2020 Chevrolet Equinox Roof Rack by Thule

Video Transcript for Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars Installation - 2020 Chevrolet Equinox

Hey everyone, it's Evangeline here at etrailer and today we have a Thule roof rack system with a 53 inch long wing bar crossbars. We'll take a look at how it fits our 2020 Chevrolet Equinox. If you wanna carry around fun accessories like a roof mounted bike rack or maybe need to carry a roof box for extra cargo space or you even wanna carry around a kayak, what you first need is a roof rack system. So this Chevrolet Equinox has a naked roof, meaning there are no rails on this side so this is gonna be a custom fit roof rack for the vehicle so that you can carry those accessories. This is gonna be the Thule version which means they have their specific way of doing roof racks a bit faster compared to some of the other options and we'll take a look at that in this video. This kit uses the 53 inch long wing bar Evo crossbar.

This is a recommended length from Thule which means you'll have a little bit of overhang but not that much. For the front, I have about 2 1/2 inches. The back, it's gonna be about three inches. This is measured from the tower to right before the end cap. Some accessories can clamp around that overhang which is extra helpful if you have something like a kayak because it's easier to reach, but you don't want too long of a crossbar because then it sticks out more and you have higher chances of hitting your head against it.

This is a custom fit, so it's designed to fit around a specific point on your roof so you can't push it forward or back or else you will get not as bit of a fit which means your crossbar spread is limited to 27 1/2 inches which is pretty average for most roof racks. Just double check your accessories, see what crossbar spread they require and see if this matches. There's also two roof clearances. The first is gonna be distance from the top of the roof to the bottom of the crossbar. Here in the groove, I have it around three inches of height.

That's how much space you have for clamps that go around the crossbar. This is a pretty normal measurement. The next measurement is the height it adds to the top of the roof. I have it at about 4 1/4 inches. That's where your cargo sits.

So let's say you're carrying on skis and snowboards, skis with the extra tall bindings, you're gonna make sure it clears your roof. If they don't, you get accessories that add height. This is a pretty tall roof rack actually. which means you're gonna have plenty of clearance for both things. You can clamp items around your crossbar or you can use a T track channel. When you pop up that end cap, you then get access into that channel. You're able to slide those accessories through. I did notice though after time, wear and tear does happen to this rubber, so you may need to get replacements over time. The weight capacity is 220 pounds, but be mindful too of your roof weight capacity and if you are carrying around your heavy items, add the weight of your cargo, your accessory and your roof rack, and make sure that doesn't exceed your Equinox's roof capacity. Everything is gonna be included with this kit for installing it. Again, make sure to use our fit guide here at etrailer. Put your year, make, model and that way you can find the full selection of crossbars, towers, and the fit kit that matches your car. This has a tool already included although I do recommend grabbing your tape measure. It is a very simple process even compared to other brands. Let's go. Installing the roof rack is actually pretty simple but it might look confusing at first because you have different hooks, different numbers for pads, things like that. Well, I already installed the rear crossbar and we are going to install the front crossbar together. Let's start by setting up the crossbar. First, take off the end cap at the end. So you press down and then you pop that end cap out. You're also going to install the wind strips. Those are two pieces and it will take a little bit of time. For your tower, when you press on this lever, it lifts up the bolt on the top of your tower so that's how you slide it into the crossbar. You press the lever, bolt lifts up, making it easier for you to slide through and just let go to secure. But how far do you put the tower Well, we do have this measurement track inside your crossbar. So for the front crossbar, our instructions say to go to 40 1/2, so we're gonna put it there for the number and slide the tower until it matches up. With both towers now installed, we're then going to install the pads, and here you have to figure out which one's right, which one's left. So lift the tower up. The tapered end needs to go towards the back of the vehicle. The taller end needs to go towards the front of the vehicle so we're gonna put 645 on the right and then 644 on the left. The pad clips onto the plate on your tower, so just push in until it secures on all sides. Making sure that your roof rack is facing the right way, again, tapered in towards the back of your vehicle. Also follow the instructions for how far back you need to put it. So in our case, 11 3/4 inches away from our front windshield. So gently place your rack on your roof. If you put them in the right spot, then your pad should fit up against the lip of your vehicle. There will be a gap underneath that spine. The important thing is it's contoured around that lip. To secure your tower, you have this hook and the way this works is you put the hook into that bracket, you push up and you're gonna hear it click. (hook clicks) There we go. Once it clicks you, then just leave it in the door. Do that on both sides before you tighten down. You're gonna use your included tool to tighten down those hooks. Now don't tighten it down all the way but go back and forth. I recommend this because that way you're not pulling the entire system to one side. So maybe go halfway on this side, tighten down 75% the other side, go back and forth so it's an even tightening down. To prevent over tightening, this tool clicks once it gets the right tension once or twice like a gas cap. And then once both towers are tightened down, you then put the door on. (door clicks) So notice you have this plastic lock there. You can use a flathead screwdriver or use the back of my key to secure it. And this limits access to your tower. You can switch it out for a male lock core if you want. Those are sold separately. If you are switching out those lock cores for keyed lock cores, go ahead add that key to your key ring and put the torque tool either inside your toolbox or in your vehicle. But other than that, it was that quick and easy. You're done with the install, you're ready to load up your roof rack and go. All in all, if you're looking for a premium roof rack with premium features to back up the price, this Thule roof rack is actually a good option for you. You have great weight capacity, it's really easy to install and it's not overwhelming compared to some of the other roof racks. On that note though you still have to purchase lock cores separately and those things can add up. If you're looking for an affordable but still solid roof rack, check out the Inno option for the Chevrolet Equinox. That also has different crossbar length options if you want more or less overhang but the Inno roof rack does take a little bit more time to set up. So with that in mind, hopefully this video showed you that process, showed you how easy it is to install a roof rack and that way you can pick the best roof rack for you. That there was a look at our Thule roof rack system with a 53 inch long wing bar Evo crossbars, the Evo clamps, and the custom fit kit for your 2020 Chevrolet Equinox.