Apologies if there is already a thread for this, but I was wondering if the Thule roof rack kit for the standard Focus would work on the RS. Do any current ST owners have roof racks? What company did you use? Has anyone who has seen a US spec RS in person noticed holes in the roof tracks? I love my roof rack and use it quite a bit for bikes and skis and kayaks so I would hate to have to give that up.
Roof Rack
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rambo3500
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I finally got around to emailing Yakima and Thule this morning. I'll post an update when I hear back from them. I sent the following message and pictures
"Good Morning,
I have recently purchased the newly released Ford Focus RS and would like to purchase a new roof rack. However, I have some concerns about the fit for this specific vehicle.
This specific trim level (RS) of the Focus is solely built in Germany and therefore even the ones that are sold in North America have the European body. For the most part the NA and EU bodies are identical except for roof rack alignment holes in the door jams. I've attached a few pictures that will help explain this.
It seems to me that the RS trim will require the European Ford Focus fit kit in North America. If this is in fact the case, it seems that the EU Whispbar kit should fit as well since I see that there is no Focus Whispbar kit available in the US.
I would prefer to not have to jump through hoops and order from a European retailer; please advise on how I should proceed. Your urgent attention to the matter would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Regards,
Chris"
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"Good Morning,
I have recently purchased the newly released Ford Focus RS and would like to purchase a new roof rack. However, I have some concerns about the fit for this specific vehicle.
This specific trim level (RS) of the Focus is solely built in Germany and therefore even the ones that are sold in North America have the European body. For the most part the NA and EU bodies are identical except for roof rack alignment holes in the door jams. I've attached a few pictures that will help explain this.
It seems to me that the RS trim will require the European Ford Focus fit kit in North America. If this is in fact the case, it seems that the EU Whispbar kit should fit as well since I see that there is no Focus Whispbar kit available in the US.
I would prefer to not have to jump through hoops and order from a European retailer; please advise on how I should proceed. Your urgent attention to the matter would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Regards,
Chris"
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So I got a very useless response this morning:
"Hi, Chris, and thank you for contacting Yakima, Whispbar and ProRack U.S. Customer Support.
We have a fit for the 2016 Ford Focus but currently do not have a fit for the Ford Focus RS. You are more than welcome to try out the 2016 Ford Focus fit on the RS to see if it works. We have not been able to do the fit on the RS so we cannot tell for certain if that will work.
Thank you for your inquiry!"
I subsequently responded with:
"I know that the US fit kit will not fit in the proper locations due to the black grommets shown in my previous pictures. These grommets protrude from the door frames which would cause the fit kit to not sit flush. Personally, I do not feel that it would be safe to drive on the highway with a 30+ pound bike mounted to my roof in a manner that is not optimal.
Is there a different fit kit specified in the EU than in the US for the standard Ford Focus? Is yes, could you please provide details on how they differ? I am inclined to assume that the EU fit kit will be molded to accommodate the grommets and have a pin that allows the fit kit to be aligned in the holes in the grommets.
Thank you,
Chris"
"Hi, Chris, and thank you for contacting Yakima, Whispbar and ProRack U.S. Customer Support.
We have a fit for the 2016 Ford Focus but currently do not have a fit for the Ford Focus RS. You are more than welcome to try out the 2016 Ford Focus fit on the RS to see if it works. We have not been able to do the fit on the RS so we cannot tell for certain if that will work.
Thank you for your inquiry!"
I subsequently responded with:
"I know that the US fit kit will not fit in the proper locations due to the black grommets shown in my previous pictures. These grommets protrude from the door frames which would cause the fit kit to not sit flush. Personally, I do not feel that it would be safe to drive on the highway with a 30+ pound bike mounted to my roof in a manner that is not optimal.
Is there a different fit kit specified in the EU than in the US for the standard Ford Focus? Is yes, could you please provide details on how they differ? I am inclined to assume that the EU fit kit will be molded to accommodate the grommets and have a pin that allows the fit kit to be aligned in the holes in the grommets.
Thank you,
Chris"
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Disappointing response from Yakima, but sometimes you have to get lucky to get service rep that's any good. I wouldn't give up yet.
In other news, I have decided to order the Seasucker rack that I linked a few posts ago. I've been researching it heavily and have found only strongly positive reviews along with great amounts of skepticism. (I was a skeptic to start with) I'll be testing on my current focus and my neighbor's ST as soon as it comes in. The rack fits my needs perfectly (need to remove frequently) but might not be for those who want to leave it on permanently.
I'll post a review in another thread so this one doesn't go off topic.
In other news, I have decided to order the Seasucker rack that I linked a few posts ago. I've been researching it heavily and have found only strongly positive reviews along with great amounts of skepticism. (I was a skeptic to start with) I'll be testing on my current focus and my neighbor's ST as soon as it comes in. The rack fits my needs perfectly (need to remove frequently) but might not be for those who want to leave it on permanently.
I'll post a review in another thread so this one doesn't go off topic.
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picture(s)?
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Sorry, could not get them to post from my cell. Here is the Yak aero bars with Rocky mountain stand up rack. I love this rack because it allows the hatch to open completely without hitting the Wheels or back of the rack. Couple of things, the instructions are very specific with the location. It actually lines up perfect with the black rubber dots under the door frame. Wind noise is nothing until 90mph. Even there it was not bad at all.
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Looks great...thanks for posting.
? I am very happy with how the rack looks on the RS.
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I had rola racks on my speed3, fit very well and did not stick off the side of the roof. I plan to install them either on the RS or my gfs SE.
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But do the clips sit flush with the grommet in place? Hypothetically the grommet will be under the center of the clip. Are the grommets soft enough that it just flattens them?
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Thanks for the pics. I guess I'll bite the bullet and order that one then. I love the black bars and I can get it to my door for $357 or $331 if I ship it to one of my friends in Delaware which is great.
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I love it so far and i am impressed with the look. Ive had so many roof racks. We are so lucky to have as customized a rack as we have in today's world. Back in the day, there were maybe 10 clips for 1000 cars.
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So I got this email from Thule today:
Chris,
Good morning. A little bird tells me you’re interested in a Thule roof rack for your Focus RS. There are not any dealers with stock within 100 miles yet so we haven’t made a test fit to confirm KIT1634 will work. Where are you located? Any chance you’d want to volunteer your car? If it all fits well (unlikely that it wouldn’t fit) you’re welcome to keep the rack in exchange for your time and use of the car. Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Chris
I don't live near them, but I am traveling past the address listed in his signature this weekend. I'll update if I learn anymore.
Chris,
Good morning. A little bird tells me you’re interested in a Thule roof rack for your Focus RS. There are not any dealers with stock within 100 miles yet so we haven’t made a test fit to confirm KIT1634 will work. Where are you located? Any chance you’d want to volunteer your car? If it all fits well (unlikely that it wouldn’t fit) you’re welcome to keep the rack in exchange for your time and use of the car. Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Chris
I don't live near them, but I am traveling past the address listed in his signature this weekend. I'll update if I learn anymore.
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a free roofrack would be totally worth the detour!
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Little update, the Euro fit kit was received yesterday by the guy I've been communicating with at Thule NA. He's going to ship me everything sometime this week. Once I have it I'll post plenty of pictures and I'll try to take an install video if I have the time.
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