Has anyone installed a Thule roof rack on their E? I'm interested in seeing a picture of how it looks. I'm mainly going to use rack to carry a cargo box for long trips, and I'm thinking that the Thule rack would be better that the Honda rack for additional hauling duties like lumber and other odds and ends.

Thanks!

If anyone responds, I would like to know if you get much wind noise with the Thule. With my Yakima racks on my old suv and no attachments, I got a lot of resonating vibration. With a bike rack attached, I did not. I figure the Honda racks are more aerodynamic and might be quieter.

I'm heavily invested in Yakima products, but I am trying to decide now whether to install the Honda racks and use the mighty mounts, convert to Thule or wait for the Yakima mounts in September. If I buy the Honda racks from HandA, maybe I can Ebay them later if I go with Yakima.

I've got a Thule rack on mine with two fork mount bike trays. The "rack" was just what I had on my previous car, but I bought new "towers" to mount it on the E. They were about $140, and they're the same as the ones that go on the CR-V, so it's not like they're "new" pieces for the E that Thule still has to get dialed in. They fit perfectly. You remove some plastic covers from the edges of the vehicle roof to install them, and then you just have open "holes" after the install is done. I don't spend much time looking up there, so I don't really care. I can't recall now where I saw it, but somebody has a site showing how to trim the plastic pieces and put them in place after the rack is installed to keep it looking neat and clean.

I guess I found it! Here's a thread with some install pics:

http://www.hondaelement.org/showthread.php?s=f02d811f65f759e56b85087d35329e89&threadid=1138&highlight=install+AND+roof+AND+rack

Here's a thread with some pics for one way to McGiver the covers:

http://www.hondasuv.com/forum_element/viewtopic.php?t=514

When I first installed mine, I didn't have the fairing on (it got dark before I finished). I drove around for a few days vefore I got time to put it on, and there was a fair amount of wind noise if Ididn't have the stereo turned up. After I put the fairing on, the noise almostly completely went away. I'm afraid that there's no roof rack that will be as quiet as no rack at all. Sorry. Good luck.

I installed the Thule bike rack yesterday. Followed the step buy step link listed on above post. (Including screw change out and plastic cut outs. Looks awesome! Also installed fairing (sp?) There is more noise, but still much quieter than my Grand Cherokee was. Even more noise when bikes were on, but that is to be expected.

This Honda Element roof rack picture gallery (http://www.orsracksdirect.com/honda-element-roof-rack.html) has several configurations from both Yakima Racks and Thule Racks.

Note, the OP is from April 2003, when the Element had been out only a matter of months. At the time Thule may have had the TK6 adapter set on the market, but not the TK9 with the hole covers.

paulj

I just got a Thule rack from another member and installed it with no intructions at all. It was very easy to do, and I have not noticed (I have the faring installed, also) any wind noise to speak of.
When we started the E buying trek, we test drove an 06 EXP that had the OEM rack installed. Immediately noticed wind noise, and we didn't even get on the highway!!
IMO- get an aftermarket rack with a faring for lower (or no) wind noise. You will be very happy with it. 8)

Hope this helps....:-D:???::-D