Savior Six

I recently installed the Whispbar through bar setup on my 07 Q7, along with the Thule Atlantis 1800XT cargo box and wanted to share my experience with them so far. My family road tripped up to Sacramento for Christmas from Los Angeles (Approx 380 miles) with 7 passengers including me, so I was able to test the setup with a fully loaded vehicle

Whispbar Installation and thoughts.
I have never installed a roof bar setup on any vehicle; my Q7 is the first vehicle that had the factory rails. Our last road trip, we had absolutely no room for luggage using the third row bench so I knew I need the extra space. So, I went with the Whispbar setup due to its looks, since it matches my light metallic silver paint pretty well, the locks come with the kit, it was cheaper than the Thule Aero bar setup, and because they claimed to be near silent. To cut to the chase, they are indeed silent. Without the cargo box I couldn’t even tell they were on the roof, even at 80 plus mph! For those wanting to go with this setup (through bar setup), you’ll need the Whispbar S16 through Bar kit, and the K393 Fit kit. Rack Attack was out of stock of the S16 bars but I was able to purchase everything through Rack-N-Road out of California, which was strange, Rack Attack claimed to be the only Whispbar dealer in the United States, When I called Rack -N- Road they had everything in stock and they said they were also a Whispbar dealer??? Not gonna get into that pissing contest.

These pictures might not do them justice, but they are in fact very nicely engineered. In my opinion, very nice lines, very well made, overall, and excellent product. It took me a while to figure out the instructions. Once I realized that you have to remove the legs that come pre installed on the S16 bar kit so you can mount the K393 fit kit, the installation took me about 45 minutes, and again, I was very impressed with the quality of parts that make up this rack system.
















Thule Atlantis 1800XT
Another member on this site previously reviewed this product which kinda sold me to buy the box especially when I found out it comes in silver. Once mounted, I was expecting to hear quite a bit of wind noise considering it is a large box, but to my surprise, the wind noise was minimal, even at 80mph. I mounted the box as far back as possible to reduce drag and possible lift. Once clamped down with about 80 pounds of luggage it made very little noise and the box was very stable where after about an hour of driving, I forgot it was up there. There was only one time were I did get a little nervous, we hit a 25 mile an hour head wind on our drive and the box did bobble up and down a little, but again, I forgot it was up there after a while. The Thule Atlantis is very well made, sturdy and in my opinion, an excellent product
My only complaint with this setup, which was to be expected since it is a roof mounted storage carrier was ease of use. The Atlantis 1800XT is a large box so it is a two man lift, not because it’s heavy, but it is awkward and long. Once you have the box on the Whispbar, you have to clamp down each side separately unless you have some really long arms. For example, I had to clamp down the driver’s side first, close the box, walk around to the passenger’s side open the box, and clamp down the passenger’s side. Really not a big deal, but I thought I’d share that. Also If you’re short like me, (5”9”) it can be cumbersome when loading the box with luggage. It made me feel like a short flight attendant trying to load a heavy carry on bag in the overhead compartment of a plane. Again, not really a big deal, I just opened up the rear passenger door and stood on the door sill.

In the end, I couldn’t be any happier, The Whispbar racks looks sweet on the Q7, definitely adds that sporty look to this SUV. The build quality is excellent. Installation was easy even for a novice. The Thule Atlantis is an awesome cargo box, perfect size for my family needs, also looks pretty sweet on my Q7. I definitely recommend this setup for anyone considering installing a roof rack and cargo box setup on their Q! Hope this helps out!

DUTCH VanAtlanta

Good report. Did the box interfere with radio reception - especially Sirius, since it covers the rear antenna?

Savior Six

The box did not interfere with the Radio reception, Sirius or the Nav.

arkbbq

Thanks for the great information. I've never owned a cargo box, but am thinking about it. I think I recall seeing objective studies indicating a big decrease in gas mileage when a cargo box is used at freeway speeds - anyone have recent data or experience regarding this?

-thanks/ark

Santorin Drm pig pal

Thanks for the review. What wheels are those and what size?

Savior Six

I did not notice a significant decrease in gas mileage, in all honesty I didn't really pay attention. I have driven from LA to Sacramento several times without the box on top. I'm sure having a box on the roof will create drag hence decreasing gas mileage, but It was soemthing I didnt really notice. Next trip I'll have to compare the gas mileage.

Savior Six

I have the Hartmann S-line replica wheels in 22" by 9"

Aggie88

What would require the extra capacity of the through bars? I am getting ready to order a set of Whispbars to use for bike carriers.

Savior Six

I actually preferred the look of the through bars over the flush mounted setup. I can tell you there is about 2 inches on each side of the mounts. In my case, I could mount my Thule Atlantis box and a bike carrier with the through bars due to the extra space.

patrol19th

Hi,

I am also in the market for the cargo, but I couldn't decide which one is good in terms of size such as among 1800XT, 1600XT, 1200XT. By just looking at the picture on the web, that's too big for me. Have you ever compare any of these?

BTW, thanks for the detailed review.

Brian