[ppagiga]

These are the x7 crossbars i bought from Getmybmwparts.com

plus a Thule motion XT XXL.

have yet to clamp the box on to the bars but fit looks good. won't go over the windshield, wont interfere with tailgate or antennae

[JFU]

Originally Posted by ppagiga

These are the x7 crossbars i bought from Getmybmwparts.com

plus a Thule motion XT XXL.

have yet to clamp the box on to the bars but fit looks good. won't go over the windshield, wont interfere with tailgate or antennae

Attachment 2027404

Attachment 2027405

Looking good! I will likely do a similar setup, especially for ski trips and what not.

[ppagiga]

i dont know a ton about cargo boxes but i think i'll need to slide it forward a couple inches so that the cargo bars line up closer to the center of the underside carve out. (see blue arrows)

[masmole]

Perfect!

Funny how an XXL sized Thule box can look small-ish on the X7

[JFU]

Originally Posted by ppagiga

i dont know a ton about cargo boxes but i think i'll need to slide it forward a couple inches so that the cargo bars line up closer to the center of the underside carve out. (see blue arrows)

Attachment 2027420

Yes, that would be better. You might even push the bars a bit outwards from center to decrease the overhang of the 2 ends of the box. The great thing is that it looks like there's so much roof rail real-estate that you can make any length box work without interfering with tailgates etc.

[ppagiga]

Originally Posted by JFU

Yes, that would be better. You might even push the bars a bit outwards from center to decrease the overhang of the 2 ends of the box. The great thing is that it looks like there's so much roof rail real-estate that you can make any length box work without interfering with tailgates etc.

the bmw cargo bars have a predefined installation point, regardless of what you put on top of em.

[Wild Blue]

Looks great. If you're going to transport 6/7 people and a bunch of gear, looks like an awesome solution.

[toddwalton]

Nice setup!

Can you confirm that the bars are two different lengths? I’m nervous about the set I purchased prior to taking delivery of the car. About 1.5”, yes? Thanks!

[ppagiga]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

Nice setup!

Can you confirm that the bars are two different lengths? I’m nervous about the set I purchased prior to taking delivery of the car. About 1.5”, yes? Thanks!

Mine have a difference in length too but not sure if 1.5”. I think you and I bought from same place so you should be fine. Critical thing is you find the notches under the roof rail that show where they go

[JFU]

Originally Posted by ppagiga

the bmw cargo bars have a predefined installation point, regardless of what you put on top of em.

Ah that's right. I recall seeing pictures that the bars are different lengths - which would imply that there's only 1 place to place them. Good to know. I might want to wait until Yakima or Thule officially endorses a kit. Yakima already kind of does.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by ppagiga

Mine have a difference in length too but not sure if 1.5”. I think you and I bought from same place so you should be fine. Critical thing is you find the notches under the roof rail that show where they go

Not sure what you mean by that.

For my X5 using the BMW bars that are identical in construction and function as these X7 bars, one can actually place the two bars any reasonable distance apart to fit any number of cargo boxes. The X5's bars came with handy decals that you could put in the door jambs to remind yourself where to place them the next time.

Are you saying there are specific notches that space the front/rear bars apart (that would be something new) or are you saying that there is a long notch that runs the length of the left/right roof rails that the cross bars snap and lock into (same function as X5)?

[FreddyBMW]

Originally Posted by ppagiga

These are the x7 crossbars i bought from Getmybmwparts.com

plus a Thule motion XT XXL.

have yet to clamp the box on to the bars but fit looks good. won't go over the windshield, wont interfere with tailgate or antennae

Attachment 2027404

Attachment 2027405

Looks great! The only concern I have is to BUMP the box when entering into my Garage. It would even hit the garage door when just the rods are on!

[ppagiga]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

Not sure what you mean by that.

For my X5 using the BMW bars that are identical in construction and function as these X7 bars, one can actually place the two bars any reasonable distance apart to fit any number of cargo boxes. The X5's bars came with handy decals that you could put in the door jambs to remind yourself where to place them the next time.

Are you saying there are specific notches that space the front/rear bars apart (that would be something new) or are you saying that there is a long notch that runs the length of the left/right roof rails that the cross bars snap and lock into (same function as X5)?

