empty

Hi again

I have an existing Thule roofboot (Ford call it a luggagebox), and so I took my existing roofboot U-bolts along to the Ford dealer to see if the Terri roof carry bars will fit my Thule U-bolts. They do not. :-(

It seems I need wider U-bolts as the Terri carrybars are W-I-D-E-R. The Ford spare parts guys could not tell me who makes Ford 'luggageboxes'. I also asked my local roof-rack supplier, and he said that Thule do not make a wider U-bolt.

So can anyone tell me who makes the Terri roofboot, so I can get new Terri compatible U-bolts to fit a dealer fitted Terri rooftop carry bar.

Also the Ford spare parts guy could not tell me whether Ford sell parts to the luggage boxes either (assuming I want to buy just the luggagebox U-bolts). He just has one part number for the luggagebox on his system.

I am prepared to drill new holes in my existing Thule luggagebox (roofboot), but I would not want to scratch and hammer the existing U-bolts around the carry bars so they fit.

Any help is as always much appreciated.

 

aswigon

Why not talk to someone who manufactures metal components and get them to make you some? I don't think it would be that expensive.

empty

Sure - that will be my last resort, but it would be preferrable to source new wider U-bolts off-the-shelf.

outback_ute

Have a look at this thread, post #3:

attaching non Ford luggage pod

burnsi

Easy one!

Thule manufacture the luggage boxes. I have just bought the 405l one...or at least a small portion of it, as Ford paid the rest via the $1000 voucher. All the components are labeled Thule, and if you go to http://www.thule.com/frames.asp?id=1884 and then to "Roof Boxes", then to "Boxes for all purposes" then select "Thule Vision" it will show you the very beastie I bought - albeit in a different colour, and without the ubiquitous Ford badge.

The "U" bolts are nothing more than grooved rod - about 1/4" or maybe 5/16" (not threaded) that has been bent into a "U" bolt shape. Threaded rod that you can buy at Bunnings/Mitre 10 etc, could be bent in to the right shape I suspect, and would be gripped by the mounting system.

On the Ford luggage boxes, and as the Thule website says, this box comes with a "Quick Snap" mounting system. That is, the grooved/threaded U bolt has no nuts to screw on. The U bolt passes under the carry bar, then up through the box, into a caliper type arrangement that grips the U bolt, then as the handle of the "caliper" is lowered, it tightens onto the U bolt, and pulls it up tight - therefore pulling the luggage box down on to the carry bar. These "calipers" are Thule-branded, so I imagine a Thule dealer would be able to supply them, and the U bolt. The Thule website says that the mounting system is "80 mm", which sound about right for the Territory carry bar.

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Blood Orange GT-P
Zest Territory Ghia AWD

empty

Yesterday I went to my local Thule retailer. Very helpful with Thule stuff, but BTW was scathing of Ford for using a different carry bar supplier than the roofboot supplier.

He sold me a new set of Thule U-bolts that were wider ($28 and were for a Rola carry bar), and we even double checked that they fitted the Terri carry bar rod. I got them home, and tried to fit the old roofboot on the Terri with the new U-bolts, and the Terri carry bars are not wide enough for my roofboot... The holes for the rootboot match up with the edge of the carry bars, and not the 80mm 'rod' that is between the two edges of the carry bars. Bummer!!!. I can now either drill new holes in the roofboot that are closer together (so they match up to the carry bar width, and not the carry bar edges), or get a new $1000 thinner and longer roofboot. My roofboot is a wide fat Thule roofboot - which explains why Ford do not offer this type of Thule roofboot as an accessory.

For a vehicle that is as wide as a Terri, it seems amazing to me that the actual usable carry bar width is smaller than my roofboot. Oh well.

aswigon

Isn't the width of the bars adjustable. I thought I read that in a thread somewhere.

Paulv

Yes they are - although the extension wings may not be quite as rigid. Certainly worth trying though.

burnsi

[quote=empty]My roofboot is a wide fat Thule roofboot - which explains why Ford do not offer this type of Thule roofboot as an accessory.
QUOTE]

Ford do offer an alternative luggage pod to the long skinny one I bought - see here - http://www.ford.com.au/showroom/acce...5838&model=187 - this pod is 175cm long x 82cm wide, whereas my one is 230cm long x 67cm wide.

The Territory bars do extend out to a total width of about 1200mm - and they are quite ridgid. Given that your wide box (sounds great doesn't it!) would be supported by the entire width of the carry bar, not just the extended edges, I would imagine it would be more than strong enough - especially for the weights that these boxes are designed to carry, i.e not huge amounts of weight, just large volumes.

Also, as the extendable sections of the Territory carry bar slide into the main part of the carry bar, they are slightly smaller in width - so you may find your old bolts may go around this section of the bar???

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Blood Orange GT-P
Zest Territory Ghia AWD

empty

Oops... When you said "width of the bars", I firstly thought you meant "width of the bars", but you probably actually mean "width of the bars". ;-(

I assume the width of the bars you mean is the 80mm measurement measured from the front of the vehicle toward the back of the vehicle. This is what I would call the "depth" of the bars.

Whereas I meant the width of the bars across the whole width of the car measured across the behicle between the two doors. (just over 1 metre in useable width).

Hopefully this explains my confusion, so I will go and have a loot to see if I can adjust the depth of the bars down from 80mm.

Thanks