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Read the reviews below to find out what other customers are saying about the Thule 480 Traverse car rack system.
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Saddle Up Them Montana Kayaks - Pardner
this Thule 480 Traverse car rack review by Fishtales
vehicle year/make/model: 2008 Honda Civic
item(s) transported: kayaks
(PLEASE NOTE this review also includes the SportRack ABR512 Kayak Saddles.) We made a spring trip across Montana to the Special Olympics summer games in Bozeman. My athlete son competed in the kayak sprint events. Quick and easy loading on our '08 Honda Civic. Kayaks were very stable and secure at highway speeds and curvy mountain roads. We had a great time and no worries transporting our kayaks during our travels.
Rugged, Practical, and Sporty
this Thule 480 Traverse car rack review by RichieT
vehicle year/make/model: 2006 Hyundai Sonata
item(s) transported: Mountain Bike
(PLEASE NOTE this review also includes the Thule 598 Criterium roof bike rack.) Easy to install, this roof rack is sturdy and rugged, as well as sporty and stylish. The easy-to-use included torque tools give you the perfect fit. Well constructed and convenient for storage. The 598 Criterium bike rack is also awesome. No taking apart bicycle, just load up and go. Money well-spent!!
Easy, Affordable and Fast
this Thule 480 Traverse roof rack review by Mike V.
vehicle year/make/model: 2006 Volkswagen Golf
item(s) transported: bikes, canoes, kayaks, and cargo boxes
The racks were easy to assemble, and the bars and locks worked perfectly. I have used them every weekend and have been thoroughly impressed. I recommend Thule and overall ORS Racks Direct to anyone looking for roof racks and accessories.
Perfect Prompt Shipping and Easy Install
this Thule 480 Traverse Foot Pack review by Travis
vehicle year/make/model: 2007 Mini Cooper S
item(s) transported: bikes, SUP
(PLEASE NOTE this review also includes the Thule 1366 Fit Kit clips.) I switched my cross bars from my Tahoe to my Mini Cooper S with this new specific Traverse Foot Pack and 1366 Traverse Fit Kit from Thule. Once I found my tape measure everything went smoothly, i.e. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance.
Great Secure Fit, Easy Install
this Thule 480 Traverse Foot Pack review by Don
vehicle year/make/model: 2005 Audi A4
item(s) transported: bikes, golf, camping supplies
The foot pack fits perfectly and super secure. Drove 2500 miles without a hitch.
Really Easy to Install
this Thule 480 Traverse roof rack review by Chris G.
vehicle year/make/model: 2010 Honda Accord
item(s) transported: skis and snowboards
The rack system was real easy to install with two people. The Thule alignment guide was wrong, but it is obvious where to align the racks. This rack setup has some noise without the noise guard / wind fairing accessory. I recommend that the wind guard is bought if you plan to leave it on year round.....doesn't bother me since I leave it on for just the winter season.
Excellent Quality with Easy Installation
this Thule 480 Traverse roof rack review by Charlie C.
vehicle year/make/model: 2005 Ford F150 pickup truck
item(s) transported: camping items stored in Thule Excursion roof box
The installation was a cinch due to easy to read and understand installation instructions.
Great Buy!!!
this Thule 480 Traverse Review by rokitchikin
vehicle year/make/model: 2009 Toyota Matrix
item(s) transported: Thule 13 cubic foot all weather cargo bag
Great product. Got it from ORS Racks Direct at a fraction of the cost from the Thule website. Easy to install and maintain. The Feet are very solid and have no problems with them leaving marks or scratches on my car. Just needed space because im moving to Alaska and driving the whole way from Pennsylvania. Me, my wife, our daughter, and 2 dogs would be kinda cramped so using the rack to put up a Thule 13 cubic foot all weather bag. I would definitly recommend this product. Just make sure you do your research and get the proper model and Fit Kit if needed.
