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OEM roof rack 2018 Prius Plug in

Discussion in 'Prime Accessories and Modifications' started by HikerHamilton, May 18, 2022.

  1. HikerHamilton

    HikerHamilton New Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2022
    1
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    Location:
    Hamilton
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Touring
    Hello,

    I’ve just purchased a Prius prime and love it! I’m looking for a roof rack for a canoe. Does anyone know the usable span of the OEM rack? The canoe is 35.5” at max width. I’d hate to have to buy a Thule rack at 2-3x the costs. Thanks!
     
  2. MTN

    MTN Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2017
    306
    275
    2
    Location:
    SB, CA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Racks aren't on the car now, but I assume the rear is narrower - so the rear is 36" bar width, front is a couple inches more.
    The 36" is along the top part of the bar and should allow room for a strap running underneath still. I assume your canoe is widest at the middle and tapers - so it shouldn't be a problem. Shop around - we found our racks online, free shipping, no tax - much cheaper than local dealer.
     
  3. PianoBench

    PianoBench Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2017
    146
    91
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I have the OEM roof rack bars. I did not look around at others, but the OEM bars are decent. They come with a torque AlanKey wrench. It will tighten up the rack to OEM spec no more and no less. Well you can tighten it less but that may lead to other issues for example if you leave the nuts loose and strap up something on the roof, it can cause the rack to pinch and not evenly distribute the load.

    I like the OEM roof rack it matches the vehicle and fits decently well. They come with a rubber strip up top to give you something to grip on when you load the roof.

    I did not shop around for an aftermarket brand though. I just stuck with the OEM brand. Be sure to retighten the bolt after a 30 minute highway drive. And then recheck the torque every 1000 KM or so. The alankey torque wrench can be tightened as much as possible and it won't over torque the bolts since it acts like a "torque wrench"