these [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALUMINIUM-SILVER-AERO-ROOF-BARS-FOR-PEUGEOT-406-SW-ESTATE-ANTI-THEFT/150843296132?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D3ac3c4ff34ea481da74ed604d4a9caba%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D151673245672 ]aero roof bars from ebay for £33.79[/url], and [url= http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php?emulate=roofbar&query=5611&vptype=407709&brand=Thule%20rail ]these ones for more than three times the price from roofbox.co.uk[/url]?
Any experience of non-namebrand roof bars?
I know the Thule will be good. I have no idea how good or bad the eBay ones are. I had some cheap lidl aero ones that were cheap but flexed quite a bit.
I assume you are planning to put several thousand pounds worth of bikes on them.
I know what I'd buy.
It ain't the bars that would worry me. It'd be the clamps.
8 points of your license* if it falls off before you even think about damaging what you are carrying and anything that it hits.
*Could be wrong.
You're getting very little in that listing to give you an idea of what you're buying - They might be great but you're left to guess. If their returns policy is good and you're in no hurry - buy them and reject them if they don't look up to much. But the failure of a roof bar is going to have consequences greater than the difference between the cost of both sets
Just clicked the eBay link. That's the same type that lidl knocked out a few years ago.
Crappy clamp, flexy bars. Whistle at speed.
The clamps are the same ones used for all the roof rail cars, they are generic and will grip but are not a perfect fit.
My Thules screw down hard and will not move, but I don't have roof rails so it may not be the same in your case.
The cost of bars will be more for the Thules as the squares are noisy, and you really need aerobars.
However once you have them you just swap the feet for different cars and you can reuse.
As already said, bars are bars other than a bit of windnoise, the feet are what's important to fit
Not something I'd skimp on myself, Thule stuff seems over-priced for what is usually just alu bars, but it's well designed and made.
I've unbranded possibly Halfords bars. Perfectly fine. My clamp system goes right round the roof rail though so is superior to that Thule design.
If take care fitting either of them they will be fine. Pay the premium for a name if you want but it's no guarantee.
Agree with P-Jay. Don't skimp on roof bars. I regularly have 3 sea kayaks on the car -- a few thousand quids worth of kit. Why trust it to a crappy £33 set of roof bars. Thule are the DBs IMHO
I'd be worried about both bars and clamps. Whispbar, a well known alternative to Thule had problems with their bars failing. The clamps are subject to a lot of force when the car is travelling. As others have said it's not worth skimping on roof bars when the damage they can do if they fail is going to be a lot more that you saved.
Best compromise - get some s/h Thules from ebay.
I've accumulated several now. You never know when they'll come in handy !
I've unbranded possibly Halfords bars. Perfectly fine. My clamp system goes right round the roof rail though so is superior to that Thule design.
Halfords are made by Thule as far as I know.
I like the Thule ones as you can keep the bars and just swap foot packs for different cars.
Running the same square bars for the last 15 years
Pug 306
Ford Mondeo x2
Ford Galaxy
I bought a cheap roof rack and bars from ebay. The money I lost selling it without using it once I'd discovered what a load of tat it was would have bought 2nd hand thule
I'm not scared of a bodge but they were awful.
I'm getting Whispbars.
Just for balance, I've got those bars currently sat on my car. Used them for about a year and while cheap and cheerful, perfectly functional. Maybe I'm living a charmed life but no-one has died yet.