Great Rack and Super Easy Installation!
this Thule 480 Traverse Review by Bek
vehicle year/make/model: 2005 Toyota Prius
item(s) transported: Kayaks, bikes, miscellaneous sporting goods
This rack works great on my Toyota Prius and holds two 16' kayaks that weigh 120 pounds combined just fine. The system is actually so easy to take on and off--with four allen keys that remain inside each foot to loosen and tighten them--that I just remove the whole system when it's not in use and leave it in my trunk. The bases are extremely sturdy and lock down with ease. Although it's easier to take on and off with two people, I've done it myself and just made some discreet marks on the door jambs so that I don't have to measure the distance each time I replace the rack. The Feet are well padded and haven't made a single mark on my car. A few tips, though. If you're planning to leave the rack on all the time, spring for the fairing. These bars can cause some noise at even lower speeds, especially if you live in a windy area. Also, I bought the 50" load bars that ORS recommended, which don't stick out over the sides of the car (so you won't hit your head on them) but they tend to be a little short when setting two kayaks side by side--though they still fit fine. I would suggest going with the longer 58" bars if carrying 2 kayaks side by side. I highly recommend this product to others!
Great Product / Great Look
this Thule 480 Traverse Review by Andrea
vehicle year/make/model: 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck
item(s) transported: canoes
I ordered the rack system for my husbands truck and he was able to install the system and found it fairly easy to do. I also ordered the fairing b/c i think it makes the overall system look better and sportier. I am overall happy with my purchase, although I cannot compare it to the Yakima system b/c I have never owned one but many canoeing enthusists tell me the Thule system is better than Yakima. The only suggestion I would make is that on the fairing they suggested that his truck would need the size Large and to me the fairing doesn't look quite wide enough for his truck. After measuring it and looking at the meausurements for the xlarge I think the xlarge would have been the better choice b/c I think the fairings should go across the whole vehicle.
Very easy to install and very sturdy!
this Thule 480 Traverse Review by Derek
vehicle year/make/model: 2005 Honda Accord
item(s) transported: kayak
Installing this roof rack system was a snap! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it by myself, but I was very pleased with how easily it all went together. I also use the Thule Hull-a-port Pro for carrying my kayak, and I am very pleased with how stable everything is! I never have to worry about transporting my kayak again.
Perfect Product...Amazing Price...Great Service
this Thule 480 Traverse roof rack review by Ryan
vehicle year/make/model: 2006 Ford Focus ZX3
item(s) transported: surfboards
(PLEASE NOTE: this review also includes the Thule 487 Traverse Short Roof Adapter Kit). After having a truck to get my surf boards to and from the beach for years, I had to downsize to a smaller car for commuting purposes. I assumed that I could put a quality surf rack on any car without much trouble and without spending an arm and a leg. Unfortunately, I started searching for a rack for my 3-door Ford Focus and quickly found that this was not the case. My car had no existing rack, no gutters and a very short/domed roof. I visited several retail stores and called numerous online vendors, only to be told either that there was no option for my vehicle, or that it was going to cost about $800 to put a simple rack on. All I really needed was two cross bars that were spread out enough to get longboards to and from the beach...$800 seemed ridiculous. I had literally given up and was using a worthless soft rack that was sure to result in my boards flying off the roof. Then, I was checking the surf online when I saw an ad for ORS Racks Direct. I had been so frustrated with trying to piece together a system for my car, that I decided to call for help before placing my order. Whoever I spoke to on the phone was a god send! This guy totally knew the product line and was able to tell me exactly what I needed in about two minutes. He was even aware of the issue of the cross bars being too close together for my longboards, and told me that this could easily be resolved with the short roof extension kit. He told me exactly what I needed to order, and walked me through doing so on the website. The website was super easy to navigate and left me extremely confident that I was ordering the right products. Best of all...when I checked out, my total was just over $400! Half of what I had been quoted for the same systems elsewhere! Everything arrived on time, in prefect condition and was crazy easy to install. I honestly cannot say enough about my buying experience with ORS Racks Direct. These days it seems that you always have to compromise something when you make a purchase...either you get good service and the price is too high, or you get a great price and the quality is poor, etc. But in this case, I feel like I truly got it all. Hats off to you guys for doing a great job. Bottom line...you can buy your rack system through ORS and know that you are getting the best product, at the best price, from someone that actually knows what you need and how it will work. Thank you!
