We’re planning a cross-country road trip in our Town & Country and need extra storage. Does anyone have experience with rack systems that fit the factory side rails? I’m looking for something quiet at highway speeds and easy to install. Should I go with Thule, Yakima, or a more budget-friendly brand? What’s worked best for your van?
Seconding the recommendation above about the whistle! Honestly, safety is #1 for me, so i'd basically stick with Yakima JetStream Crossbars for peace of mind. Just make sure you double-check the dynamic weight capacity so youre not overloading those factory rails on the highway.
Jumping in here because I actually had a similar dilemma last year! Honestly, those premium brands are great but I didnt wanna drop $600 just for crossbars. I found a great resource at etrailer—they have a fitment tool that's lowkey a lifesaver for our vans.
I ended up going with the Malone AirFlow2 Universal Cross Rail System 50" Aluminum and it's been awesome. You can usually find them for under $170, which is a HUGE steal compared to Thule. They're aerodynamically shaped so they stay quiet at highway speeds, and honestly, installation took me like 15 minutes max on my factory rails. Def check out the comparison videos on YouTube before buying tho!! 👍
Ok so, seconding the recommendation above about etrailer, they're definitely the pros for fitment! But honestly, I've had a few bad experiences with super cheap generic bars that whistled like crazy at 60mph... it's literally so annoying on a long trip.
Before you buy, u gotta understand dynamic vs static load ratings. Basically, cheap bars might hold the weight but they flex too much under wind load, which is dangerous.
Comparison-wise:
Thule WingBar Evo vs Malone AirFlow2 Universal Cross Rail System
Thule is the gold standard—super quiet and secure, but the price is highkey painful. The Malone is a great middle-ground; it's got that aero shape so it stays quiet, but it's way more budget-friendly. Just be careful with the rubber stripping on the Malone, it's not as good as expected and can peel if ur not gentle.
TL;DR: Don't go too cheap or the noise will ruin ur trip. The Malone is the best value if u wanna avoid the Thule tax. 👍
Honestly, I've tried many racks over the years and the Thule WingBar Edge is seriously the best for a Town & Country!! I used it on our cross-country trip last summer and it was lowkey silent at 75mph. Basically, it's sooo easy to install on those factory rails compared to budget ones that rattle. If ur looking for quiet and easy, I'd suggest sticking with Thule or maybe the Yakima JetStream Crossbars. Peace!
> What’s worked best for your van? You might want to be really careful with the factory rail weight limits on these vans. I once loaded up a massive box for a trip to Yellowstone and actually saw the rails flexing in my rearview... scary stuff. If you want something that wont whistle, maybe look at the Rhino-Rack Vortex StealthBar Black. Its lower profile than the Thule stuff tho, so you gotta watch the clearance if you have a sunroof. Switching to the Inno Aero Base Rack System worked better for me since it feels way more solid. Just make sure to tighten everything again after your first hour of driving. Vibration settles the mounts and they almost always need a half-turn more to stay safe.
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