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General Fiat 500 Lounge Roofbars/Box

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General Fiat 500 Lounge Roofbars/Box

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itimjim

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Hi all, first post, go easy on me :)

I'd searched this forum high and low a bit back to see about getting some roofbars and a box for our recently purchased 500 lounge. There didn't appear to be any definitive product that could be bought, which was a bit disappointing, as we needed to downsize, but thought we could still get away camping with a roofbox - doh!

Anyway, after much searching, I have an Italian product by La PreAlpina which can be bought here - edit, not allowed to post URLs, so you can find them at Mick's Garage website, which shouldn't be too hard to find - which states using on glass roof models. So I've had a punt with one today and got a folding soft roof box to go with it too.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this particular product. And, I suppose, if like me you've been struggling, this link might help. I'm no way affiliated with the seller, as I can see it always looks dodgy n'all on a first post.

Let me know if anyone has got this roofbars, and if they do work properly. I'll let you know how I get on too.
 
itimjim said:
Hi all, first post, go easy on me :)

I'd searched this forum high and low a bit back to see about getting some roofbars and a box for our recently purchased 500 lounge. There didn't appear to be any definitive product that could be bought, which was a bit disappointing, as we needed to downsize, but thought we could still get away camping with a roofbox - doh!

Anyway, after much searching, I have an Italian product by La PreAlpina which can be bought here - edit, not allowed to post URLs, so you can find them at Mick's Garage website, which shouldn't be too hard to find - which states using on glass roof models. So I've had a punt with one today and got a folding soft roof box to go with it too.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this particular product. And, I suppose, if like me you've been struggling, this link might help. I'm no way affiliated with the seller, as I can see it always looks dodgy n'all on a first post.

Let me know if anyone has got this roofbars, and if they do work properly. I'll let you know how I get on too.
Click to expand...

Hi itimjim. Welcome to the FF forum (y).

Not too sure if you are referring to these...
http://www.micksgarage.ie/proddetails.aspx?pid=177610&pk=19950#

I did look for roof bars for a '08 Sport model (proper tin roof) last year and Thule sold a set that supposedly fitted - but I decided not to buy them and keep the 'old car' a Marea weekender with build-in roof bars !
On the Lounge model that I have now I would not dream of putting any kind of a rack on the roof knowing the replacement price of a glass replacement roof - it would be cheaper to buy an old car.:)
That said I read on US Fiat 500 web site there is an accessory item for a roof rack (I would have to have a look).
There is as you know the Fiat accessory item that hangs off the back boot.
A little trick that I discovered recently was by removing the spare wheel you get a lot of extra space - if that's any compensation to you !
 
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itimjim said:
Hi all, first post, go easy on me :)

I'd searched this forum high and low a bit back to see about getting some roofbars and a box for our recently purchased 500 lounge. There didn't appear to be any definitive product that could be bought, which was a bit disappointing, as we needed to downsize, but thought we could still get away camping with a roofbox - doh!

Anyway, after much searching, I have an Italian product by La PreAlpina which can be bought here - edit, not allowed to post URLs, so you can find them at Mick's Garage website, which shouldn't be too hard to find - which states using on glass roof models. So I've had a punt with one today and got a folding soft roof box to go with it too.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this particular product. And, I suppose, if like me you've been struggling, this link might help. I'm no way affiliated with the seller, as I can see it always looks dodgy n'all on a first post.

Let me know if anyone has got this roofbars, and if they do work properly. I'll let you know how I get on too.
Click to expand...

Been on here for a long time now and the subject of roofbars with the lounge has been discussed, but no one has ever fitted roofbars to a lounge so you'll have to be a pioneer ;)
 
Thanks for the quick responses. That was the set I was on about. A bit worrying about putting load on the glass as you stated. I'll make a judgement call once they're on. I suppose the worrying bit is in the event of a crash it's just going to shear the glass off - but I suppose other bars and boxes don't fair to well in that situation either.

Looks like I'm going to be a guinea pig. Will let you know how I get on.

