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EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

EGeezer to 67845017

Premium Member

to 67845017

Re: Roof Rack for 2013 MB C300 sport?

Yakima isn't cheap, but it's good. I have a Yakima roof rack to carry a canoe on my venerable 1990 Aerostar.

Personally, I'd rather have a rear-mounted rack for bikes. The additional height would be a pain to deal with when the bikes are there. Several places like banking, fast food, and drug store drive-throughs, parking garages - and my own garage - have height restrictions. And, if I forget I have the bikes on the roof, ...

I know, I might forget they're on the rear mount too, but I always look in the rear view mirror before backing, and the bikes would be clearly visible reminder to me.

With a roof rack, I'd have to lift the bikes up and risk scratching the car. The same goes when I'd take them down. One paint or dent repair could cost more than a rear mounted rack and receiver.

I like those racks made by Reese for their 1 1/4" and 2" receivers. Once you have the receiver installed on the vehicle, you can use it for the rack, a trailer or a luggage carrier. They'd be easy to attach and remove, and easier to mount and remove the bikes.

I can't speak authoritatively for the aerodynamics and wind , but I'd think that the smaller frontal area and rear-mount of the hitch racks would mean less wind resistance and noise in the cabin.

It ain't cheap but it's good. If I could afford a new Mercedes, I could also afford the best solution foe me and my car.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44

Premium Member

Plus one on the using a rack with a receiver. My son just got one for his explorer. Tractor supply sells some pretty nice ones cheap. Luggage carrier, wheel chair carrier, bike rack all in one.

onebadmofo
gat gnitsoP
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Pennsylvania

onebadmofo

Premium Member

said by rody_44:

Plus one on the using a rack with a receiver. My son just got one for his explorer. Tractor supply sells some pretty nice ones cheap. Luggage carrier, wheel chair carrier, bike rack all in one.

I just searched Tractor Supply and I couldn't find any roof racks for a car.
I may have to use the trunk rack I have. Man I'd hate to have that warp the trunk.

hitachi369
Embrace Your Rights
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Cincinnati, OH

hitachi369

Premium Member

Why not have a hitch put on and use one of the trailer hitch types?

onebadmofo
gat gnitsoP
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Pennsylvania

onebadmofo

Premium Member

said by hitachi369:

Why not have a hitch put on and use one of the trailer hitch types?

thanks for the idea but..
Cause it's a car.
My opinion on this is trailer hitches on cars look plain out stupid.

Now if they made a hitch that was able to be hidden up underneath, and if there was a rack that was made for such a hitch, I'd go with that, no problem.
Except for one problem...because of the bending that would be needed for that type of hitch, it would be expensive and so would the rack that would attach to it.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

1 edit

67845017 (banned) to EGeezer

Member

to EGeezer
The best solution is the Mercedes OEM solution roof rack. I wouldn't trust third party ones, other than for Thule or Yakima I suppose. I understand about the height restriction thing, though, and the possibility of damage.

A couple of years ago we were taking a long driving trip and had a roof luggage carrier on our R350. The vehicle is kind of a crossover/SUV. It's relatively tall anyway, let alone with a roof rack and then on top of that the luggage carrier. We'd given the car to the hotel valet and gone upstairs to the room. Half an hour later we got a call to come downstairs because of damage to the carrier.

I went downstairs and saw that the roof carrier had clearly scraped the roof of the garage and must have actually compressed, since there was a small stress crack on one side. Luckily the locking system was still working and the thing was still functional. At any rate, the hotel had taped the crack from the inside so as to make sure it was still water-proof and then had spray painted the roof portion black (the color of the carrier) so that the scratches were no longer visible on casual glance.

Bikes on a roof rack would go pretty high.

Edit: Oh yeah, and the hotel then ended up cutting us a check for $500 a week later to replace the luggage carrier. No fuss or problem at all. It was the Omni Hotel at Independence Park in Philly. What great service they had.

onebadmofo
gat gnitsoP
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Pennsylvania

onebadmofo

Premium Member

said by 67845017:

The best solution is the Mercedes OEM solution roof rack. I wouldn't trust third party ones, other than for Thule or Yakima I suppose. I understand about the height restriction thing, though, and the possibility of damage.

