SeaSucker Monkey Bar Roof Rack / Sunroof...

[eNate]

I am close to plunking down some cash on a slightly customized SeaSucker roof rack setup for my i3.

I say "slightly customized" because:
a. they're setting me up with their smaller 4.5" suction cups on the front bar's forward position, to fit the strip of roof in front of the sunroof (the standard cups are 6" in diameter)
b. they're swapping out the standard 2-cup rear bar for a double-double-cup bar (4 cups total, like the front)

My intent is to mount the front bar to the narrow strip of roof in the picture, and to the forward corners of the sunroof glass.

The rear bar would be centered about 33" behind the front bar, off of the sunroof glass. Because the rear bar will also be double cups on each side, the "forward" rear cups will reach ahead to the supported portion of the roof. If you haven't noticed, the i3 roof can be kind of Jello-ey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTLrUPFmnn4

I was actually somewhat particular seeking out a sunroof-equipped i3 because the aluminum sunroof frame seems to stiffen up the roof, but it's still pretty jiggly behind the lower case b-pillar.

What's got me concerned is I see barely any examples of i3's with suction cup roof racks on the various forums, and wonder if anybody has run into any trouble with this setup. SeaSucker is reputable and has been around for a long time now, gets great reviews, is ok with mounting to all glass surfaces on various makes and models, and has been awesome working with my custom request.

Anybody here got experience in this department?

 

[Anonymous]

There are a few out there using the seasucker bike, ski, and board racks on the i3

https://www.speakev.com/threads/sea-sucker-roof-mounts.9500/#lg=attachment5711&slide=0

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwizq6OvyOTkAhUDOK0KHRGABzEQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvsport.no%2Findex.html%23!%2Fproducts%2Fskistativ&psig=AOvVaw1Ry8ffCzOXnQCwsg7q0ijr&ust=1569246092114602

https://www.speakev.com/threads/bmwi3-roof-box-project.123768/

 

[Anonymous]

... and then there is this guy in Hong Kong, who is moding an OEM Mini Cooper roof basket with suction cup mounts.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-i3-Aluminum-Luggage-Cargo-Basket-Roof-Top-Rack-Genuine-OEM-/254362704164

 

[eNate]

Oh wow, very interesting. Particularly the guy wit h the custom tracks he glued to his roof. Thanks for sharing those links.

Before committing to the SeaSucker, I really ought to drop the headliner and check out the structure under the roof. I just can't imagine there's not enough meat in the cage structure to mount up a couple of Yakima Landing Pads.

 

[jackpotduc]

I’m thinking about going this route too.
Please post some pics once you have the whole setup installed

You going with a cargo box, basket, or surf racks?

 

[eNate]

SeaSucker should be shipping the rack out today. I'll mainly be running a 3-bike setup on it (currently 2 Yakima High Roads and a Boa in the center), but I may the the opportunity to run my smaller Thule Atlantis 1200 cargo box up there; though it's more likely to see 2x4s or pipe strapped to it.

 

[eNate]

(Duplicate Post)

 

[eNate]

I had a quick minute to test-install the SeaSucker Monkeybars today. I haven't "used" them yet i.e. an actual drive, but thought I'd share what I have so far.

Pleased to confirm that, as I expected, the forward placement prevents any interference with the hatch opening fully.

This is a custom order (SeaSucker even wrote "Custom Order" in Sharpie on the box!!! Wahoo!) with double cups front and rear, and with smaller 4.5" cups in the front-front, to fit the small strip ahead of the skylight.

So apologies for the all-around bad photo composition and dirty car (I wiped down the roof where the suction cups adhere).

Anybody considering going this route needs to consider an important detail: These cups do not secure to the roof. It takes literally a firm finger press on the edge of each cup to cause it to release suction. Two or strong people could literally dead lift these crossbars off the roof of your car with bikes attached, deposit them in the back of a pickup truck (or on the roof of another car), and drive away. So this rack can't be left on the car between uses, and can't be left unattended.

My deterrent to this at the trailhead will be to cable lock my rack to the car's wheel. My Yakima High Road racks lock to the crossbars, so I can keep all four components (two crossbars, two racks) "locked" together with the Yakima locks, and the cable attached to the wheel attaches to both Yakima racks. Kind of a pain in the butt, but I'm willing to deal with it.

 

[highheels]

Looks like a great solution eNate but the fluidness of the roof in that video is concerning. How does it look when you pull on the seasuckers?

