AAA Offers Tips for Fuel Efficiency with Car Roof Racks

John Paul, traffic safety manager at AAA Southern New England is quoted as offering the following tips for travel:

"Fuel efficiency is all about weight and aerodynamics. Any time you interfere with the shape of a car with a roof rack, storage pod or cargo ski box, it can potentially drop fuel economy by 10 to 20 percent, and the same for weight in the car," he said.

"Pack the car sensibly. Car-top carriers, trailers and vehicle add-ons cause engines to work harder and burn more gas. Even driving with the windows open increases the drag, according to the AAA's Paul. "

news tags: aaa fuel efficiency tips : roof rack fuel economy

Thule Launches the Castaway Fishing Rod Carrier

THULE RACKS PRESS RELEASE
Seymour, CT- Thule, world leading manufacturer of car rack systems, announces the introduction of the Castaway car rooftop fishing rod carrier. The Castaway attaches to Thule base racks, factory installed, and other aftermarket roof racks for secure transportation of up to four rods.

"For years anglers have used our ski carriers to carry their rods and we have received numerous requests for a carrier specifically for rods," says Steve Doviak, Thule Marketing Manager. "With the Castaway anglers now have a carrier that they can truly feel confident in to securely transport their rods and reels on the roof of their vehicle."

The Thule Castaway consists of a locking, impact resistant box that houses reels and an arched assembly to hold rod tips down. The clamshell design box is based on Thule’s popular line of roof top cargo boxes and is constructed of UV resistant ABS plastic. The interior padding gives added protection to the incased reels. Rod tips and butts protrude from the box through openings in the forward and rear facing ends of the box. The openings are lined with large rubber gaskets that softly clamp down on the rods to keep them in place and secure when the box is locked. Rod tips are held in place by an arched tip holder that has a designated groove for each of the up to four rods that Castaway can carry. A rubber strap stretches over the length of the tip holder to secure the tips in place. The Castaway can hold up to four spinning, surf casting or fly fishing rods depending on the size of the reel.

news tags: fishing rod carriers : thule castaway fishing rod rack

Weather Guard Truck Racks Announces New Truck Boxes

WEATHER GUARD TRUCK RACKS PRESS RELEASE
WEATHER GUARD announces new Diamond Tread Aluminum Truck Boxes with state-of-the-art design and features that enhance jobsite security and productivity. The new WEATHER GUARD line of boxes includes 38 SKUs available with either Clear or Black Armor-Tuf powder coat finish to maintain a new appearance for years.

These new boxes feature an extreme protection lock, which incorporates a lock that retracts when locked for added tamper resistance and an internal torque ring, eliminating many common keyhole break-ins. The retracting button also allows professionals to visually determine locked status from a distance- like a rooftop.

"Our new line of WEATHER GUARD Truck Boxes is the most drastically changed product line in the history of the company," said Will Rose, vice president of marketing. "We have spent hundreds of hours working with professionals to determine what they want in a truck box and how we could make this line more secure and user-friendly."

The covers on these new boxes now open to a full 90-degree angle for easy loading and unloading of tools. The Saddle Box maximizes bed space through a design which minimizes the amount of clearance required for the cover to open to a full 90 degrees. This is especially useful when mounting the box inconjunction with a ladder rack. Underneath the lids, the boxes are completely weather sealed on all four sides for superior weather protection. When truck-bed rails are required for mounting, WEATHER GUARD provides a wide flange mounting bracket for crimp-free / drill-free installations. Similar to automobile hatchbacks, the new latch design provides a smooth "one touch" opening, a feature that will be appreciated by anyone trying to open their box while carrying a handful of tools. The latch linkage is enclosed in aluminum to protect against shifting loads, thus ensuring longservice life.

Other user-friendly features include a level holder for easy and safestorage of 48" levels. A sturdy steel tray provides additional space for smaller tools and accessories such as batteries. The tray can lock into either side of the box during transport, or slide out of the way to provide easy access to tools and supplies. A new 12-volt electrical access grommet comes standard on the box for easy electrical accessory up-fits.

The new WEATHER GUARD line of boxes is available in five styles. Designed to fit most full and compact pickup trucks, the boxes can be configured alone, insets, or with other WEATHER GUARD equipment such as ladder racks and PackRat Drawer Units. Most pickup trucks can be configured with the following styles of the new WEATHER GUARD line of boxes:

-- Saddle boxes - Box suspends across the side rails of a pickup truck, allowing plenty of room underneath and features a single cover style designed to provide easier access to all tools and accessories.
-- Cross boxes - Box suspends across the side rails of a pickup truck allowing plenty of room underneath and features twin, gull-wing type covers, providing easy access from either side of truck. Each cover operates independently.
-- Side boxes - Lo-side boxes suspend from either the driver-side or passenger-side rail to provide extra space for tools and accessories. Typically Lo-side boxes are used in conjunction with either a Saddle or Cross Box, but can be used on their own.
-- Pork Chop boxes - Box designed to be mounted over wheel wells in most pickup trucks. Maximizes secure storage space by utilizing space, which is typically left unused. Compatible with most Tonneau covers.
-- All-Purpose chests - Angled body design is ideal for use with fifth wheel and gooseneck trailer applications. Back of the chest can be placed tight against the front of the pickup thereby maximizing bed space. All-Purpose chests work well with Tonneau covers as well. Additional accessories are available to maximize the functionality of WEATHER GUARD Truck Boxes. A soft-sided tool bag can be used to transport tools and supplies from your pickup to the jobsite. Rubber box liners are also available which help prevent tools and supplies from sliding around;reducing potential damage and minimizing the noise from rattling tools.

