Aftermarket (Yakima, Thule, Rhino) racks for Bolt

[boltage]

Yakima

http://fitlookup.yakima.com/

For Premier with roof rails the above will give:

Tower: SkyLine Towers 4 Pack
Front Clip: Landing Pad 19
Rear Clip: Landing Pad 19
Minimum Bar Size: Small

M4: 28 1/4"
Front Bar To Hatch: 45"
Weight Limit: 165 lbs

For LT without flush rails, the above will give:

Tower: BaseLine Towers 4 Pack
Front Clip/Pad: BaseClip 123 (B84-4)
Rear Clip/Pad: BaseClip 181 (B74-3)
Minimum Bar Size: Small

M4: 32 "
Front Bar To Hatch: 57 "
Weight Limit: 165 lbs

List prices:

$490 with JetStream crossbars (aerodynamic with T-slot)
$414 with CoreBar crossbars (aerodynamic without T-slot)

$414 with RoundBar crossbars and RoundBar SL adapter
$380 with RoundBar crossbars and Control Towers (instead of SkyLine towers) for Premier with flush rails

$59 for four lock cylinders with any of the above

Note 1: The Control Towers are an older Yakima ("Classic") product that may be used only with RoundBar crossbars. The RoundBar fitments are primarily useful for those who want to reuse older Yakima stuff that they already have (for example, if you already have Control Towers and Round Bar crossbars, you will need only to get the $96 Landing Pad 19 to install them on a Bolt Premier). Those buying new can use the CoreBar at the same price for less noise and energy consumption.

Note 2: The SkyLine and Control Towers are designed for quick and easy removal and reinstallation once initially installed (the Landing Pads remain on the vehicle). Removing them when not carrying anything can be useful to decrease noise and energy consumption (particularly with RoundBar crossbars). Obviously, this makes it easy for thieves, so locks are essential with this setup.

Thule

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/roof-rack
https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-rack

For Premier with flush rails, use Kit 3168:

List prices:

$509.85 with Rapid Podium towers and AeroBlade crossbars
$419.85 with Podium towers and SquareBar crossbars
$569.85 with AeroBlade Edge (combined towers and crossbars, currently listed only on the UK site, not the US site, so it is not an officially recommended fit in the US)

For LT without flush rails, use Kit 1857.

List prices:

$509.85 with Rapid Traverse towers and AeroBlade crossbars
$419.85 with Traverse towers and SquareBar crossbars

$60 for four lock cylinders with any of the above.

Rhino

http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/fit-my-vehicle/select-vehicle

Currently does not show a fit for the Chevrolet Bolt.

Rhino setups for other vehicles with similar flush rails have list price of $449.

 

[JeffN]

Information about Thule is here:

http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/11-exterior-interior/5441-crossbars-premier-trim-roof-rails-2.html

 

[boltage]

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-rack shows no Thule fit for the Bolt.

I have seen the photos of the Thule AeroBlade Edge mounted on a Bolt. However, this rack uses a vehicle-specific fit kit to attach to flush rails, so we can presume that at least a prototype of such exists (for that photo-op), but Thule has not yet released it for sale to the general public.

 

[Posatronic]

Great. Thanks for all the information. It would be nice if Amber could find out what GM bought to put on their bolt in the "garage" video they have. Did they use another cars mount to use or did a manufacturer make one for them. Great job guys I have been wondering for a while. Thanks again.

 

[boltage]

Great. Thanks for all the information. It would be nice if Amber could find out what GM bought to put on their bolt in the "garage" video they have. Did they use another cars mount to use or did a manufacturer make one for them. Great job guys I have been wondering for a while. Thanks again.

The Yakima web site lists the same Landing Pad 19 for the Buick Envision with flush rails. Presumably, the rails are of similar design for both. Note that the Bolt flush rails have holes visible on the inside of the rails, so it is possible that the Yakima Landing Pad 19 uses those holes.

