Roof Rails — Page 43

Roof rails are two longitudinal bars along the roof: crossbars are mounted on them, and then a roof box, basket, bike rack, or ski rack is mounted on the crossbars. This category includes around a thousand vehicle-specific roof rails for crossovers, minivans, vans, and pickups from Erkul, Omsa Line, Cixtai, Digital Designs, and CAN, as well as universal Skyport rails 122–165 cm long. Crossbars are not included with roof rails—they are selected separately.

Raised vs. integrated roof rails—what’s the difference?

Raised roof rails sit on feet and have a gap above the roof: the crossbars clamp the profile from underneath. Integrated rails sit flush with the roof with no gap and look factory, but they require crossbars with mounts specifically for integrated rails. For Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, and Ford Bronco pickups, there are rails with bridges—already with cross bars included. Labels like “matte gray”, Grey, Black in the product name refer to the color, not the material: the material is listed in the specifications.

How roof rails are mounted

• To factory mounting points — to the original roof points, often hidden under trims or caps. No drilling required; bolts and brackets are included in the installation kit.
• With windshield adhesive/sealant — for smooth roofs without factory points. The surface is degreased and the adhesive must fully cure before the first load.
• Self-adhesive — some integrated OEM rails are installed on an adhesive base.
• Universal Skyport and DD — brackets are glued on and then the rails are screwed to them, or installed with roof drilling; chrome universal DD fits roof lengths of 151–209 cm and is cut to size.

The mounting method, length, and distance between the outermost holes are listed in each product’s specifications—match them to your roof before ordering. For some Erkul rails, an installation manual is available on the product page. You can also have rails installed at the network of certified DD Tuning service centers—your manager will suggest the nearest one.

What you can mount on roof rails

Crossbars for longitudinal rails are in the crossbars for roof rails section. If you don’t need rails, there are crossbars for factory mounting points and for smooth roofs. Crossbars can carry roof boxes, ski racks, and bike racks. The allowable load is determined by the weakest link—roof, rails, crossbars, or the carrier—so use the lowest limit and distribute the load evenly.

Popular picks: Nissan Qashqai J10, Toyota RAV4 XA30, Land Cruiser Prado 150, Fiat 500X, Ford Focus III, Renault Trafic. By brand: Erkul, Omsa Line, Cixtai, Digital Designs, CAN.

This description was prepared with AI based on an analysis of over 1 million phone calls between DD Tuning managers and customers, plus the company’s knowledge base. We collected the questions customers ask most often and compiled answers proven in real use.