Due to a change in the FL roof rails design - my roof box no longer fits   and is therefore for sale (http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/326084-roof-box-for-sale/)

 

This box worked well with the genuine Yeti bars and fitted my pre FL car without issue.

What has changed in the design, would have thought they were the same as pre F/L, as its only minor changes to the front an rear that were carried out, the rest is the same. No one else has flagged this, has the roof rail design changed in the last few weeks?

What has changed in the design, would have thought they were the same as pre F/L, as its only minor changes to the front an rear that were carried out, the rest is the same. No one else has flagged this, has the roof rail design changed in the last few weeks?

 

It came as a surprise to me also!

 

I collected the car the day before a planned holiday. I fitted the roof bars (genuine Skoda - Yeti specific) and then realised that my existing roof box (Karrite 470) wouldn't fit. The reason is the locating pins no longer have the option to mount the rearmost ones either further forwards or rearwards.

 

I actually went back to my local dealers sales lot out of hours to compare the rails on all the Yeti's on sale. I realised that every 2013 (and earlier) Yeti has x3 possible holes in the rails for the rearmost locating pins, whereas everything 2013/2014 onwards has just x2. This reduces any potential for "adjust-ability" in the potential distance between the bars, rending my box incompatible.

 

The chap at the Journey Centre told me I was the second person they had seen recently complaining of the same issue. In hindsight the Thule bar / attachment system would have been a more flexible option, but when I bought the Yeti specific bars I was a little uninformed regarding the various "ins and outs" of roofboxes.

 

The FL (and anything >2013) is lacking the extra hole which can be seen uncovered in the picture below:

Both my earlier 2012 Yeti Urban and current 2014 Yeti 4x4 actually feature as "models" on the Journey Centre's website - mine are the white Yeti's - here: http://www.thejourneycentre.co.uk/pages/customer-gallery

You can have extra inserts (Clinch Nuts) fitted.

You can have extra inserts (Clinch Nuts) fitted.

Thanks for the suggestion RickT, but I now have a new box (Thule touring 200), which fits the Yeti specific bars well.

I was actually due to leave on holiday the day after I collected the new car, so no opportunity to investigate alternatives.

Out of interest what are "clinch nuts"?

Clinch nuts are a threaded inserts that fit in drilled holes in thin material  where you need a proper screwed hole or when there's no access to fit or tighten a nut on the other side. 

The holes you have your roof rails that you screw your pins into are in fact 'Clinch nuts'.

Simple to install, Drill a hole and the insert is fitted and expanded with a tool in a similar way like 'Pop rivet pliers' an that's it. you con have as many as you like.    

Clinch nuts are a threaded inserts that fit in drilled holes in thin material  where you need a proper screwed hole or when there's no access to fit or tighten a nut on the other side. 

The holes you have your roof rails that you screw your pins into are in fact 'Clinch nuts'.

Simple to install, Drill a hole and the insert is fitted and expanded with a tool in a similar way like 'Pop rivet pliers' an that's it. you con have as many as you like.

Thanks for the explanation RickT. Unfortunately time wasn't on my side - due to drive to Dorset the following morning.

It was looking like I'd have to take the Rapid (big boot) - not a car you'd choose for a long trip fully laden!!

Gosh...  my Kamei roofbox have (what I assumed any decent roof box does) T-bars that have about 150mm adjustment possible fore and aft. I've never seen a roof box that doesn't allow the T-bars to be spaced and then fixed. A very peculiar box you must have had. BUT having looked at the ad I suspect you didn't even realise it can be adjusted as the very ad you posted for your old box states:

 

• Fits bars spaced between 550 -750mm apart

 

So I suspect you just wasted some money in buying a new one before actually just going to read the manual of the old one to figure out how to adjust the T-bars.    

Gosh...  my Kamei roofbox have (what I assumed any decent roof box does) T-bars that have about 150mm adjustment possible fore and aft. I've never seen a roof box that doesn't allow the T-bars to be spaced and then fixed. A very peculiar box you must have had. BUT having looked at the ad I suspect you didn't even realise it can be adjusted as the very ad you posted for your old box states:

 

• Fits bars spaced between 550 -750mm apart

 

So I suspect you just wasted some money in buying a new one before actually just going to read the manual of the old one to figure out how to adjust the T-bars.  

 

I appreciate you taking the time to reply - but it definitely didn't fit.

 

The old box (Karrite 470) doesn't use T bars and is instead secured by U bolts. This was fine with my pre FL Yeti, but became an issue on the FL, due to the change in design of the locating lugs (required if using Yeti specific bars), leaving the rearmost U bolt beyond the adjustment range of the mounting system. 

 

I took specialist advice and they'd actually seen the same problem some days earlier.

 

With the benefit of hindsight I would probably have avoided the Yeti specific roofbars entirely and gone for a more flexible solution - Thule wingbars etc.

 

Money not wasted, but rather spent out of necessity.

 

On a positive note the  new Thule box worked well and the dual side opening was a blessing and something I should have considered first time round.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply - but it definitely didn't fit.

 

The old box (Karrite 470) doesn't use T bars and is instead secured by U bolts. This was fine with my pre FL Yeti, but became an issue on the FL, due to the change in design of the locating lugs (required if using Yeti specific bars), leaving the rearmost U bolt beyond the adjustment range of the mounting system. 

 

I took specialist advice and they'd actually seen the same problem some days earlier.

 

With the benefit of hindsight I would probably have avoided the Yeti specific roofbars entirely and gone for a more flexible solution - Thule wingbars etc.

 

Money not wasted, but rather spent out of necessity.

 

On a positive note the  new Thule box worked well and the dual side opening was a blessing and something I should have considered first time round.

 

 

Fair enough. Not sure why the ad for your old box then says it can adjust between 550 - 750mm apart then...  Guess that is an option you didn't have. But definitely something to look out for before buying a roofbox then.  Glad you got it sorted and have a better, dual side opening box now!  

Fair enough. Not sure why the ad for your old box then says it can adjust between 550 - 750mm apart then...  Guess that is an option you didn't have. But definitely something to look out for before buying a roofbox then.  Glad you got it sorted and have a better, dual side opening box now!  

 

No worries.

 

The old box does allow for adjustment between 550-750mm, but that is no longer sufficient for a FL Yeti, it was however fine on my MY 2012 Yeti Urban.

 

The mistake I made was buying the Yeti specific Skoda roof bars - a lesson learned should I ever move away from a Yeti!!