Have couple of questions for those who are further down the Yeti road:

1) I want to ask those of you who have fitted the transverse roof rack if thay have gone for this option:

(the original Skoda accessory) or some after-market. Also if the front bar can be moved next to the back one, in order not to obstruct the view from the sunroof (like on some other SUVs).

2) which short aerial have you chosen? any drawbacks noticed? the o-ring solution, or some heat-shrinking tube?

3) for the extra boot light, have someone found a way to piggy-back the second one?

Thanks in advance,

BT

Sebast:

I went for the Skoda bars (as pictured) since they don't stick out past the car's bars as the Thule ones do. The car's roof bars have preset positions for the bars so you can't move the front one. The back one has two positions but only about 70mm difference between the two positions.

I bought my aerial from eBay. No draw backs and just did a search and bought it for £6,99. No O-ring needed yet. Maye one day.

Boot light: sorry I don't have one (yet)!

The Skoda roof bar rack fits by screwing two special 6mm hex-head bolts into tapped holes in the side rails at each mounting point. Then the cross bars lock onto the bolts so that the bars can be easily removed (in the interests of fuel economy) when not required, leaving the bolts in place.

As far as I can tell, the cross bars don't actually rest on the top of the side rails, all the load is taken through the bolts. The capacity of the rack is limited anyway, as the mounting positions for the cross bars are well away from the point where the siderails are fixed into the roof, as you will note in the photo.

As I'm only making occasional use of the roof bars (for a set of amber beacons for motorsport and occasionally carrying an extension ladder locally) I made up my own rack using four brackets 110mm long made of strong (but thin) steel angle (old galvanised steel CH radiator brackets) drilled to match the mounting holes (60mm apart) and then mounted old Paddy Hopkirk roof rack crossbars onto the brackets. Just like the Skoda rack, all the load is taken by the bolts screwed into the tapped holes in the side rails, and the whole outfit seems perfectly secure. However, I'm not sure I'd want to carry anything of significant weight at high speed or great distance - for which I'd want the genuine Skoda rack!

Sebast:

I went for the Skoda bars (as pictured) since they don't stick out past the car's bars as the Thule ones do. The car's roof bars have preset positions for the bars so you can't move the front one. The back one has two positions but only about 70mm difference between the two positions.

I bought my aerial from eBay. No draw backs and just did a search and bought it for £6,99. No O-ring needed yet. Maye one day.

Boot light: sorry I don't have one (yet)!

me too exactly.

john

Here are some detail pics from the French forum. You can see the bolts on these pictures.

Thank you all. I'll probably go for the Skoda ones as well.

Regarding the upgraded boot light, it has just arrived!

For the short aerial - is that the one you purchased: Black Bullet Bee Sting Aerial? That's one of the few tagged with "yeti" on ebay.eu...

Thank you all. I'll probably go for the Skoda ones as well.

Regarding the upgraded boot light, it has just arrived!

For the short aerial - is that the one you purchased: Black Bullet Bee Sting Aerial? That's one of the few tagged with "yeti" on ebay.eu...

Mine was not tagged Yeti... it is for any VW or Opel product and has a more rounded tip - see here on eBay. See attached of mine.

I bought the Thule roof bars and I don't have a problem with them, either with noise or sticking out too far - and you can vary the position a lot more than the official Skoda ones (although to be honest, I use the Skoda mounting points as a guide when I put them on!)

I bought the Thule roof bars and I don't have a problem with them, either with noise or sticking out too far - and you can vary the position a lot more than the official Skoda ones (although to be honest, I use the Skoda mounting points as a guide when I put them on!)

Jock I did not mean they stick out too far. Not at all. It is purely that to my own eyes they stick out a bit too much and I prefer the visual simplicity of the Skoda ones (which costs the exact same). The Thule system does however allow you to perhaps fix a roof box and two bikes for instance since it is wider. And you can (as you say) fit them wherever you like along the car's roof bars.

Jock I did not mean they stick out too far. Not at all. It is purely that to my own eyes they stick out a bit too much and I prefer the visual simplicity of the Skoda ones (which costs the exact same).

You can get the Thule set for around £80. Where can you get the Skoda ones for that price?

You can get the Thule set for around £80. Where can you get the Skoda ones for that price?

I'm talking like for like! Silver Thule aluminium aerobars with the foot set etc was around £160. The Skoda ones were £158. The £80 ones you refer to must be black steel ones that don't allow for T-bars?

The Foot Pack, Thule 775, is £54 and you can either get black square bars, 769, at £25 or Aluminium Aero ones, 869, at £55. The most expensive set is then £109 (skidrive.co.uk) and that is a like for like set in terms of sexy silver. The Thule set does not however fit neatly inside the bars as the Yeti one does although it is transferable which the Yeti one is not.

I don't dispute than anyone can choose whatever system they like, the Skoda one looks very neat and tidy, but the difference at £50 is not to be sniffed at.

I'd hoped that you may have found Skoda ones at £110 rather than Thule ones at £160.

The Foot Pack, Thule 775, is £54 and you can either get black square bars, 769, at £25 or Aluminium Aero ones, 869, at £55. The most expensive set is then £109 (skidrive.co.uk) and that is a like for like set in terms of sexy silver. The Thule set does not however fit neatly inside the bars as the Yeti one does although it is transferable which the Yeti one is not.

I don't dispute than anyone can choose whatever system they like, the Skoda one looks very neat and tidy, but the difference at £50 is not to be sniffed at.

I'd hoped that you may have found Skoda ones at £110 rather than Thule ones at £160.

Ohhh... The prices have sure dropped since I checked last. And your shop is cheaper than the one I normally use in Sevenoaks as well:

http://www.roofracks.../skoda_yeti.php

So that is £94,95 for the black ones and £124,95 for the silver ones (plus £5,95 delivery for each). So yes the Skoda ones at £158 is a fair bit more expensive.

Edited 6 December, 201015 yr by 900000

I have an even cheaper solution: the Thule bars I used to use on my Subaru also fit the Yeti. It's a bit more of a stretch to get the mountain bike off the top of the Yeti though...

I have an even cheaper solution: the Thule bars I used to use on my Subaru also fit the Yeti. It's a bit more of a stretch to get the mountain bike off the top of the Yeti though...

Ah that was my plan. But the Audi A2 roof bars I had were too short to be used on the Yeti. So I had to get new ones. At least all my bike racksm the kayak racks and the roof box still fits as it is a universal system.

Halfrauds were charging £129.90 for the Thule ones when I looked yesterday. (775 +869)

Mike