The Thule web site does not list anything for the Buick Envision either.

 

[boltage]

Note that the example photos from the Yakima site indicate that the Landing Pads for the SkyLine towers attach to the rails where the holes on the inside of the rails are.

It would have been better if the rails were raised, which would mean that you could use raised-rail towers that do not need specific adapters and allow adjusting the bar spread to your needs.

 

[boltage]

Looks like Yakima Landing Pad 19 is shared with several other 2017 vehicles with flush rails:

Acura MDX
Buick Envision
Ford Explorer
Honda CR-V
Jeep Compass

Based on the instructions at http://assets.yakima.com/Product/instructions/8000245/1 and the photos in a previous post, the slot accommodates different distances between the mounting holes in the rails, allowing the Landing Pad 19 to fit all of them.

In contrast, Thule does not use slotted mountings for its AeroBlade Edge or Rapid Podium mounts, as can be seen in the instructions for its KIT3151 at https://cdn1.static-tgdp.com/assetloader.axd?pimid=3151999&id=Thule%20Kit3151%20v01&brand=Thule&market=US&att=1 and KIT3097 at https://cdn1.static-tgdp.com/assetloader.axd?pimid=KIT3097&id=342067&brand=Thule&market=US&att=1 . So it may take longer for Thule to produce a solution for the Bolt, unless one of the vehicles which has an existing Thule kit (Ford Explorer, Jeep Compass) happens to have the same distance between the holes as the Bolt.

 

[Pigwich]

Jeesh - Seems like an extremely expensive setup from Yakima - $414 plus shipping for something that's also outrageously tall and fugly.

GM needs to get with the program with the accessories. It's probably the least complicated thing on the car. I'm close to just making my own.

 

[boltage]

Jeesh - Seems like an extremely expensive setup from Yakima - $414 plus shipping for something that's also outrageously tall and fugly.

GM needs to get with the program with the accessories. It's probably the least complicated thing on the car. I'm close to just making my own.

Thule, if and when they get around to making a fit kit for their racks, will not be any less expensive, based on their usual prices.

 

[JeffN]

Jeesh - Seems like an extremely expensive setup from Yakima - $414 plus shipping for something that's also outrageously tall and fugly.

GM needs to get with the program with the accessories. It's probably the least complicated thing on the car. I'm close to just making my own.

Thule, if and when they get around to making a fit kit for their racks, will not be any less expensive, based on their usual prices.

Thule now lists a Bolt EV fit kit for the AeroBlade Edge (marketed as the Thule Edgebar in Europe) -- it is kit number 3168. For whatever reason, Thule hasn't updated the North American version of their website with that information yet but you can see it if you switch your country to the U.K. By clicking on the small flag icon in the upper left corner. Ironically, the Bolt EV isn't sold in the U.K.... I don't know if US dealers can actually order the 3168 kit yet even though it apparently exists.

 

[hodad66]

"

Thule, if and when they get around to making a fit kit for their racks, will not be any less expensive, based on their usual prices.

Thule now lists a Bolt EV fit kit for the AeroBlade Edge (marketed as the Thule Edgebar in Europe) -- it is kit number 3168. For whatever reason, Thule hasn't updated the North American version of their website with that information yet but you can see it if you switch your country to the U.K. By clicking on the small flag icon in the upper left corner. Ironically, the Bolt EV isn't sold in the U.K.... I don't know if US dealers can actually order the 3168 kit yet even though it apparently exists.[/quote]"


Thanks for the info!!

 

[boltage]

Thule listing the Bolt in the UK is probably a byproduct of fitting the Opel Ampera E (same car) there.

Looks like that Thule kit 3168 is for both the Aeroblade Edge and the Podium with separate crossbar setups. The latter may be desired if you want the bar to extend beyond the tower, and costs slightly less.

 

[boltage]

Initial post edited to include Thule information that has been found subsequently by JeffN and hodad66 .

 

[boltage]

Something worth noting with my experience from a previous car: a Yakima RoundBar setup with nothing on the rack made fuel economy worse by 8-10%. On a different previous car, a Thule SquareBar (actually rectangular bar) setup also made fuel economy worse by a similar amount. There was also significant increased wind noise.

On those cars, I always removed the racks when not carrying anything on them. The Yakima Q-Towers were easier to remove and install quickly (once assembled) than the Thule towers (the predecessor to the Traverse towers).

It appears that the Yakima SkyLine setup can be removed and reinstalled much more quickly than the Thule (Rapid)Podium setup, based on displays at a store that carries both. Whether this matters with aerodynamic bars is something that I do not know yet.

 

[hodad66]

OK, I ended up with an LT....... any ideas for racks? I still have my Rhino Racks from the Volt &
they are longer than the Bolt roof. I believe that I could disassemble one side, cut the appropriate
amount from the bar, drill a new mounting screw & refit it to the Bolt. The clips & adjustment screws
are long enough.
On the other hand, the back rack could be cut BUTT the clips and adjustment screws are too short.
This is from a cursory, 10 minute, evaluation but I think that I will contact Rhino Rack to see if I can get
longer clips and screws........

 

[boltage]

OK, I ended up with an LT....... any ideas for racks? I still have my Rhino Racks from the Volt &
they are longer than the Bolt roof.

Perhaps wait until Rhino Racks makes a fit kit for your rack for the Bolt? Then just buy the fit kit and replace those parts (keeping the towers and crossbars).

 

[boltage]

Yakima Landing Pad 19 is now available in stores and on-line retailers in the US.

 

[boltage]

I installed Yakima Landing Pad 19, SkyLine towers, and 50" CoreBar crossbars. I then put some pads on and strapped a boat to the rack. Since it was not windy at the time, and the route involved a long flat low traffic freeway that I could set the cruise control to 65mph on, I did that to check energy consumption.

No racks: 18 kW (from previous drives)
Racks with nothing else: not noticeably different from no racks
Racks and boat: 20-21 KW

So the racks and boat cost 2-3 kW driving at 65mph.

One thing to note about carrying a boat is that the position of the mounting points in the rails means that the front crossbar is higher than the rear crossbar. To allow the hatch to open in a usable fashion, I put a larger pad on the rear crossbar to raise the back end of the boat.

 

[hodad66]

from the beginning I was bummed at the roofline of the Bolt & new Volt. Both make
the load (boat) angle upwards in the front. I almost went for a gas car because of
this BUTT I've been waiting so long to drive all electric I went for it anyway. Now
I can't transport my kayaks because I have an LT.

The hitch needs to cut out part of the bumper & I am leasing. Without that problem
I would probably cut down my old Volt rack for the front & pick up one of those rear,
kayak / canoe bars to hold up the back.

 

[boltage]

from the beginning I was bummed at the roofline of the Bolt & new Volt. Both make
the load (boat) angle upwards in the front.

What do you use with the racks to carry a boat?

Foam pads?
J-cradles?
Saddles?
V-bars?

For foam pads, you can try using a larger pad on the rear bar to raise the rear of the boat. For the other methods, check if you can shim it in the rear to raise it. For saddles, you can also move the front saddles further apart and the rear saddles closer to raise the rear.

I used something like one of these (not Yakima branded, but similar) on the front bar:

And one of these on the rear bar:

(I already had both sets of pads.)

Note: I agree that the Bolt's roof rack provisioning could have been done better. With the flush rails, additional screw holes could have been placed at various locations to allow fitting the crossbars in various locations to get different crossbar spreads and also allow for equal height crossbars. But raised rails could have made installing crossbars at any fore-aft location easier. For the cars without rails, you basically have to wait until Thule or Yakima offers the fit parts in the US (or order the Thule kit 1857 from overseas).