UKH

I’m looking to get a roof rack to carry bikes/kayaks/roof box. Problem is, I’ve got a small car (5 door mini) with a flush, bare roof (no fixing points, rain gutters. Just a small, shallow, smooth channel). 
 

Has anyone experience with the racks that fix to the door frames? How secure are they? Do they do any damage to the car? Good enough to leave on full time? Do they allow any water to leak through the door seals in the rain? 
 

Seems Thule make these, are there any other, cheaper brands worth considering?

 Cheers

there will be a screw hole under the door arch. the brackets are padded. I just removed mine after two years to trade in and there were no marks. 

Good stuff. Did you have the Thule ones?

I've got the Thule ones and quite happy with them. Haven't left them on for long periods of time so don't know if there are any issues doing that, but can't imagine they're would be tbh, they seem pretty robust. If I was leaving them on full time I'd probably just check the position measurements every now and then to make sure they hadn't moved at all, and maybe check the bolts were still tightened the correct amount. 

Haven't left any damage as far as I can see (I usually wipe the contact areas with a damp cloth to remove any grit before putting them on though, just in case), and don't seem to affect the door seals. On my car (yaris) the metal hooks sit above where the door seal would contact the door frame.

Not noticed a screw hole under the arch on mine though (might be one, just not noticed it!) 

I used a Thule roof rack on a VW T4 van to transport a flat pack shed from the UK to Spain. It basically clamped on; hooked under the door recess at the front, and hooked under something improbable further back.

I was extremely dubious initially! But the physics seemed to work.

You can probably save yourself a bit of time by putting the bolts on at the correct tightness the first time and then applying a witness mark, if the bolt has loosened itself the mark will be misaligned. This is a better method than repeatedly checking with a torque wrench as well.

If you go onto the Hafords website, there's a tool where you type in your car reg and it'll give you the Thule options and Halfords' own version - it's generally pretty accurate.

I always go with thule, well made and they last.  Also the parts are interchangeable so if you change cars you can reuse the bars and get new feet.  

I always highly recommend roofbox.co.uk because they are usually cheaper than halfords and their customer service is outstanding.  

I wrote off a car and the roof rack was also damaged, the insurance company wouldn't pay for it without proof, and they went back through their old financial records for me to find proof of purchase several years later.  

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel1.php?emulate=roofbar

I had a roof rack on our flush-roofed Fabia with Thule fittings. It worked really well, and we use the same bars with different fittings on our new car.

Once, in a downpour of biblical proportions, while driving, a few drips got into the car doors as the seals must have been compromised. This might always be a risk with such clamps, but it was certainly worth it for us. The roof box was bigger than the boot.

I’ve got the Halfords ‘own brand’ (Exodus) and they are stamped Thule under the rubber. Seems Thule make them for halfords  and mine are good quality so don’t discount the own brand ones

Yup, using Thule fittings on our small car (Nissan Note,), so clamps to the doorframe on both sides.

Works like a champ and kept it on all winter (due to having the roof box for skis etc. on). Didn't see any seepage, but naturally would not keep it on unless it is actively used all the time. Simply 'cause it might do some long term damage to the rubber seal. Also even with aero-/wingbars, it'll affect your consumption, the smaller the car+engine, the bigger the effect. And putting it on & taking it off isn't a big deal, 5-10mins max... in fact I do it now also with our bigger car and it's roof rac (VW Multivan)

All the metal parts are with a rubberized coating, so as long as the mount points are clean they won't affect the cars paint. Similar system btw on out big cars bikeholder  (also Thule, clamped to the read door of the big car).

As stated, if you peel back the rubber seals around the doors, you'll find some sort of mounting points. On my old Escort, they actually bolted to the chassis, which was a brilliant design. On my current Audi, they just hook on and clamp tight.

If they make them for your car, I'd recommend Whispbar (see the roofbox link Marsbar added), as the fitting kits are so much cheaper than Thule when you change car. They're also easier to use with T-track fittings for bike carriers and so on.