Roof Rails

[heysidays]

I am looking to purchase some roof rails, the silver ones and I know they are not cheap. I have no idea how to fit them but the instruction manual from Toyota Europe looks pretty simple and easy to do. Can someone describe how to fit them.

Ta

[anchorman]

You can buy 8mm shear bolts from king. You simply tighten them until the head shears off and then they would need to be drilled out;

Normally there is no need to have them theft proofed. If you Araldite the covers on they won't even be able to get in but remember they will make a mess trying. I wouldn't worry too much if I were you.

Up here in the hills the only problem we get is dinosaurs trying to chew them off in the night

[heysidays]

Thanks for the timely response.

[anchorman]

The end caps come off quite easily if you have a small screwdriver or similar tool. If you use Araldite or similar two part epoxy resin nobody including you will ever get them off without severely damaging the roof rails. The shear bolts can be drilled out as they are relatively soft.

If you think about it a thief would need a scriwdriver and a 10mm socket or spanner to get them off. It would need to be somebody on a mission rather than an opportunist.

I suppose you could only fit them as and when they are needed if you are confident it will be a problem. It is only 10 minutes or so to fit them.

[Hoovie]

My (Honda) HR-V had Cross-bars that used to bolt though the fixed side rails into the factory mountings - very similar to the diagram posted above - only across rather then along the car. I found that aligning the bolts could be a right pain and although sometimes fitting the bars would take under 10 mins, on other occasions I could be trying for over an hour to do the identical operation

So personally, I would be inclined to go for the full shear-bolt system, fit once and then forget about it.

If you are concerned about thieving in an area you often goto, then if the miscreants see the car with rails and then without them next time, then with again, etc, they will know that the rails come on and off fairly easily.

If the car appears with rails on and then forever more has rails, chances are they will think it is a permanent fixture and not try to whip it off.

I am not of that persuasion, but if I were looking to have it away with the contents of a roofbox, I think the last part I would think of targeting is the actual roof-rail to car fitting

[dave.m]

I fitted a set of black rails to my Rav last month. Very easy installation you wont have any problems.

Would agree with above, use the shear bolts and the local scum will never get them off

[Hoovie]

I still can't suss how come the Roof Rails are an extra-cost option on all by the cheapest RAV4.3

[dave.m]

I still can't suss how come the Roof Rails are an extra-cost option on all by the cheapest RAV4.3

You and me both, in fact when I think of it my 4.2 XT-R had the rails, wheel arch extensions, auto dipping mirror

and cruise control. None of which were on my 4.3 XT-R. WTF ?

Edit, forgot about the spare wheel as well.