Stargazer's MPV @ istargazer.ca
2002 Mazda MPV ES

Additions and Modifications

Summary:

With three kids and all the associated gear, we definitely needed more space to pack things if we wanted to go on any kind of road trip. Since we're planning a trip to Edmonton, it was time to look for options. Unfortunately, with the factory roof rack, we were basically limited to buying accessories from the dealership. There were no Thule boxes or baskets that would fit the factory bars. I decided instead to buy the Thule cross bars that fit on the factory rails, so that we could fit any one of the Thule cargo boxes. The cost of the bars and the box would probably be about the same and I would get much more versatility the Thule equipment.

We haven't yet purchased a cargo box but I'm planning on getting either the Thule Evolution or Mountaineer.

Procedure:

Installation is fairly simple and instructions are included in the box.

Notes:

• I installed the front cross bar first and was a bit confused when I tried to install the rear one until I realized that the roof rails were not parallel. That meant that I could not use the entire length of the rails to install the Thule cross bars. The rear bar would really only fit above the rear part of the sliding doors. Since the cross bars have to be at least 700 mm (28") apart, I had to move the front bars more forward than I wanted. They are now located towards the front of the sliding doors--a little bit over the sunroof, oh well.

• I'm not sure how to remove the factory cross bars and I don't want to start playing around with the screws on railings, but they don't really stand out that much. Besides, I prefer the look of the factory roof rack. It's much more streamlined. The Thule bars look very utilitarian and stand out much more. If I still had my Cherokee, I'd keep them on, but I've decided that I'll only use the Thule cross bars when we need the luggage box. I can use the factory rack for most everything else.

• June 7, 2002 - I got a chance to drive the MPV with the Thule bars on and right away I noticed the increased wind noise. At about 60 km/h you start to notice the sound and when you get to 80 km/h it's definitely howling. It's one reason to have the bars on only when we use the box, since the factory roof rack doesn't give out any noticeable wind noise. According to the guy at the shop, the wind noise will be reduced once a box is placed on top. After trying out a couple boxes to see how they looked on the van, I decided to get the Evolution 1800. I'm going to be picking it up on Tuesday.

• June 9, 2002 - I tried moving the factory bars away from the Thule ones to see if it would reduce the wind noise. Although I wasn't able to reach the same speeds as I did earlier, the noise did seem less. Luckily, after installing the Evolution box on the roof rack, almost all wind noise was eliminated. Also, I'm changing my mind about the way the bars look by themselves. The OEM bars really blend in and they don't stand out that much. With the Thule bars on it does look like I actually use the van for something .