I've got factory roof rails on my 2014 GTS. I'm looking for crossbars that are reasonably low profile with T-slots. Ideally, I'd like to keep them installed all the time. I have a RhinoRack platform that I'll slap on there when needed. The trouble is getting something that clears the pano roof. Not discounting the OEM bars, but I'd prefer something a little shorter and preferably all black. Can anybody recommend some aftermarket crossbars that clear the pano roof? Thanks in advance!

 

Doesn't Thule or Yakima have them?

https://www.rackwarehouse.com/produc...ush-rail-rack/

 

It’s unclear whether they interfere with the Pano roof. I was eyeing up the Thule Wingbar Edge. I believe I read that it’s generally not advised to open the sunroof with the bars attached… but that seemed to point toward excessive wind noise. As far as I’ve seen, they never explicitly call out compatibility with the pano roof.

I was hoping somebody had first-hand experience.

The GTS is the wife’s daily / family adventure vehicle… If I put a set of bars on there that prevent her from opening to sunroof, I’m gonna get glares… And then she’ll forget about it and open the roof anyway 😬

 

The turtle branded ones off eBay are a lower profile vs the factory and work well. But even a bit lower still makes noticeable wind noise... there's nothing better than removing them entirely when not in use!

 

There's a couple of different style Thule feet for the aero cross bars (IIRC). One is a clamp style, another is a wrap around band. I haven't had my bars on the roof in a while and don't remember the exact clearance.

You might want to order a couple of sets to try them out to see what gives maximum clearance.

The other issue is whether rack mounts have ***** and things that sit below the cross bar. With the T style, that shouldn't be an issue.

 

Thanks guys. I landed on a set of Yakima Timberline FX. I'll use the T-channels to mount a RhinoRack platform that I already own. So nothing will hang below the crossbars themselves. It looks like I'll have plenty of vertical clearance. The only other constraint is the roof rails tapering inward toward the back of the car. In the fully open position, the pano glass comes very close to the side rails. I'm pretty sure the rear crossbar foot won't clear it. But I think I'm safe to mount the rear bar just behind the glass. With the platform I have, I can position the front bar as much as 35" forward of that. I should be good to go. I'll follow up with results and photos...

 

Well, here's the follow up. The Yakima's do not clear the pano roof... but they're SO stinkin' close! With a subtle tweak, I got exactly what I wanted. I ended up using rectangular rubbery-plastic furniture sliders as shims under the front brackets to raise them up maybe 1/4 inch. The ones I had laying around happened to be the perfect size to hide under the flexible rubber "skirt" of the yakima bracket. This gave just enough vertical clearance for the pano to operate. There isn't a gnats @$$ of clearance left over, but everything works reliably. I've driven the GTS roughly 100 miles since install and I really like them. Wind noise is a non-issue. With windows and roof shut, I struggle to hear any noise even when I'm actively listening for it.

Might follow up with more photos after my platform rack is installed...