mymac

I have 2017 CS equipped with OEM roof rails. I am looking for a simple on/off set of cross bars. I'm looking for something easy to install to haul 12' lumber, plywood or a new "big ***" tv. Just something quick and easy to use when need be. Any ideas??

wkearney99

The factory ones are quite nice. They fit perfectly and require no excessive fiddling to position them. Anything else is going to have to clamp onto the bar with a more generic shaped cuff and won't have the positioning bumps underneath. They also come with a nice storage bag and an allen wrench. One that has torque markings so you get the proper tension.

I'm all for saving money, but the factory cross members are worth considering. I was likewise surprised to find my local dealer has the best net price (when you factor tax and shipping). Check to see if anyone has a year-end winter Tequipment sale going on. Or shmooze your sales rep for a discount.

gnat

It's been 5 years now, but when I got mine Suncoast was selling them for less than I could get any of the nicer 3rd party bars. Only the super generic square bars were cheaper and even then, not by much. Looks like now the top of the line 3rd party bars are a bit cheaper, but not terribly much.

https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/9X804400010.html
https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-...ge-7503-_-7503

Cbst09

I just picked up a set of the factory cross bars. For once the Porsche part turned out to be more cost effective than the aftermarket options. The dealer where I just purchased the car from matched the Suncoast price of $279 so it was a no-brainer for me.

mymac

Thanks for the replies and good ideas. My issue is with the allignment pins that are on the factory cross bars. I want to be able to mount the cross bars as far forward/rearward as possible. I saw some on Amazon that have screw down clamps for the cross rails ( Apex RLB-2301 Universal Roof Crossbar ). Might have to give this a try, simple easy to use?

wkearney99

Iirc, the side rails are not parallel. Moving them forward/backward may not do what you want. The front crossmember is slightly wider than the rear one. As I recall there was 'some' leeway, as rail fits into the tower allowing a bit of slide. Once torqued down there's no movement.

The side rails have a recess in them for a rubber bump under each tower. You can, however, clamp the tower in place without using the positioning hole.

What's your expectation for using non-standard positions?

mymac

My expectation for using non standard positions, i suppose, would be to distribute the load to it's widest foot print possible. I do know the side rails are not parallel. I'm just trying to justify spending $300 for something that will "garage wall art" 90% of the time.

rdboxster

I have the Thule aero bar with the cross foot mounts. I purchased years ago for the Touareg. Had them installed on the Cayenne the other day and they fit fine. There list price is high so hunt around for someone that has them on sale. One could move them further apart but the space between the roof and rails is less so have to be careful not to scratch.

Another thought for the long loads is an bed extender in the hitch that is the same height as the roof rails. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ct_19670_19670. This gives 3 supports for a long load. I had 2 16' 2x10s on top of the Touareg. Worked great.

Both the cross bars and bed extender are wall art but I have used them