Tim
 
itimjim said:
Thanks for the quick responses. That was the set I was on about. A bit worrying about putting load on the glass as you stated. I'll make a judgement call once they're on. I suppose the worrying bit is in the event of a crash it's just going to shear the glass off - but I suppose other bars and boxes don't fair to well in that situation either.

Looks like I'm going to be a guinea pig. Will let you know how I get on.

Tim
Click to expand...

It might be too late - there are no warning signs on the weight threshold of glass. If (G** forbid) the roof rack came off it would be an insurance nightmare - you would be deemed negligent. I wonder how an assessor would evaluate that. Let someone else pioneer the roof rack...
 
multispoke said:
It might be too late - there are no warning signs on the weight threshold of glass. If (G** forbid) the roof rack came off it would be an insurance nightmare - you would be deemed negligent. I wonder how an assessor would evaluate that. Let someone else pioneer the roof rack...
Click to expand...

???????

I think you've really done it this time. Companies who make roof racks don't just develop a product and hope that it stays on. Your behaviour is disgusting at times, I'm all for safety (my rants on winter tyres are legendary!) but I would never dream of scaring someone with talk like this.

Acting like the roof rack has fallen off and already killed or injured someone is no way to act on a thread like this.

Itimjim, you'll have to excuse multispoke, he seems to like the sight of his own text on the screen and for some reason seems to have chosen to go out of his way to scare you.

La PreAlpina manufacture to ISO 9001:2000 standard
Click to expand...
So IF and it's a mighty big IF, then it's not your fault because you've bought a product in good faith from a manufacturer who works to world recognised standards. But your roof rack isn't going to fall off so that's irrelevant.
 
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multispoke said:
Maxi - did you suggest to the OP that he should pioneer the roof rack that he found in mick's garage ?
Click to expand...

I didn't say that he should go out and make a roof rack himself or test it. I somehow doubt that a company that works to a ISO 9001:2000 standard standard is going to go around making products that are going to fall off and injure someone or damage the roof.

If you bothered to look it explicitly states that it works with the glass roof, what else is needed? Making needlessly scary claims is just wrong and needless scaremongering like this is not what's needed.
 
I am interested in this. it's a pain having to use the wife's car every time i go kayaking
 
There is another way: a towbar. Can't recall who but a few on here have fitted them, some with very neat removable end bits which effectivley make it invisible when not in use.

Probably a slightly more expensive solution but it does avoid the risks. And whilst the risk of a roofrack falling off is small, it is true that Fiat won't recommend one with the glass roof, and neither will Thule. For me, that tells me enough.
 
RobinPJ said:
There is another way: a towbar. Can't recall who but a few on here have fitted them, some with very neat removable end bits which effectivley make it invisible when not in use.

Probably a slightly more expensive solution but it does avoid the risks. And whilst the risk of a roofrack falling off is small, it is true that Fiat won't recommend one with the glass roof, and neither will Thule. For me, that tells me enough.
Click to expand...

Don't Thule make a roofrack for the US 500 with a glass roof?

The glass can take a load, of course it's just not as much as the metal roof :)
 
RobinPJ said:
Probably a slightly more expensive solution but it does avoid the risks. And whilst the risk of a roofrack falling off is small, it is true that Fiat won't recommend one with the glass roof, and neither will Thule. For me, that tells me enough.
Click to expand...

If you do choose to fit one, there is an added bonus - you could become eligible to join the "my glass roof is broken and the insurer won't pay to fix it" thread, as multispoke suggests.
 
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RobinPJ said:
Oh yes I did mean to say that there was a picture of a 500 with a glass roof with a roof rack in the US launch pictures.
Click to expand...

So it is indeed possible to fit a roof rack to a glass roof :)

The roof rack in question is TUV approved as well and if something is TUV (Ze German Health Unt Safety people) approved then it will be of good quality and it will have been tested.

