Ford Explorer Cross Bars / Roof Rack

[cwescapexlt4x4]

Here are mine from my 2013, sorry I don't have a closer inside photo.

 

[beanieson]

Benny at Levittown Ford got back to me and confirmed that the new roof rack is indeed a different system. thanks guys.

 

[Napalm]

I too have a 2016 and didn't buy the optional rails - thinking I would get them later.

I would suspect as popular as the explorer is - there will be options later on in the car's life.

IE after say a year. but it sounds like you want a set soon.

Our dealer asked if we wanted them and I swear they mentioned a 3 month lead time.

 

[beanieson]

I found the 2016 crossbars on the ford accessories site and ordered them through my local dealer. Part number starts with "GB5Z" and the older 2011-2015 crossbars have a part number starting with "BB5Z"

The parts guy takes one look at my request and decides that's a typo so he orders me the wrong crossbars

We straightened it out yesterday but I'm hoping the actual part is available soon, he said it's usually 4-5 days but the part number wasn't yet "in his system" requiring him to call in the order. I need them by the 20th for a road trip

 

[beanieson]

Success!!!!

Having seen the instructions for cross bar installation on both the 2011-2015 and the new 2016 I can say that these are much improved. They simply bolt into the rails. The first kit they sent me had 3 pages of instructions, these didn't even need any

 

[WayneonLI]

Glad you were successful, beanie.

But after looking at the picture of the bike on the truck, I'm afraid you're not going to get very far on that bike without a front wheel, 'lessin of course you do wheelies.

Seriously, though, enjoy your new EX and your trip!

 

[Napalm]

Success!!!!

Having seen the instructions for cross bar installation on both the 2011-2015 and the new 2016 I can say that these are much improved. They simply bolt into the rails. The first kit they sent me had 3 pages of instructions, these didn't even need any

they bolt in - so there are holes in the roof rail for them?

 

[JEFFSMACHINE]

Roof rack cross bars for 20016

Hi , I'm new here.
I have the roof rack but no crossbars. I was wondering how they mount, are they easy to Install/ remove,as in can they be moved easy for differant applications.
I'm contemplating using them to make differant mounts for bikes, fishing poles, canoe, uncooperative girlfriends, etc.
Any body have close up picks of the attaching area.
Thanks in advance
Jeff

 

[veloduffer]

Are you referring to the Ford OEM cross bars or aftermarket like Thule and Yakima? Both are relatively easy to install, but the Ex is a tall vehicle so you need to climb on the door sill or tire to reach.

One thing to note, the OEM cross bars sit relatively close to the roofline, as the side rails are fairly low profile. Some accessories like my Thule cargo box have large claws that touch the roof line until you tighten them up. Also, it may interfere with a sunroof.

I purchased the Thule Aeroblades that attach on top of the roof rail to provide extra roof clearance. This allows me to use my sunroof. They are also very quiet compared to the older cross bars (Thule square, Yakima round) even with a fairing. They are expensive but they last forever.

I use mine for kayaks, cargo boxes and bikes and those attachments are either Yakima or Thule.

 

[182RG]

I purchased the Thule Aeroblades that attach on top of the roof rail to provide extra roof clearance.

+1. OEM bars are crap.

 

[veloduffer]

+1. OEM bars are crap.

They do look a bit lightweight - I'm not sure of the weight capacity.

I wished more manufacturers would copy Subaru Outback's roof rail and crossbar design. We have 2014 Outback in which the cross bars swing into the rails if you are not using them, and swing out when you need them. Always there and take no storage in the garage. They are not heavy duty but enough to carry light stuff like a kayak and bike.

 

[JEFFSMACHINE]

Thanks , great info, that's exactly what I needed

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

They do look a bit lightweight - I'm not sure of the weight capacity.

I wished more manufacturers would copy Subaru Outback's roof rail and crossbar design. ....

Agreed, the Subaru design is great and that rack probably gets used more due to that design.

 

[davido_]

I have a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport. I installed factory crossbars on it. I considered going with a 3rd party such as Thule or Yakima (I've used such on other vehicles), but ultimately just went with factory crossbars.

My reasoning: The weight limit is set by the side rails. The factory crossbars are sturdy enough to accommodate the maximum weight that the side rails are designed for. And I carry three different things on my roof rack depending on the situation: (1) a sit-on kayak, (2) a bike rack or two, or (3) a Thule cargo box. All three work just fine with the factory bars. So why would I pay *more* for a 3rd party set of crossbars that do not improve weight carrying capability, when the factory crossbars will handle my three carrying needs for a lower price?

Anyway, they look good on the vehicle, and they're quiet. I don't see any great advantage to going with a more expensive option for now.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

The only advantage I see personally in the third party systems (Yakima, Thule, etc) ...and it's a big one...is the ability to use them on multiple vehicles. I have used the same Yakima system for 10 years across 5 different SUVs without having to invest any more money outside of the original investment.

With that said, I did purchase the OEM crossbars for my wife's Limited but only because someone locally was selling a set of used ones for a great price. I'm not sure how they will work with my 21cubic feet skybox as I'm afraid the mounting claws might rub against the top of the roof but I'll give them a try. If it's too close comfort, I guess I'll be posted a set of OEM cross rails for sale.

 

[davido_]

The only advantage I see personally in the third party systems (Yakima, Thule, etc) ...and it's a big one...is the ability to use them on multiple vehicles. I have used the same Yakima system for 10 years across 5 different SUVs without having to invest any more money outside of the original investment.

I have a Yakima rack that I use on my Subaru Outback XT. It has square crossbars that tend to be rather noisy, so I only install it when I need to put something up there. I've also used it on a Mercedes wagon, and on a Subaru Forester.

I considered using it on the Explorer, but it turned out that crossbars that are ideal length for more narrow vehicles are way too short for the Explorer. So I would be looking at about $90 to get a new set that is longer, but noisier than OEM (which cost me about $125 new). Plus when I checkout Yakima's website they didn't seem to still make the square crossbars that fit my sidebar brackets. I guess they've been discontinued.

If it were the case that by using the Yakima system my rooftop capacity were higher than using the OEM system, I would probably look for used square crossbars on eBay, but since that's not the case I just went with OEM -- it's quieter, better looking, and reasonably priced.

I do wish that the Explorer's side rails had better capacity. For a brief time I had a Chevy Traverse, and its factory rack was rated to 250 pounds -- much more reasonable for a mid-size to big SUV. But the Traverse was inferior in many other ways, and kept breaking down until I finally traded the lemon in.

 

[BadHabit2Break]

roof rack crossbars

I have the roof rack on my XSport, but there are not any crossbars. Is there a place I can buy these or am I just SOL.

Wanting to build a Fishing Rod Pod for the roof and mount it to the crossbars.

 

[peterk9]

I have the roof rack on my XSport, but there are not any crossbars. Is there a place I can buy these or am I just SOL.

Wanting to build a Fishing Rod Pod for the roof and mount it to the crossbars.

You can get them from the dealer.

Peter

 

[BadHabit2Break]

You can get them from the dealer.

Peter

thanks Peter

 

[peterk9]

Also you can contact one of our vendors for pricing. See post 2.

Peter