Can I Mount the Rightline RL100D90 Next to a Ski Carrier on My 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan?  

Question:

Expert Reply:

I have a solution for you. In order to mount the Rightline Gear Car Top Duffel Bag # RL100D90 to your vehicle with crossbars, you will have to mount the bag vertically (pointing toward the front/rear of the vehicle). and use the straps to either attach to your doors or to your rails on your vehicle. This is the setup used in the video I attached to this answer.

To find out whether you have enough room to use the Rightline Gear Car Top Duffel Bag # RL100D90 with a roof-mounted ski rack, it truly depends on how much length of crossbar space you have and what ski rack you want to transport. For example, if you plan to use something like the Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking # RR573, you need to have crossbars that are at least 34.5 inches long to accommodate the 16-inch wide bag as well as the 18.5 inch ski rack. It is important to know that the height of the bag will interfere with the ski carrier, so the ski rack will need to use a crossbar location that is out of the way of the bag.

If you need crossbars, it depends on what roof style you have on your 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. If you have raised side rails, I recommend the following setup:

- Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 47" # TH711220
- Evo Raised Rail Feet # TH710401
- Thule One-Key Lock Cylinders # TH450400

With this system, you receive the benefit of an aerodynamic roof rack that has decreased wind resistance than round-bar or square-bar systems. Also, you get 165 pounds of maximum weight capacity. As with all roof racks, I recommend consulting with your vehicle's owner's manual to make sure your roof can handle that much weight.

If your Tiguan has a naked roof, I recommend the following setup:

- Inno Aero Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 54" Long # INXB138-2
- Inno Through Feet for Aero Crossbars - Naked Roofs # INXS250
- Custom Fit Kit for Inno XS200, XS250, and INSU-K5 Roof Rack Feet # INK641

The great thing about the Inno roof rack is that it comes with locks that don't require you to purchase any additional components. You also receive the same aerodynamic aero-bar design as the Thule WingBars. As far as weight capacity, this system provides 120 pounds.

expert reply by: Bob C

0

David T.

1/1/0001

I already have crossbars and a ski rack attached to my 2016 tiguan roof. All the pictures of this roof bag show it strapped to a naked roof, or a roof with SIDE rails (not cross bars) -- and I am asking if the bag would work on a car with cross bars already mounted. The cross bars are only 24" apart, which is shorter than the bag -- therefore the bag would flow over the cross bars on both ends, and possibly sag in the middle. Would that work?

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Bob C.

2/14/2022

I see. Thanks for that additional information. In this case, since you already have crossbars mounted, you can technically still attach the # RL100D90 vertically on your roof with your 24-inch bar spread. However, it is not recommended because you not only do not get to utilize the entire capacity of the bag, the wind resistance could get underneath the bag and potentially damage it during highway speeds. In order to attach it this way, you will have to use the door-hook attachment style just like it is used on a naked roof. However, if you happen to have raised rails, you can attach the straps under those rails. Depending on the length of your current crossbars and your current ski carrier, another option is to mount the # RL100D90 horizontally and attaching the straps to the crossbars themselves. In order to make sure you have enough room, I recommend measuring the length of your crossbars minus the length of your ski carrier. If you have 36 inches of length left, there will not be any interference of your skis with the # RL100D90. If you find that you need a smaller option to accommodate the length you have available, I recommend using the Rightline Gear 4x4 Duffel Bag - Waterproof - 4.2 cu ft # RL100J87-B. With this bag, gain 6 inches of crossbar length when mounted horizontally on your roof.

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