I think there's some needless scaremongering going on here (n)

If by chance there hadn't been that thread about 1 person getting their roof broken and being quoted a silly amount to repair it then we wouldn't be having this "discussion" :)
 
I have had a much closer look at this roof rack which is being sold not only by the web based irish company but also with a different supplier at a cheaper price.
http://www.autoricambisanmauro.it/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=10602
An email was sent yesterday looking for confirmation on the weight bearing capability of the roof rack but with no response I made a phone call this morning (a local call for me) where they have claimed to have sold plenty of these roof racks to glass roofed 500s. They recommended that you do not exceed 50kgs on the roof.
Over the years I have had a requirement to carry windsurfing equipment but more recently it was building and property related items hence the purchase of a Marea weekender with the ‘build-in bars’. I found that once you exceed 30mph you could feel the pull on the roof. I would place the roof rack on the roof bars slightly further back to distribute the weight and minimise the ‘lift’ of the item at the front. You have 2 factors – the weight of the items on the roof and the ‘exposure’ to lift.
Looking at the Fiat manual it clearly shows that the anchor points for a roof rack are at the back and the middle of the roof. It refers to removing fasteners, etc. and refers to not exceeding the maximum allowed load of which is referenced on p159 (this only givens an overall weight of 440kg)
Attached below is the installation of a substantial looking roofrack…

judging by the American accents this is a US spec rack. Also the US cars has a stronger roof particularly around the centre near the door opening. This one appears more capable of taking a proper load given that the weight bearing part of the roof rack is around the middle of the roof over the strengthened US edition models.
There was an interesting post…
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/238381-fiat-500-sunroof-roofbox-issue-please-help.html?p=2504488
where concerns were raised about the glass popping out – take of it what you may.
Taking a closer look at the glass on the 500 the only information I can get is on the US web site that states that the glass on the skydome is 4mm whilst on the fixed roof is 5mm. I can only assume that this glass is toughened.
http://www.fiat500usa.com/2010/10/inside-fiat-500-fixed-glass-roof-or.html
Looking at the La PreAlpina roof rack the instructions clearly show that the ‘anchor’ points are in the ‘door area’ of the roof only 42cm apart (this compares with 115cm on the Marea). From the phone call today an upper weight limit of 50kg was given but the key factor in my personal opinion is the drag on the roof particularly in this area at motorway speeds.
With the availability of this roof which clearly fits and does not touch the glass I would have reservations about carrying longer items such as kayaks as mentioned on a earlier thread. I opted to carry my windsurfing gear on a trailer which was much safer than having the gear on the roof (plus it was a lot more economical).
If the OP has had to downsize to a 500 and needs to fit a roof box surely he should have bought a model without the glass roof or one of the Pandas with the Fiat supplied roof bars. To me it reminds me of the debate about carrying 3 children in the back of a Panda when the new model only allowed 2.
If I’m fitting a roof rack it would have to be approved by Fiat.
 
I am curious to know what is different (if anything) about this new one which means it is ok with the glass roof when Fiat and Thule were adamant the non-US one cannot be used with the glass roof.

If anything, given the US litigation culture, I would expect them to be more cautious over there.
 
multispoke said:
Also the US cars has a stronger roof particularly around the centre near the door opening. This one appears more capable of taking a proper load given that the weight bearing part of the roof rack is around the middle of the roof over the strengthened US edition models.
http://www.fiat500usa.com/2010/10/inside-fiat-500-fixed-glass-roof-or.html
Click to expand...

Link?

multispoke said:
There was an interesting post…
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/238381-fiat-500-sunroof-roofbox-issue-please-help.html?p=2504488
where concerns were raised about the glass popping out – take of it what you may.
Click to expand...

So we're now talking the word of someone who works in Halfords over a company which is ISO accredited and which is selling a TUV approved product.
 
306maxi said:
The roof rack in question is TUV approved as well and if something is TUV (Ze German Health Unt Safety people) approved then it will be of good quality and it will have been tested.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter how many approvals it has, they won't protect the roof if you drop something on it when loading/unloading.

I'm sort of with you on the scaremongering, but there is the potential here to do some expensive damage, and I think folks who do fit one should be aware of this.

That said, you can do quite a bit of damage to a plain metal roof; I've never been a great fan of roofracks, period.
 
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