Thule Fairings

Roof racks rob you of gas milage, most folks who love the outdoors are also concerned with the overall state the of the world. Here is some simple math. My faring increase my gas milage by 1 mpg (from 19 t 20), at $60.00 and $3.00 gas the faring pays for it self after 7220 miles. Americans average about 15,000 miles per year, so the faring pays for it self after six months. Of course this is very simple math, it ignores several variables which are beyond my calculation here, but I think the general concept is sound.

This thing really works to deflect wind. It improved my gas mileage on a long road trip this past summer. It reduces the wind noise on the road as well.
But $60!?! That might be a bit over priced for a piece of plastic.

This piece of plastic, though expensive saved me gas and the constant headache from wind wizzing through my rack. It works exactly as advertised, goes on easy and looks pretty good too. Throw some decals on there and you're set.

Great popduct and works as promised. The sound level is noticeably quieter. The 52" fits Chev Tahoe just right and the PRODUCT gets 5 STARS.
However, I received a fairing that had obviously been sold, installed, and then returned. The parts were bent/worn with blemishes to the fairing itself. The product was useable and I chose not to deal with a return. I should have gotten an open-box discount.

I had my aero bars on for a week until my fairing was shipped and I don't know how people can stand not having the fairing on! The bars whistled so badly I was debating taking them off if I wasn't using them. The fairing thankfully got rid of the whistling and actually improved my gas mileage a little bit.

Went on in a snap. No tools needed, and still fits snug.

Does not fit my Hyundai Veracruz, despite the fact that Thule recommends the 44" size (There is only 40" between the factory rails). I called Thule and was told that the fairing cannot be used with the Hullavator. Again, the Thule application software recommends this fairing. In fact, they show the fairing in the Hullavator instructions. Will Thule make any corrections? I doubt it.

If, like me, you used Thule's Rack Fitting Guide to find a fairing, you'll notice that their part #s don't make it clear what the actual size of the fairing is in inches. Here they are (directly from Thule's own install pdf http://www.thuleracks.com/instructions/501565003,%20870xt-873xt.pdf)
870XT fairing shield 32"
871XT fairing shield 38"
872XT fairing shield 44"
873XT fairing shield 52"

Match the part # to the "color" :P above and you should be good to go.

Contacted Backcountry and they were great. They immediately offered a replacement fairing and the issue was resolved without a return. I was assured that they do not send out open-box products without that fact already noted and that my case was a mistake. My previous review was premature and I should have based my rating on the product alone. Good product and Backcountry sets an example more companies should follow.

This fine piece of plastic, similar to Yakima's but nicer looking, keeps your rack quiet whilst speeding down the interstate. Also a great spot for all you sticker freaks to sport stuff that you're not getting paid to sport. As for helping with gas mileage---now there's a master marketing tool, and that's all it is.
A bit of advice: If you want to keep your sticker displayer on your rack, replace the stock hardware with nylon locking nuts or if you have bucks to spare, buy the ten dollar security lock from Yak or Thule. It takes twenty one point six seconds for the casual thief to remove your fairing in the dark, no flashlight, no barking dog.

Read about this on the 'Tex. I use it combined with the roof cargo carrier. Reduced the wind noise to almost imperceptible. You only notice a small vehicle's wind resistance increase. It has 4 support points, but only the 2 central actually touch the roof. Don't need to purchase any adapter: Direct fit! Great purchase, I fully recommend it since VW doesn't have a roof fairing for their rack.

I ordered the Hullavator Kayak rack along with the associated rack system recommended by the Thule equipment guide selector which also recommended this fairing. Unfortunately you can't mount both together on the load bar. So the fairing is worthless, but the Hullavator works great.

I was highly impressed with how fast this item was shipped. The fairing reduces noise but doesnt eliminate it completely. Its very easy to install and looks great. Oh..make sure to clean the area well before installing.

I have looked for a replacement fairing for my M.O.A.B rack and can't find the original look and size! Where can I find this?