I'm looking to buy an i3 and if this is a viable solution to the roof rack problem it could be a winner. They are a lot of money though but I guess resale value would be quite high...got to think of total cost of ownership!

I look forward to hearing how you get on, thanks!

 

[eNate]

My plan is to make a video showing the complete installation (and maybe by me saying so publicly will make it happen sooner). I think this is important, because the downside of the SeaSucker is that, since it doesn't live on the car 24/7, a few minutes of setup is required each time it's put into use. This includes washing off the roof at the suction cup mounting points to ensure a clean surface, and mounting the bike rack to the crossbars (which is super quick with the Yakima HighRoad, but would have taken 2x as long with the Yakima HighRoller).

As for your roof structure question, the i3's sunroof stiffens the roof up nicely. But because the SeaSucker's crossbar cups mount near the roof edges, I'm not sure a non-sunroof model is going to be a whole lot worse. In the video, an individual fork mount is being demonstrated, and it's placed farther away from the roof's edge, where there's less support.

Removal is easier / faster than setup, and the folding bar option lets me chuck these in the hatch where the non-folding 48" bars won't fit. Of course, the HighRollers themselves don't fit inside the i3 without folding down the seats, so that's something to consider when making the purchase decision.

 

[highheels]

A video would be fantastic!

I can't find the folding ones in the UK market so we'd I'm hoping we can store them in the passenger footwell with the bike holders (assuming they fit) which isn't ideal. As we'd use them rarely the setup time isn't a show stopper, annoying but they'd be gone in 60 seconds if we left the car with them mounted unattended.

All the models I am looking at don't have the sunroof fitted so we'll likely be using this on the standard roof...what could go wrong!?

Thanks

 

[AndyP]

Hi - did you end up getting the SeaSucker Monkey Bars? I'm thinking of going that route and would like to hear if you've had a good experience with them. What have you carried?

Cheers,

Andy

 

[eNate]

Well I can add a few details to my initial impressions.

First off, these are only 48" wide so a little disappointing for tying down sheet goods. I'm going to figure out what pipe is available with a 33mm inner diameter that I can slide on to an end for a slight extension --maybe about 4 inches -- to make extra length for tie down straps.

Next, a minor point, but the folding Monkeybar needs to be mounted off center if you plan to fold it compactly. In other words, if everything is centered, when folding, the left suction cups will meet the right suction cups causing the bar to only fold into a V shape. If the crossbar is offset about 3 inches to one side, the suction cups miss each other and the crossbars "nest" between the pairs of suction cups, as shown in the photo. On the i3, this means that one side of the Monkeybar will have about 9 inches of bar extending past the clamp, and the other side about 4 inches.

If you opt to get the standard Monkeybar setup with single cups rear, consider that the cups are going to meet the crossbar no matter what, so a less compact fold is a given. I've found the folding option to be very convenient on a number of occasions for stashing the Monkeybars in my hatch.

So to summarize this pic, note the folded crossbar sits compactly between the pairs of the opposite side's cups, but to accomplish this the left side has 4" of overhang (crossbar protruding past the clamp) vs. 9.5" on the right.

Finally, the diameter of the Monkeybar crossbars -- 33mm -- is larger than Yakima's 29mm diameter. That means many Yakima clamps and attachments won't work. My Yakima Boa, a very compact bike mount, is completely useless. I replaced it with a Yakima Forkchop, which is similar to the Boa in concept, but much, much chunkier. Unfortunately, the Forkchop could not grip the Monkeybar with sufficient force to prevent it from rotating. My bodge was to buy two pairs of 33mm motorcycle steerer tube clamps, some 8mm stainless steel rod, which I threaded, and this all went together to create a bar for the Forkchop to clamp to. This is all illustrated in the photos below.

Depending on what I'm carrying, the 33mm clamps might need to be removed.

Thankfully the Yakima Highroad, two of which are my primary bike racks. use straps to secure to the crossbar, and there's zero issue with the Monkeybars' oversized diameter.

 

[kenneymac]

I know this is an old post, but how much was the custom order? I’m looking for a similar application but with a roof box/basket. I have little kids so they have gear! … ie. double stroller … Thanks

 

[eNate]

Looking through my email, it looks like they quoted $680 less 10%.