“Are you saying there are specific notches that space the front/rear bars apart (that would be something new)”

Yes, check out the instructions. You’ll see mention of this there too. About 29.5” apart. And make sure you open up each foot to see where it goes. You need to identify the front bar from the rear bar AND the driver’s side from the passenger side. Label inside foot will say something like FL (front left) for example

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by ppagiga

“Are you saying there are specific notches that space the front/rear bars apart (that would be something new)”

Yes, check out the instructions. You’ll see mention of this there too. About 29.5” apart. And make sure you open up each foot to see where it goes. You need to identify the front bar from the rear bar AND the driver’s side from the passenger side. Label inside foot will say something like FL (front left) for example

Interesting. This may complicate my install of my existing X5's Thule. Fingers crossed.

[X7User1]

Has anybody successfully used the railing carrier with a Thule Motion XT? Does the fixed position of the rails make it incompatible? Thanks.

[ppagiga]

Originally Posted by X7User1

Has anybody successfully used the railing carrier with a Thule Motion XT? Does the fixed position of the rails make it incompatible? Thanks.

Yes see above

[vink]

Is there any noticeable wind noise or drag felt at cruising speeds? I like the setup but I'll have to dismount it immediately after each trip bcos of office parking lots and garage.
I've been thinking about rooftop and hitch mounted rack.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by vink

Is there any noticeable wind noise or drag felt at cruising speeds? I like the setup but I'll have to dismount it immediately after each trip bcos of office parking lots and garage.
I've been thinking about rooftop and hitch mounted rack.

The X7 has double-pane glass, it's amazingly quiet. I've got about 2,000 miles with the BMW cross bars with/without the Cargo Box and I don't hear any wind noise at all.

Same for drag, that's not an issue with a car of this size.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by X7User1

Has anybody successfully used the railing carrier with a Thule Motion XT? Does the fixed position of the rails make it incompatible? Thanks.

Thule is compatible. There is fore/aft play in the connectivity, and one could always move the crossbars a bit too, but none of that will be necessary.

The bigger question is what size do you need. Keep in mind that these things are rather large and cumbersome to store and put up on the roof, so an L or XL might be best.

[Brukes]

Originally Posted by vink

Is there any noticeable wind noise or drag felt at cruising speeds? I like the setup but I'll have to dismount it immediately after each trip bcos of office parking lots and garage.
I've been thinking about rooftop and hitch mounted rack.

If you're worried about height, I've got the Yakima Railbars on mine which are flush with the side rails. They work well with limited noise. The only challenge is if you - like me - have the M-Sport with black side bars, for whatever reason the black railbars were on back order and it took me a while to find them.

Should be compatible with Thule boxes (though I have the Yakima Showcase 20).

[unfoundnemo]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

The X7 has double-pane glass, it's amazingly quiet. I've got about 2,000 miles with the BMW cross bars with/without the Cargo Box and I don't hear any wind noise at all.

Same for drag, that's not an issue with a car of this size.

Maybe I'm just super-sensitive to wind noise, but it's definitely there. For reference, I have the BMW crossbars and a Thile Motion XT XXL box.

Without the cargo box it is less frequent, but I'll get a high pitched whistling on occasion at speeds upwards of 55 MPH and a slight cross cross wind.

With the box on, especially when empty, the more typical wind noise is very apparent above 60MPH. Its certainly not as bad as other cars or boxes but its definitely there. Below 45 or so and there's nothing, so that's good, the high pitched whistling also goes away with the box on, I think it's something with the rubber inserts in the middle of the bar not having pressure on them, maybe that will fix itself over time, but I dont think I'll ride around with just the bars on anyway, they certainly come off easy enough.

[ppagiga]

Originally Posted by unfoundnemo

Maybe I'm just super-sensitive to wind noise, but it's definitely there. For reference, I have the BMW crossbars and a Thile Motion XT Large box.

Without the cargo box it is less frequent, but I'll get a high pitched whistling on occasion at speeds upwards of 55 MPH and a slight cross cross wind.

With the box on, especially when empty, the more typical wind noise is very apparent above 60MPH. Its certainly not as bad as other cars or boxes but its definitely there. Below 45 or so and there's nothing, so that's good, the high pitched whistling also goes away with the box on, I think it's something with the rubber inserts in the middle of the bar not having pressure on them, maybe that will fix itself over time, but I dont think I'll ride around with just the bars on anyway, they certainly come off easy enough.

My experience is same. Without box, silent vehicle. With it, there is some noticeable noise but I can live with it. I've always got the radio on, and three kids yapping, so it gets drowned out. Plus, if you close the sun shade for the panorama roof that insulates the noise a shade.

Other thing to keep in mind is to try to keep it at 80mph or less, other than that, biggest adjustment for me is the height. Few parking garages can accommodate this set up, unfortunately, and need to be constantly mindful of clearance when you have a big box on top like this one in XXL capacity