Roof Rack Cross bars VW geniune bars

[Bayman]

Has any Tiguan owner out there bought cross bars for their Tiguan?

I checked the price of the Geniune VW part and they are asking $440 but my friendly parts man will do them for $390. Are there any after market good bars that are made for them like Rhino etc?

I would be happy to get VW if they are only a bit dearer but I have know idea.
One reason to get the geniune ones would be for insurance purposes as if the sunroof was damaged by the bars. Also if they are made in Germany the quality would be tops I hope. The deaker has got them in stock and I will check them out tomorrow and see if they are worth getting.

I guess for the cost they are better value than the MDI (jus a few cables).

I got the reversible boot mat and that is made in Germany and top quality well worth it. Stops things slipping around too on the rubber side. Extends to cover the drink holder when the seats are down.

Bayman.

[Arctra]

Hey Bayman

I was just asking the same sort of question earlier this afternoon. I'll put my post in here and delete my old post to prevent duplication:

Has anyone got roof racks for their Tig yet? I need to get some for my girlfriend's kayak.

I saw some Genuine VW bars on eBay but frankly they look hideous to me. I'm looking for something sleeker, more aerodynamic, and in keeping with the look of the vehicle.

I have Rola's on my Bora which look nice, and looking up what they have for the Tig the RBX135/RBXL135 are recommended, but chatting with a guy at Roof Rack World he's unsure they'll work with the panoramic sunroof. He doesn't have any in stock for me to just test with, so hopefully one of you can answer.

[Bayman]

How much you want for the black set? Are they OEM for the Tiguan roof bars?

[Bayman]

Hey Bayman

I was just asking the same sort of question earlier this afternoon. I'll put my post in here and delete my old post to prevent duplication:

Just posted a thread myself, sorry. The seller on ebay is interesting. I can get them for $390, I agree they look a bit non aero dynamic but I think the sunroof is the factor here in the look to allow extra clearance. Mind you I only want to use them for timber/hardware or maybe a POD carrier but the VW POD is $1100 so I would be desperate to use theirs. If you can pick his up on auction for less than $300 I guess they are a good buy. I will check the after market manufacturers tomorrow and prices at work and post the data here, unless someone hopefully has done the ground work for us. I will inspect the VW ones tomorrow and see where they are made.

Bayman

[RhysQ]

HAHAHA....sorry epic fail by me. These bars are for Touareg....Massive brain fry. I'll go hang myself now.

Sorry guys.

[Bayman]

HAHAHA....sorry epic fail by me. These bars are for Touareg....Massive brain fry. I'll go hang myself now.

Sorry guys.

No probs, at least your'e honest. They looked heaps better than the Tiguan ones on ebay. Also thanks as I am not sure whether the OEM Tiguan bars come in Black and/or Silver, they should as the 147KW Tig has silver bars, the 105TDI & 125KW TSI are black racks.

[Bayman]

I have checked the web and Rola have three models:

RBU 11s $277

http://www.rola.com.au/rola/prodimages/rackrbuf1.jpg

RBXL135 $299

http://www.rola.com.au/rola/prodimages/rackrbxl.gif

RE 131 $289

http://www.rola.com.au/rola/prodimages/rerb.jpg

Rhino have two models

Roof Rack type: Sportz / SXB Price (inc GST): $289.00
Load Rating: 80kg

Roof Rack type: Heavy Duty / CXB Price (inc GST): $298.00
Load Rating: 80kg These look like the OEM type.

I prefer the Sportz type for looks and aerodynamics.

Now has anyone got any of these or used them or recommend any?

The OEM seem a rip off at $100 more.

[Arctra]

Rola RBXL135 $299

http://www.rola.com.au/rola/prodimages/rackrbxl.gif

Rhino Sportz / SXB Price (inc GST): $289.00
Load Rating: 80kg

The Rola RBXL135 would be my first choice as they are sleeker and closer fitting to the car. I also don't like bits sticking out the side of the rails like the Rhino's do. Only problem with them might be the sunroof hitting them

As a second choice the Rhino Sportz SXB aren't too bad except for the bits sticking out the side of the rails. They look high enough off the roof to avoid the sunroof hitting them too.

Will just have to see when someone has a chance to test them and give feedback!

[Bayman]

The Rola RBXL135 would be my first choice as they are sleeker and closer fitting to the car. I also don't like bits sticking out the side of the rails like the Rhino's do. Only problem with them might be the sunroof hitting them

As a second choice the Rhino Sportz SXB aren't too bad except for the bits sticking out the side of the rails. They look high enough off the roof to avoid the sunroof hitting them too.

