I’m in the process of getting my car prepped for a SuperLite. I have a 2013 Subaru Impreza wagon that didn’t come with a stock roof rack. All the threads out there say that it any roof rack works- but I thought I’d reach out to the experts to see if you have any insight.
As of right now I don’t have rails or crossbars- looking to purchase a complete set that will set me up good. I’d love to avoid any rookie mistakes.
Any suggestions of what I should consider- or stay away from. I saw a few posts about Yakima round bars slipping- so, I just thought I’d do some footwork while I anxiously await.
my neighbor just installed a prinsu on his forester - i know it was some work to get it on there (cant remember if he had factory holes or not) but the end result was really good looking. he built out the interior as a sleeping platform and his girl and he just went away for 10 days.
i have had them and similar on my tacoma, they are handy as they are ‘modular’ and you can add and remove crossbars etc as needed. i think they look good and the price point is good considering the other options out there
the prinsu looks great bit pricey 800$ plus.being a 2013 id hit up the used market and ebay for factory rails and crossbars. i also see fixed rails for Imprezas but not sure of the weight ratings. good luck in your search!
i was passed by a subaru recently with an RTT mounted on what imagine were factory crossbars, they were flapping in the wind (RTT included), and a friend that had one mounted to his complained of the same type of thing happening. Im not a subaru expert, just saying what i have seen.
not sure what years or models but Subaru used something called AEROBAR cross bars . i think there an odd flat design crossbar.maybe an issue with locking tight?.. i have factory rails and generic key locking rectangular bars on my 2009 Forester. the bars i got off ebay and are pretty beefy for what they are.i run a cargo basket on top and havent had an issue. i will report back when my Superlite shows and get some miles on it.id hate to have to lay out another 800$ for a new rail.crossbar system but safety is a priority. this a is a great place to compare mount ideas.
true, would be unfortunate to spend the extra if you dont need. esp with the light weight of the superlite - both the ones i speak of were regular soft shell RTT
I also noticed that price point- thanks for the used market suggestion! I’m definitely trying to keep weight down, too- which is why I’m into the Superlite. My car is approaching 200, 000 and I’m getting 40mpg right now. That’s where this whole rack search started. Thanks for the help!