 

[Devlin13]

Always wanted to use our i3 (aka Sparky) as our outdoor adventure car. We considered a rear hitch, but we have bikes, skis, a cargo box, kayaks, and paddle board. So that means a roof rack. But, we needed to be mindful of the sunroof on our i3. So when SeaSucker had a 20% off sale on everything this spring, we took the plunge and purchased Monkey Bars for $420. We also wanted an universal rack solution to avoid having buy a (specific) rack for each current (and future) car. Here’s my install solution for mounting bike racks.

First, we decided to replace our 20 year old bike racks with frame mount racks instead of fork mounts. This is because 1) of modern thru axles and 2) to maximize storage in Sparky. We decided on BMW’s bike rack via Amazon. They’re made by Thule and are essentially their rebranded ProRide XT rack. Via Amazon they were $135 w/Prime (vs Thule’s ProRide XT for $230 @ REI). And, there're the newest version of the Thule, with a locking clamp and updated clamp shape.

https://www.amazon.com/BMW-82-71-2-166-924-Touring-Bicycle-Holder/dp/B004UHUXQU/ref=sr_1_2_mod_primary_new?keywords=bmw+bike+rack&qid=1653957003&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=8-2

Next, the BMW rack are designed their T-track rack so I had to find a round bar mount solution. They're $20 a piece. These Thule square bar adapter worked perfectly:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791RW7N8?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_1Y7G0B26G8ZJEY3GXE0Y

Ok. Now the install. Normally, you want to have the rack mounted corners or edges of the roof. BUT, that’s not case case w/the i3 w/a sunroof. Unlike normal sunroofs, the i3 mounts it’s sunroof along the center track instead of along the outside edges. You can see the glass mounting points from the inside when you open the sunroof halfway. This means mounting the suction cups on the corners are actually furthest from the sunroof’s mounting structure, thus are at its weakest points and prone to excessive and worrisome up and down wobbling.

Position 1: Another person on this thread had their Monkey Bars customized with smaller 4.5” suctions. This allows half of the front suctions to sit on the metal sheet between the windshield and the sunroof. Great idea. However, instead of custom ordering the change, I simply purchased the standard monkey bars on sale and then 2x 4.5” replacement suction cups and caps for $22 (on sale). This brought the mokey bars to $450, vs. $600+ if you custom order them through Seasucker.

Postion 2: Building on the idea above, if you opt to stick with the original 6” suckers you can instead mount the front bars at the rear of the sunroof, with one suction on the sunroof and the other on the rear metal roof panel. I also positioned the towers about 3-4 inches away from the sunroof glass mounts/tracks. This allowed an adequate spread between the two towers, not too much distance from the glass' mount/pivot points, and provided roughly equal distance from the outside edge to tower, between the towers, and to the other outside edge. Also, it’s important to mount the rear suction as close to the edge at possible. This will minimize flexing from the metal when under weight. The sheet metal is really really thin. Lastly, the disadvantage of this position is the rear bar is no longer level to the front bar and is now about 2-3 inches lower. For cargo boxes and water crafts, it will angle the bulk of the mass upwards and will cause air lift problems when at speed. For bike racks, it won't matter much. But, this may cause the rear hatch to not fully open if your bike rack is too long.

Finally, I got a Yakima cable lock to secure the rack to the car. The bike rack itself are lockable to the monkey bars.

https://www.amazon.com/Yakima-Trunk-Mount-Security-Strap/dp/B003EMADH6/ref=asc_df_B003EMADH6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312126224579&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=118541876283542881&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033151&hvtargid=pla-569211083426&psc=1

Hope this helps. I'll post an update when the 4.5" suction cups arrives.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-3req4cBKQ8cxkAg7z9hf2T1gbaU9_rY?usp=sharing

 

[eNate]

Nate,
I was once about to dive into a search for the SeaSuckers, but got skittish when someone pointed out the potential concern with..."unplanned detachment?"...exacerbated by the roof-clearcoat-blistering problem (which I've still not dealt with, since it's not getting visibly worse). Maybe more clearly, what I mean is that if I were to stick suction-cups on a portion of the roof that maybe isn't obviously slowly falling prey to the blistering, but is compromised a little, might I find that the suction-cups come away with shredded clearcoat and a grand piano still stuck to them?

Do you you use them at freeway speeds?

