A few months back I was looking for a cover that could be "compatible" with a Thule/Yakima rack system and I settled on the UnderCover SE Lux for my HD. So, this weekend, I finally stopped procrastinating and installed the Thule rack system. The install was great and there are no issue to report, except to source some stronger gas struts for the added weight. I think it turned out well, but you'll be the judge:





I know this technically voids my warranty, but I can't see this top failing because I drilled a few holes in it. The holes were filled with clear silicone prior to securing the rails so not to have any leaks.

The good folks at UnderCover were a pleasure to deal with and they even went above and beyond to ensure my satisfaction with this cover. Great product and great folks.

 

Hey, great job and it looks great too!

 

That actually looks pretty decent. I've been thinking about doing something like that with my Undercover Classic, but wasn't sure how it'll look.
Mines black, so would probably be less visible. Thanks for posting those pics.

When we go up to the cottage, we have 2 kayaks in the bed with the tailgate down, but also want to bring 2 bikes at the same time.
I haven't been bringing the bikes because I didn't want to drill into the cover. If it was going to end up looking bad, I'd be stuck with it.
The rack won't be on 99% of the time, so only the strips would be there.

 

What was your total for the cover and install if I might ask ?

 

looks really good!

 

Looks good, now lets see some pics of the bikes on there!

 

I hear you and I was a bit nervous too but I decided to do it anyway. I'll run the cross bars in the spring/summer/fall but I will take them off for winter use and be left with the tracks only which are pretty inconspicuous, especially with a black cover.

The cool thing is that you can undo a few bolts and the whole thing can come out as one unit and be stored in your garage, no need to disassemble every piece separately. Easy on and easy off in less than a couple of minutes.

These pictures are with the Thule 594XT Sidearm I originally chose over the Echelon. I had Rack Attack do the install, and after getting home and test fitting with a bike, I realized that it would not work. You cannot fit an adult bike the way the rails are positioned in my pictures, there is not enough space for the front wheel to clear the cab. In my pictures there are about 6" missing, so to mount an adult bike I would have had to slide the back rail by 4" (max before hitting the end) and the front rails by 6". This could have worked but there were a few other things I didn't like about the Sidearms.

If you have a bike with a quick release skewer, it makes it that much easier for a thief to steal it. The bike is "locked" in place by an arm applying pressure to the front wheel, but undo the front skewer and your bike is gone. It's that easy. So, you'd have to run a lock through the frame as additional security.

Another part I didn't like, was what I though would be convenient. I chose the Sidearm so that I would not have to take the front wheels off the bikes. That was fine and dandy while loading from the side but for my daughter's bike in the middle tray, it made it harder since I was loading it backwards and the front wheel was in my way.

Last, The 3 Sidearms added a lot of weight to the top. The top itself can support it, but the struts are not strong enough to assist in lifting the top. Without the bikes loaded, it was difficult to open since there is no handle on the cover. Some stronger struts would have solved this, but I figured that a different carrier would be worth a try.

So, the next day I went back to Rack Attack and exchanged the Sidearms for some Echelon. Much better for putting the bikes on, and much lighter than before.

Sent you a PM. UnderCover has been a great company to deal with, I am very happy with my decision. Believe it or not, the Thule system was more expensive than the cover.

Thanks, I'll take some pictures later this week with the Echelon and the bikes on.

 

Here is a pic of a black UnderCover with the tracks only. He is using the Thule Tracker towers which leave the "feet" in the track when removed. It is a convenient on/off system but I prefer everything to be off during the winter months so not to be subject to corrosion. Hence why I chose the Podium towers which make it completely flush when everything comes off.

 

Thanks for the detailed responses.

I don't like the feet left there either. I want to be able to remove the mounts for a smooth look as you described.
The podium towers sound pretty good to avoid unnecessary disassembly. Can you post or send me a complete parts list of your current setup?
I can't believe how much this stuff adds up!

Sure was nice being able to fold down one seat in my Explorer and strap two mountain bikes inside along with all the luggage and a subwoofer box.
Plus I could strap canoes or kayaks right to the roof rack.

 

Yes, that Thule/Yakima stuff adds up very quickly. Here are the parts I bought:

(1) TP54 Tracks w/ Flarenut Fasteners - $125
(1) Podium 460 Foot Pack - $179
(1) Podium Fit Kit 3101 - $74
(1) Thule 65" Load Bars - $89
(7) Thule Lock Cores - $66

Then add the bike carriers of your choice. I went with Thule because I prefer their bike carriers over the Yakima ones, just personal preference.

As mentioned, I had Rack Attack do the install since I had better things to do with my day and I didn't feel like having that "Oh crap!" moment by drilling in the wrong place. The install was $150, which may seem high but it took them 3 hours and they guaranteed to replace the cover if they messed it up.

With a Classic cover you have a little more flexibility in the mounting location and you can put slightly longer tracks like these. I have an SE cover which has ridges molded into it and those ridges are not parallel to each other, like this:



So I had the tracks mounted as far to the outside as possible for aesthetics, with the position being ultimately dictated by the underside molded ridges. It turned out that the tracks are right in line with the back window molding and that the hardware fell exactly between the ridges. The only "modification" was to shorten the tracks by 2" to clear the front. Here is an underside shot to show you the mounting hardware:



Here is a little more info on the bike carriers. The Thule Sidearms I originally purchased would have worked, you just need to make sure that the tracks are mounted as far back as possible but for the reasons mentioned earlier, I chose to switch to the Echelon. Since you have a Classic cover and you only have 2 bikes, it gives you more flexibility and you can run the Sidearms if you prefer not to dismount the front wheels. It is a good system but because I run 3 bikes and have the SE cover, it made it a bit more cumbersome for me.

I really love the Echelon and while you have to take the front wheel off, the bikes are a lot more secure and it is actually easier to mount the bikes on the carrier. I am really happy with my decision to switch and the cover is a lot easier to operate since the whole system is now a lot lighter, no need to switch the gas struts. I put the wheels in the bed but if you prefer, Thule makes an adapter to mount them to the rack.

Lastly, if you look at the pics you'll see that it would be very easy to take off if you won't use the rack for an extended period of time. Once you remove the side cover with the key, the Podium towers have 2 bolts that hold them to the tracks. A #4 Allen wrench and a couple minutes tops, and your whole system can come off as one unit only leaving the tracks on your UnderCover. I plan on rigging a simple hoist to the garage ceiling so that I can have an easy on/off and storage solution, no need to readjust every time.

Now, on to the pics with the Echelon and bikes on and off: