tjm276 Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 So my wife and I just got a 2011 Edge. We ski a lot in the winter so we made sure to get one with the factory roof rails on it. I just put the factory crossbars on this morning and I was shocked at how close together they are. They are only 18" apart. My ski bindings are 20" long so I am thinking this setup isn't going to work. I am pretty irritated as this rack will be completely useless to me if I can't get my skis up there. Can the factory rails be moved further apart? Does anyone use the factory bars to carry skis? I really don't want to have to buy a yakima setup after investing in the ford setup already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimp Posted December 23, 2011 Report Share Posted December 23, 2011 So my wife and I just got a 2011 Edge. We ski a lot in the winter so we made sure to get one with the factory roof rails on it. I just put the factory crossbars on this morning and I was shocked at how close together they are. They are only 18" apart. My ski bindings are 20" long so I am thinking this setup isn't going to work. I am pretty irritated as this rack will be completely useless to me if I can't get my skis up there. Can the factory rails be moved further apart? Does anyone use the factory bars to carry skis? I really don't want to have to buy a yakima setup after investing in the ford setup already. In my opinion, the value of purchasing the "roof rack" comes from the side rails because they support a number of aftermarket (Yakima or Thule) specialized carrying racks. I didn't install my original cross bars and don't know if I ever will, but they came as part of the kit. If you hadn't purchased the roof rack, you would be looking at atttaching a complete aftermarket system to your roof. I haven't checked the pricing, but I suspect that a kit that attaches to your rails will be less expensive than a complete Yakina roof kit, and more secure. Since the Ford cross bars have specific attachment points for the screws, there shouldn't be any way to move them any further apart. Looking at the Thule website I can see that some aftermarket kits do utilize the cross bars. They just may not work for every need such as your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWS Alpine Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I looked at everything before I bought my car. I went with the pano roof and will be installing the Thule permanent rails. They rivet into the roof and are really low profile. They allow you to install the crossbars in seconds with the rapid foot packs. Also you can move the crossbars much further apart than OEM. Also the stock rails are junk as they are plastic and can't carry much. There was a guy on here who cracked his with his kayak. I will be carrying paddleboards that are up to 14' in length and need width between the crossbars. The Thule/Yakima setup can carry almost double the factory setup. Permanent low profile rails: http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-truck-rack-tracks-54inch.html (they come in different lengths and I haven't measured yet) Example of custom install on an edge with vista glass roof: http://rackattackvancouver.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/2008-ford-edge-custom-roof-rack-installation/ IMHO the best way to go is the aftermarket low profile rails as they allow a much higher/secure load and also allow you to get the crossbars much farther apart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWS Alpine Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 Also the nice part about installing these rails is that you can remove your entire rack in about 30 seconds and the only thing left is the small rails. So when you don't need the rack for a trip you don't have to worry about wind noise or gas milage issues. I would not recommend the racks that clamp over the frame into the door. The can and will scratch the paint eventually. 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.