RPF

Yes, I searched the anchovies or ark hives or whatever they are and found, as usual, lots of interesting information on mounting Thule boxes on Avants. Also, as usual, there was some conflicting information. I'm interested in Thule (still may buy Yak - both excellent products) because I may prefer Thule's 15.5" wide Vista box rather than Yak's smallest, the 22" wide Spacebooster. I just looked at a Spacebooster on a GMC Jimmy in out parking lot, and I wonder if that box wouldn't look awfully big on an Avant (sort of like the box was wearing the car, rather than vice versa).

The reported problem with Thule boxes and Avants (per a lengthy A4.org thread this past January) is that the holes in the bottom of the Thule boxes are not spaced to match the prescribed (by genuine german engineers) mounting points on the Avant rails. One poster just spread his rack feet past the recommended points (an Italian engineer?), and another reported that he had been told by a dealer or Thule to just drill new holes in the bottom of the box to match Audi's prescribed rack spacing.

So, I just called Thule's 800 number and was told that their boxes now have four sets of mounting holes in the front of the box and four sets in the rear so that spacings of 24" to 32" are possible in two inch increments. Is this a change? Anyone with any experience with a Thule box on an Avant with this hole arrangement?

Probably not, but I just had to ask.......

Bill Houston
99.5 2.8 Avant QMS

Jack Martin

Can tell you only that Yakima was and is the same way with their SpaceBooster --- the bar spacing is in two inch increments from 30" to 36". And they recommend not drilling holes to accomodate your bar spacing if it's less than 30" --- which I think is the case if you accept the blessed spacing from Audi.

That said, when I carry my SpaceBooster on my Yak DoubleCross mounting brackets and bars set to a 36" spread, it runs just fine. So my guess is that using the Italian installation method on the German rack shouldn't cause any real problems. If I were going to mess around with dimensions, I'd mess with bar spacing before I drilled any more holes in the box.

Jack Martin