[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by Foxglove

Oh that’s great. Thank you!

If you go with the Thule XT in the XL size, you want to get a set of 6 of these as your duffle bag game has to be strong to a) maximize capacity and b) minimize weight. Dimensions are 28" wide by 13.5" tall.

Give each person in your family one of these bags, tell them to fill them to 80% full so they can squish down a bit, and you can get all you need up top. Get different colors if you like, makes it easier to know who's bag is who's once you arrive at your destination.

[sharp]

Originally Posted by ST23

Same setup here, though I wished the OEM bars were black to tie in with the shadow line trim black roof rails, it's barely noticeable with the roof box. Opted for this setup to be able to take off the OEM bars whenever the box wasn't used, 10 minutes on/off for the entire setup for me.

I agree with you on all points. I don't keep the cross bars all year long and only install them a couple times a year, so I can live with that 🙂

[Foxglove]

I bought the Turtle Air 1 roof rails. They go on very easily. I took some picture of how they arrive + assembled / on the X7. They are indeed quite low profile. I don't get wind noise from them, but have not extensively driven with them yet as I just installed them today.

These are the bars: https://www.turtlecancarry.com/roof-rack-air1/

I ordered them from an ebay seller for $180. https://www.ebay.com/itm/126168211292

They feel very sturdy -- all hardware is made well and feels solid. I've had the BMW rails before on an X5 and these feel every bit as sturdy. You put the end caps on the bars when you get them out of the box. They then lock in the end caps, but with some in/out movement so you can easily make them a bit smaller and fit them onto the rails and then pull the bar out of the end piece a bit to get an exact fit across. You then screw them both down onto the rails and also screw them to lock the bar across the car.

Whole install from open box to both bars done was about 10 min. Second install time would be around 5 probably.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by Foxglove

I bought the Turtle Air 1 roof rails. They go on very easily. I took some picture of how they arrive + assembled / on the X7. They are indeed quite low profile. I don't get wind noise from them, but have not extensively driven with them yet as I just installed them today.

There are specific mounting points on the roof rails for balance/safety. Not sure if you are aware as the indicator indents in the rails are mentioned in the OEM crossbar owners manual and not the X7’s.

[Foxglove]

Originally Posted by toddwalton

There are specific mounting points on the roof rails for balance/safety. Not sure if you are aware as the indicator indents in the rails are mentioned in the OEM crossbar owners manual and not the X7’s.

Yes indeed. Installed them right where the indents are. Thank you for posting this so everyone is aware though. The little indents make it very easy to put the bars in the exact right spots, but are easily missed if you aren’t looking for them.

[javacodeguy]

Originally Posted by Foxglove

I bought the Turtle Air 1 roof rails. They go on very easily. I took some picture of how they arrive + assembled / on the X7. They are indeed quite low profile. I don't get wind noise from them, but have not extensively driven with them yet as I just installed them today.

These are the bars: https://www.turtlecancarry.com/roof-rack-air1/

I'm curious what made you pick these over OEM, Thule, or some other cross bars?

[Foxglove]

Originally Posted by javacodeguy

I'm curious what made you pick these over OEM, Thule, or some other cross bars?

Primary reasons I went with these over OEM and Thule (1) they're lower profile (especially than OEM), (2) support just as much weight, (3) are high quality, and (4) are much less expensive.

In addioin, I park in a garage at my office, and even though i won't be using these all the time, the times i have them on the X7 I still want to be able to pull into work without taking them off.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by Foxglove

Primary reasons I went with these over OEM and Thule (1) they're lower profile (especially than OEM), (2) support just as much weight, (3) are high quality, and (4) are much less expensive.

In addioin, I park in a garage at my office, and even though i won't be using these all the time, the times i have them on the X7 I still want to be able to pull into work without taking them off.

I got these last summer (even cheaper) and have used them a few times. No issues at all, even driving hundreds of highway miles at a time.

[2013M3]

So I went with BMW roof rack and Yakima CBX 18 box.

The BMW bars were easy to install (~$385 with tax and free shipping from BMW parts hub).
The Yakima was also easy to install. Used REI 20% off and got it for like ~ 800. The REI guys unboxed it and lifted it right on the roof for me. And from there the install was very easy, line up the underside of the box on the roof bars, turn the torque screw and walk away.

We did a long road trip from NC to AR to see the solar eclipse. 4 adults and one kid (booster seat) and packing for a 4 day trip, the roof box was a must. There is essentially room for a small cooler and a few backs in the back of the x7 as everyone knows.

The wind noise was minimal and I didn’t notice there was a box when the shades were closed.

the CBX is easy to operate from either side of the car. Biggest thing was getting up there. I’m short (5.8 at best) and have to stand inside the car to get inside the box. not a deal breaker.