I'd been mulling over a mechanical attachment modification, using well-nuts (rubber corklike expansion plugs with rustproof machine-threaded inserts) but I can envision some unintended consequences with that - and don't know that the CF roof is thick enough to load up at relatively small points, nor am I crazy about ending up with permanent rubber plugs scattered around the roof, even if they're relatively small. And hell, they might end up protruding through the headliner, which wouldn't be a great look.

How hard is it to get the headliner out to inspect - or, for that matter, to change my antenna? I wouldn't shy away from laminating some backing at key points to reinforce the underside of the roof for this purpose. Two kids and a regular Costco-load of stuff is a bit much...

I haven't had any issues with detachment, maybe two occasions where I noticed the "orange band" on one of the suction cup triggers was showing, indicating a loss of negative pressure. I've driven these for multiple hours on the highway, and have been really pleased.

My i3 is sunroof-equipped meaning I have the painted aluminum roof, and as you can see from the photos, two of my cups land on the glass. I'm not sure what to expect with a compromised sunroof, but I would expect that the cups wouldn't maintain a seal long enough for you to think they were ok.

I too looked at more permanent options. Both Yakima and Thule make tracks that are riveted to the roof, and then serve as low-profile multi-position attachment points for towers and bars. But not knowing what's in the overhead, plus the complication of the sunroof, that was a no-go for me. I'm also unclear how the carbon fiber roof attaches to the structure of the car. If you could somehow find drill points that penetrate into a structural member of the body, I'd think that would be as good as any factory mounting point on any conventional car.

It's too bad BMW didn't follow through with roof rack options. I recall seeing early photos of something in this respect from BMW. It would have taken this compact city car to a new level of practicality.

BTW SeaSucker has changed up their design of the "foldable" Monkey Bars: whereas mine are hinged and really do fold in half for easier in-car storage, the current version is comprised of two threaded halves. They are also available in longer lengths now (a complaint I noted in my original post). They won't sell just the crossbar; I'd need to pony up for a whole new kit.

 

[808Pants]

I haven't had any issues with detachment, maybe two occasions where I noticed the "orange band" on one of the suction cup triggers was showing, indicating a loss of negative pressure. I've driven these for multiple hours on the highway, and have been really pleased.

My i3 is sunroof-equipped meaning I have the painted aluminum roof, and as you can see from the photos, two of my cups land on the glass. I'm not sure what to expect with a compromised sunroof, but I would expect that the cups wouldn't maintain a seal long enough for you to think they were ok.

I too looked at more permanent options. Both Yakima and Thule make tracks that are riveted to the roof, and then serve as low-profile multi-position attachment points for towers and bars. But not knowing what's in the overhead, plus the complication of the sunroof, that was a no-go for me. I'm also unclear how the carbon fiber roof attaches to the structure of the car. If you could somehow find drill points that penetrate into a structural member of the body, I'd think that would be as good as any factory mounting point on any conventional car.

It's too bad BMW didn't follow through with roof rack options. I recall seeing early photos of something in this respect from BMW. It would have taken this compact city car to a new level of practicality.

BTW SeaSucker has changed up their design of the "foldable" Monkey Bars: whereas mine are hinged and really do fold in half for easier in-car storage, the current version is comprised of two threaded halves. They are also available in longer lengths now (a complaint I noted in my original post). They won't sell just the crossbar; I'd need to pony up for a whole new kit.

eNate - I mulled this into oblivion thus far, but we have some new urgency since we're shipping the car to another island where we will need to use it regularly for longer-distance Costco (etc) runs, carrying more provisions than previously, with two kids that refuse to get any smaller. I'm still looking to more permanently mount a rack to my non-sunroof model (which also has the progressive clearcoat-cancer until I get around to dealing with THAT.)
Anyway - somewhere in one of the SeaSucker/suction-mount threads there was a brief mention by someone (you?) of roof pillar attachments, eg an accessory from some mfr like Yakima, but I can't find that mention, or the goods themselves. Maybe some other term was used, but the idea was that if I'm OK drilling into and permanently mounting a rack on my roof (and I'm about there now) then these nicely-made doo-dads would work and be compatible with someone's bars. Can you point me in the right non-suction-cup direction, if you recall that post?

 

[eNate]

Yes, I think you're referring to (generically) "tracks" that bolt or rivet directly to the roof surface. There are products from Yakima, Thule, Rhino, and I'm sure others.

I think the main thing is you want to make sure these tracks are anchored in a cross member or something of substance – not just skin – which of course means dropping the headliner and then figuring out what to drill into, and if it's CFRP, how to attached to it securely.