The new WEATHER GUARD line of Truck Boxes will be available at area distributors in January 2005, with a 3-year warranty.

news tags: weather guard truck racks : weather guard truck boxes

Saris Racks Provides Bike Carriers to World Championships

Saris Racks Solutions has provided bike racks to the world championships, and the product will be showcased atop 40 team and support vehicles. As the official rack supplier to the event, Saris shipped out numerous car bike racks that were then installed on the cars.

To accommodate some 240 bikes, Saris installed 60 pairs of load bars, 160 fork mounts, 80 upright mounts, 40 custom wind fairings and 120 pairs of clips ."Because of Saris' patented auto-centering foot design, rack installation time is about 10 minutes per vehicle," said David Cathcart, marketing manager for Saris Racks. "And the 'Top Slot' accessory attachment design allows for quick, easy installation and exchange of the bicycle fork mounts and upright mounts. Rubber pads on the feet and rubberized clips ensure that this will be a no trace rack job, come the end of the event."

saris roof racks : 2004 cycling world championships

St. Louis Metro Area Adds Bicycle Racks to Public Transit System

Reacting to the rise in gasoline prices, the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area is stepping up efforts to encourage alternative modes of transportation, chiefly bicycling. Both Metro, operator of MetroBus and MetroLink service in the greater St. Louis area and St. Clair County, as well as Madison County Transit (MCT) bus service in Madison County, have equipped all their buses with bicycle racks.

news tags: st louis metro area : public transit bicycle racks

BMW 325xi Includes Roof Rack Options

BMW PRESS RELEASE
"The 325xi BMW wagon comes standard with roof rails, making it easy to install a roof-mounted bike rack or cargo rack. The cargo area, while small, can be configured to stow a bicycle or camping gear. The glass window and tailgate open separately to making loading easier. Straps on the cargo floor secure odd-shaped items and keep them from shifting. The second-row seats fold flat to increase the length of the cargo floor if necessary. A vertical cargo net that separates the cargo area from the rear seat keeps the family pooch from leaping forward, without cutting him off from the air conditioner and heater."

"The 325xi is BMW’s smallest all-wheel drive vehicle, based on the best-selling 3 Series platform. Its compact size and all-terrain capability make the 325xi an excellent choice for car owners with active lifestyles who live in congested urban areas. The all-wheel drive system makes navigating through snow and rain a non-issue, and also provides extra traction for driving on unpaved roads."

news tags: bmw 325xi roof rack

Thule Racks Launches Xsporter Pick-up Truck Racks

THULE RACKS PRESS RELEASE
Seymour, CT- Thule, world leading manufacturer of car rack systems, has
created a versatile rack system for truck owners with the Thule Xsporter Truck Rack.

The Xsporter Truck Rack can be adjusted to various height levels for easy loading and unloading and to accommodate various outdoor or commercial gear. Thule’s full line of rack attachments, including bike racks, ski and snowboard racks, kayak racks and canoe carriers, can be attached to the Thule Truck Rack for all gear carrying needs. "The versatility of the Xsporter offers truck owners a myriad of carrying possibilities not currently available in the truck rack market," says Steve Doviak, Thule Marketing Manager. "The Xsporter’s adjustability and ability to add any Thule gear carrying accessory will make it the must have rack system for truck owners."

The Xsporter Truck Rack fits any pick-up bed size and clamps on to the bed without any drilling. The rack consists of two separate Aluminum horizontal load bars that feature a recessed rail for attaching Thule rack attachments. The easy clamping system allows for multiple bed placement options and easy transfer to other vehicles. The Xsporter is raised and lowered at the clamping system and can be adjusted to multiple height options. When the rack is at bed level bikes, skis, and luggage boxes can be easily accessed and when raised to roof height longer loads can be carried and valuable bed space is accessible. With the addition of an optional third load bar there are even more carrying options.

The Xsporter marks Thule's entrance into the commercial utility van and truck rack market, suitable for transporting ladders, lumber, construction materials and equipment.

news tags: thule racks : pickup truck racks : thule xsporter truck rack

Saris Bike Racks Improves Popular Bones Bike Rack for Car Trunks

SARIS BIKE RACKS PRESS RELEASE
The Saris Bones Bike Rack has been reengineered to eliminate the common problem of bicycle sway and swing on all trunk bike racks. Many racks allow bikes to slam together when attached to the trunk rack. Saris solves this problem with three ratcheting fasteners per bike, two for the top-tube and one for the seat-tube or down-tube, depending on the bicycle geometry.

The Bones bike rack attaches with six straps to the car and fits just about any style of vehicle, including those with spoilers. Since it's built with 100% recyclable non-corrosive materials, the Bones trunk mount carrier can also be left on the vehicle indefinitely. Other manufacturer's models are susceptible to rust and wear. Extensive testing of this carrier involved loading heavy suspension bikes on it, banging around dirt roads and undergoing many cross-country trips with no durability problems.

news tags: saris racks : trunk bike racks : saris bones bike rack