Roof Rack...low profile
 

All,

I am looking for a roof rack setup that will not add alot of bulk to the top o' my 4.8is mostly for a surfboard or two. I am surprised at how much height the OEM base kit adds and would like to avoid them.

Any idea why BMW did not include removable slide-able cross members like Jeep or similar does?

Are there any aftermarket kits with a low profile for light weight use? I have run a search and come up with just the usual players...

Tom

I have a yak on my 4.4 and am pretty happy with the height. I smidge lower would be nicer but then I'd be getting close to the sun roof on tilt. I do wish the bars were a little shorter though. I think they are 58 and just a few inches less on each side would be perfect. I'm sure it's totally a DIY option but I've not ventured down that road yet.

I got my Thule crossbars at ORS. They have Yakima, as well. What is really cool with ORS is that you can put in what car you have, what you want to carry (bike, skis, etc.), and they will show you exactly what parts you need to buy, with various options.

The sliding crossmembers is a matter of preference - sometimes what comes OEM (i.e. Jeep, VW, Porsche) is not very good. You're looking into using their crossmembers. At least with BMW, you have a choice of going to the aftermarket where the quality is very high.

That being said, stay away from the BMW Profile 2000 racks unless you get a free set of racks like I did. The amount of noise these things generate is huge. I can't open up the sunroof without drowning out the radio and conversation taking place inside the cabin. Fortunately, I used the racks only for short trips; I remove them when they aren't needed.

If I had a need to leave racks mounted on my truck fulltime, I'd go with round bars and a fairing - I've had both Yakimas and Thules. Check out their websites to find the correct configurations. Then look at eBay to buy parts. What's convenient is that the BMW rack is pretty much standardized throughout its line - all of the 3 and 5 series wagons, X3, and X5's use the same rails, so mountings are universal among recent model BMW's. There are plenty of auctions on new and used crossbars and mountings.

Personally I like the Profile 2000 setup and noise can easily be reduced with the use of washers on the locking bolts. But that said, there are better racks. Though IMO the Profile system makes the X5 look like a 'real' SUV.