I got this in the mail and my wife asked why I bought a skateboard. That is what it looks like ......a flimsy skateboard! Now I was worried but we easily installed on new car and all the whistling noise went away from the racks. Great quality, easy installation and it WORKS!!

Bought a 38 for the rack on my old VW in 01, and it is now still fully functional and still saving me gas money on my current Subaru Outback. Very easy to install and although its mostly plastic, I haven't had any issues with breaks or cracks - not even in the winter. It definitely will save you money; on my Subaru it saves me approx 1-2 mpg without my spacebox up top. When this one goes the way of the buffalo I will buy another, but will make it oversized.

I bought the Thule fairing, and it has done exactly what it said it would -- it completely took away the annoying whine from my roof-top rack. Not sure if it has added anything in terms of fuel efficiency, but I was mostly looking for blissful silence. The one thing that I would say is that it looks like it will install best if you have the standard square Thule bars. I have a less-common style of Thule bars called "t-slot aero bars". These bars are rounded-H-shaped, and the racks attach in the channels on top. The problem with that type of bar is that the fairing attachments then render that bar useless for then attaching anything else. The fairing attachment simply sticks up too high. I had to get a separate bar for the fairing and leave the two standard bars for my racks. It works fine that way, it was just a hassle and more unexpected cost. If you have questions about what I mean, just look at page 3 of the instructions, and you will get the idea.

The Fairing arrived with clips that didn't fit under the bars for the Thule Hullavator that I bought recently. Thule customer support is a joke -- a bad joke. Luckily this store hung in there with me and got Thule to send the correct parts to me. The Fairing has decreased noise but not eliminated it. I have always been pleased with these guys but if I have a choice I would avoid Thule products because of their poor customer support.

do you have a ski/snowboard rack on top of you car? then do you hear that faint annoying hissing noise when you drive on the highway? do you see a significant reduction in gas mileage? then get the fairing and it will save your mind and gas!

The gas mileage stuff other reviewers claim is kind of a joke. If there were equipment sensitive enough for regular joes to measure their gas mileage that accurately, we'd have these same people sealing their windows shut for eternity, passengers & baggage weighed and gas tanks minimally filled.
That said, the noise is gone. It was previously most notable with the windows closed as it likely caused the chassis to hum.
I will say, though, that I suspect that Thule's instructions for installation have an error: It instructs installers to use one location on the mounts for outer brackets and another for the inboard brackets. They were numbered 1 and 2 on the sheets. I remember that in order for the fairing to fit properly, I had to use the exact opposite locations respectively.
Otherwise it is a worthwhile option to install.

This fairing looks great, installs in a snap and has improved (+1 mpg)the horrible gas mileage for my Grand Cherokee.

This product seems to be fairly high quality and assembled easily. It also does a nice job of reducing the wind noise. My only problem is that where it clamps onto the load bar takes up too much space and limits room for bike racks. After mounting the fairing there is room at most for two bike racks.

Thule's "Rack Your Car" Web utility told me to get the model "872XT" or "Large" fairing for my car (2007 Ford Edge). After it arrived and I assembled it, I discovered it wouldn't fit between the car's rails. Backcountry took the return, no problem - even though it turns out the burred fasteners Thule uses don't permit complete disassembly without damaging the unit. They replaced it with the next smaller size ("871XT" or "Medium), which worked fine.

I thought maybe Thule would at least help with the extra shipping, since it was their bum steer that caused the problem - but they blew me off. They haven't even corrected the fit utility last time I checked.

Backcountry staff: Kudos!
Thule staff: Raspberries!
Next time: Yakima!

I won't lie, the biggest reason I got the fairing was because it looks bad ass and I can put grateful dead stickers on it. When I put it on, quickly and easily, I found it actual worked awesome. Cruising 85 the whole way to Vegas, I didn't notice wind noise. Simple and effective. Still solid after a lot of driving.

The whistling noise from my roof racks was driving me insane. I bought this fairing. Installed it. Now I can put the sunroof down and not be deafened.

Well worthwhile.