BTMead Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 I plan on buying an Edge within the next month and would like to get one with the Vista roof option, but I also need a roof rack. I am aware that the roof rails are not an option on Vista equipped models. Does anyone have any experience with aftermarket racks? Specifically I am interested in kayak, surfboard, and ski attachments. It seems that Yakima makes an attachment for the Edge, but I wonder about the overall weight on the roof with both a Vista roof and a roof rack with equipment. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sim Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 The factory rack is supposed to support 100# plus the rack weight, they suggest any more would damage the roof. The most i am going to stick up there would be two poly yak's which would be about 120# total, i wouldnt want to put much more on there. I would imagine that the vista roof glass and mechanisms are at least that kind of weight, plus you dont have internal bracing that you might have from a solid panel and any support for the roof structure that you would have with the non-vista roof, so i wouldnt like to say what the roof could hold when equipped with the BAMR - and i dont think Ford would like to tell anyone what they think either in terms of liability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmith Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 I also plan on buying an Edge soon, and would like to get one with the Vista roof option, but I also need to be able to carry two kayaks. Has anyone out there had any experience installing any sort of non-Ford roof rack or kayak carrier on an Edge with the Vista roof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Talionis Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 (edited) I was under the impression it cannot be done with the BAMR... they need the room for the internal mechanisms to run the roof and thus, there is no rain gutter or ports/area for the rack to tie into. With Yakima.. the 'racks' they have assume you have the factory Edge rails and want to add racks (cross bars) to the factory rails and then attach your toys. BUT, the BAMR allows no factory rails - as no spot for them - so no rack. I even went and looked on top of the car thinking there must be the tie in points (gutter or covered over ports to pop open and expose the bolt holes) and I would just do it anyway, but no dice. nothing there to tie rails into. so.. I will, like many others, be getting a hitch setup for my bikes - NOTE: which will not help you in the case of wanting to add kayaks, skis, surfboards, a ladder, snowboards, 2x4's, a cargo carrier, decking materials, or a Christmas tree next year. This is one of the bigger drawbacks for me, but that BAMR is so BADA$$ I had to have it and so.. Edited January 21, 2008 by Lex Talionis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 so.. I will, like many others, be getting a hitch setup for my bikes. That's ok for bikes but I don't think it will work too well for kayaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Talionis Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 That's ok for bikes but I don't think it will work too well for kayaks. ya think???? :shades: I was addressing the issue of roof racks in general.. the bike mention was a side note.. but I know who much you love to pick out the literal details and miss extrapolating the big picture.. so I will be cleaer next time.. as a matter of fact.. I will fix my post just for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 ya think???? :shades: I was addressing the issue of roof racks in general.. the bike mention was a side note.. but I know who much you love to pick out the literal details and miss extrapolating the big picture.. so I will be cleaer next time.. as a matter of fact.. I will fix my post just for you. I knew what you meant. When I read it I got this mental picture of putting kayaks in a bike rack and thought it was really funny. If anyone finds Lex's sense of humor, please return it to him asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Talionis Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 hitch mounted carrier for both skis and snowboards... just for BTMead.. sorry.. nothing exact for just kayaks yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Talionis Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 I thought I would bump this back up since it seemed it was solved by someone here, and posted in a different thread, and they did an awesome job... see this http://www.fordedgeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1890 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On The... Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 I thought I would bump this back up since it seemed it was solved by someone here, and posted in a different thread, and they did an awesome job... see this http://www.fordedgeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1890 Lex... What do you think the wobble factor will be going from a standard 2" receiver size bike rack to the factory 1" receiver using one of those aftermarket adaptor things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Talionis Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Lex... What do you think the wobble factor will be going from a standard 2" receiver size bike rack to the factory 1" receiver using one of those aftermarket adaptor things? so hard to say... much of it will be decided by the adaptor and how well it fills the space. and neither adaptors nor receivers are super precisely milled. just a little 'extra' milling in the receiver or a little less material for the adaptor and it will be losey goosey. so, I could not really say. consider this also.. using a 2" down too 1" reducer will add length on to the bike rack hitch. So, if before, you slid the 2" hitch into the receiver, now you will slide the 2" hitch into a reducer and that reducer into the 1" receiver. these reducers can be 8-12" long or so to give enough room to take in the 2" and supply enough to go into the 1". that can make these things stick waaaaay back and that just adds to wobble factor as it creates more torque hanging that much farther back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 using a 2" down too 1" reducer will add length on to the bike rack hitch. So, if before, you slid the 2" hitch into the receiver, now you will slide the 2" hitch into a reducer and that reducer into the 1" receiver. these reducers can be 8-12" long or so to give enough room to take in the 2" and supply enough to go into the 1". that can make these things stick waaaaay back and that just adds to wobble factor as it creates more torque hanging that much farther back. I have that setup with the 2" bike rack into the adapter/reducer since I already had the rack for our van. It doesn't too wobble too much on the Edge (bought the reducer from U-haul). One NICE thing with the adapter though was the extra distance allows the rear hatch to open without having to un-pin and swing down the bike rack bar. That's pretty nice when I have 4 bikes loaded up and want to get into the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.