out with the wilderness edition. Ideally that would have 18 inch wheels, proper all-terrain low rolling resistance tires, and a full size spare (likely would need to be outside for space reasons). skid plate to protect the battery as well would be nice.
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VICanuck
Checked with Rack Attack yesterday.
The Solterra-specific Thule Fit Kit (187133) is not available yet (in Canada anyway). They expect it to arrive sometime in January.
The Wingbar Evo crossbar (1711300) and the Evo fixpoints (1710701) are generic and readily available.
So I guess I have to figure another way to get my Christmas tree home this year.
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I
VICanuck said:
Checked with Rack Attack yesterday.
The Solterra-specific Thule Fit Kit (187133) is not available yet (in Canada anyway). They expect it to arrive sometime in January.
The Wingbar Evo crossbar (1711300) and the Evo fixpoints (1710701) are generic and readily available.
So I guess I have to figure another way to get my Christmas tree home this year.
Click to expand...
Do you know if there’s any advantage to the Solterra specific one over the EVO?
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VICanuck
The local dealership has zero information, so I have no idea as to the Subaru crossbar.
All the hauling/adventure sports accessories seem just to be Thule, with no Subaru-branded parts to speak of.
The 'activity' hitch is the exception. No idea who the manufacturer is.
Awaiting for when Curt or others offer an after-market alternative.
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