And oddly enough, the merc rack is cheaper. It's listed as 300. Thule and Yakima are easily 50 to 75 bucks more.
And I could have sworn the merc version was just as pricey.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

The Merc rack I swear is OEM'd by one of those two brands. Certainly the Merc luggage carrier is by Thule.

But yeah, if you go the roof rack carrier route, I think you're better off getting the real thing. The system works really well and is solidly built. We've been nothing but pleased with ours and we've used it heavily in the last 4 years.

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

EGeezer to onebadmofo

Premium Member

to onebadmofo
Click for full size
Note that a Reese square receiver is not a ball hitch. It doesn't stick out beyond the bumper.

Here's a bike rack that fits into a Reese 1 1/4" or 2" receiver;
»www.autoaccessoriesgarag ··· ike-Rack

In the photo above, you see how accessories fit into the receiver. The square blue part of the ball hitch/cover assembly fits into the square receiver, just as the bike rack would fit. The hitch itself comes in black, so it would be quite unobtrusive - even less so if you add a coat of flat black paint.

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD

sk1939

Premium Member

Still ugly, especially if it was on the back of a Benz.

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

EGeezer

Premium Member

said by sk1939:

Still ugly, especially if it was on the back of a Benz.

Yeah, the scratches on the roof from attaching and removing the racks and loading/unloading bikes would look much better.

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD
ARRIS SB8200
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Juniper SRX320

sk1939

Premium Member

said by EGeezer:

said by sk1939:

Still ugly, especially if it was on the back of a Benz.

Yeah, the scratches on the roof from attaching and removing the racks and loading/unloading bikes would look much better.

My solution would be use neither, but that's just me.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned) to EGeezer

Member

to EGeezer
said by EGeezer:

said by sk1939:

Still ugly, especially if it was on the back of a Benz.

Yeah, the scratches on the roof from attaching and removing the racks and loading/unloading bikes would look much better.

We don't have any scratches on the top of our car. And we install and remove the rack on a pretty consistent basis. That being said, we don't put bikes up there.

onebadmofo
gat gnitsoP
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Pennsylvania

1 recommendation

onebadmofo to EGeezer

Premium Member

to EGeezer
said by EGeezer:

said by sk1939:

Still ugly, especially if it was on the back of a Benz.

Yeah, the scratches on the roof from attaching and removing the racks and loading/unloading bikes would look much better.

The only way you get scratches on the roof, is if your a moron.
So based on the logic of morons...
By your logic if you are to remove/attach items to and from the rear hitch, one is likely scratch the trunk and bumper. Also (based on that moronic logic) ...one is more likely to back into things and destroy what ever is attached to the hitch because one would forget that it's back there. Ya know...things that morons do.

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

2 edits

EGeezer

Premium Member

When you look at how the bike rack mounts onto the Reese receiver, it's clear that it's easier and quicker to attach than the roof racks, and would have less chance of scratching the roof, especially if one person is doing the work.

Also, looking at how the bikes are mounted on the rear carrier, you don't have to lift a bike over top of the trunk or the roof. they attach and un-attach at an easy working height.

As I indicated, when you look into the rear view mirror (as you should when backing), the presence of the bikes and rack are apparent. If you do back into something, you have to bend the carrier quite a ways before it hits the trunk.

the logic of morons...Also (based on that moronic logic) ... things that morons do.


I'm sorry I posted suggestions to your request. I hope others considering helping you read your post above and realize what nasty replies you'll give to people who offer suggestions you don't agree with.

The name calling is irrelevant. It's unfortunate that you can't carry on a discussion without it, but whatever floats your boat ...
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

1 recommendation

67845017 (banned)

Member

Well, you did get sarcastic with sk1939. Unclean hands and all that . . .