Will just have to see when someone has a chance to test them and give feedback!

I might email Rola and get confirmation they will operate OK with the sunroof fitted. I agree they look the best and as we all know, we tend to leave these things on our cars as the hassle to pull them off.

Hopefully someone has seen a Tig with a set on, especially as the snow season approaches.

Bayman
103 TDI
Blk Leather, Comfort Pk, Fogs, S/roof,MDI, Tow Bar,New York Wheels,Park Assist, Candy White.

[Bayman]

The Rola RBXL135 would be my first choice as they are sleeker and closer fitting to the car. I also don't like bits sticking out the side of the rails like the Rhino's do. Only problem with them might be the sunroof hitting them

As a second choice the Rhino Sportz SXB aren't too bad except for the bits sticking out the side of the rails. They look high enough off the roof to avoid the sunroof hitting them too.

Will just have to see when someone has a chance to test them and give feedback!

One must note the Rhino Heavy duty model CXB although ugly does meet Tested to AS1235-2000 so I guess this is why Telstra Wagons use thes Rhino bars to comply with OH & S regulations. I wonder why the other bars were not quoted as meeting the Aust Standard.

Bayman.
Tiguan 103 TDI

[Arctra]

Tested racks

Hi guys

I just went to Roof Rack World in Artarmon (Sydney) as the guy there gave me a call to say another customers Rola's had arrived and I could test them quickly.

The good news is that if you don't have a sunroof these bars are awesome and look the part on your Tig. The bad news is that if you have a sunroof, the Rola RBX135/RBXL135 is a no-go. As you can see in the images they touch the roof when it opens and when it is in the fully open state:




The Thule RT755's do fit without touching the roof, however IMO they look ungainly and only come in silver so contrast with my black Tig. At the back you cannot fit them in the manufacturer's position over the holes as the mounting brackets affect the roof when it's fully open (as you can see in the images):




They don't have anything aerodynamic like the Rola's that will fit the Tig with the sunroof either which is disappointing.

Hope this helps.

[Bayman]

I asked Rola whether they fit the Tiguan and sunroofs, this is their confusing
and uninformative reply:-

The below are the racks that will suit your car, a RBXL 135 is not designed for your car.

We have not tested compatibility of our products with Tiguan fitted with factory sunroof & cannot offer a recommendation on suitability.

If you can advise what area you live in, I may be able to suggest a fitter who can give you advise on fitment with sunroof


TIGUAN Wgn 5d
5/08 on SPORTS Rail Bars RB135 2 bars 80 Suits Factory Rails
EXTENDED Rail Extended RE131 2 bars 80 Suits Factory Rails
UNIVERSAL Rail Bars RBU11S 2 bars ROM Suits Factory Rails



Vivian Cameron
Customer Service - Rola

[Arctra]

"quick release" roof rack bars

If I have to have ugly bars on, I at least want to be able to quickly put them on and remove them. Does anyone know of quick release rails for other vehicles so I can investigate whether they are available for the Tig?

[Johnno]

The below are the racks that will suit your car, a RBXL 135 is not designed for your car.

That's weird, on the Rola website you can drop down VW and Tiguan from their menu and the RBLX is an option. Maybe she means that the RBXL isn't designed to fit with the sunroof.

Other than that, it looks like a standard ar$e-covering letter - go see the fitter and test your own product before damaging your own car and trying to sue Rola

[Bayman]

That's weird, on the Rola website you can drop down VW and Tiguan from their menu and the RBLX is an option. Maybe she means that the RBXL isn't designed to fit with the sunroof.

Other than that, it looks like a standard ar$e-covering letter - go see the fitter and test your own product before damaging your own car and trying to sue Rola

Thanks all for the info and the photos, great stuff.

I went to my local VW dealer and inspected the VW original bars. They even had a new delivered Tiguan with the VW bars on but the hopeless dealer had not only misfitted the rear bar (locating pins were not in the bar holes) but the drips had not inserted the rubber strip in the channels on each cross bar. Poor person will be upset to take delivery!

My observations of this bar is as follows:

Made in Germany
Mounts have rubber on the top but not on clamps so it might mark the roof bars, needs some further protection I feel.
Silver bar not black
Slightly ugly but practical, front edge has a curve on it.
Side plastic shrouders clip over locking mechanism
Rubber strip is nicely made and good aluminium bar quality
Uses locating holes in roof racks so easy to put on /off I guess.
MOST IMPORTANTLY it has 4 plastic guards under the front bar to guard against the sunroof hitting it I guess. It looks to higher enough to clear it though but I can't confirm.

So there you have it!