Custom Cross Turismo Rear Bike Rack Group Buy

[ciaranob]

OK - reposting this here as embarrassingly initially put it in the separate private msg thread thinking it was in full public view - thx to @TaycanCook - awake now

Received today and literally in less than 10 mins unpacked and on the car - awesome!

Design both simple and spectacular - talk about a custom match to car color!

Thx Will, just superb and next step to rig up my lights and of course get the bikes on there but about 102 F right now with humidity so might have to wait until late this evening or early tomorrow!!

And car still fits easily in the garage - excellent!

 

[ciaranob]

One bike attached - and yeah, I know, I need to get with the program and buy something from this decade - but man this Element has served really well for close to 12 years (albeit with a new wheel set, front suspension and a few minor replacements) - longest I've ever owned a single model!

Fit is real sturdy - was thinking with the 2 bikes on board that I might look at a SeaSucker or similar stabilizer arm to attach from the window or bodywork on the tail door to the nearest bike to help stabilize the bikes even further on braking etc - perhaps not needed?

Would be modding something like this with an attachment to grab bike frame:
https://www.seasucker.com/collections/sup/products/sup-rod-holder

 

[Hirschaj]

One bike attached - and yeah, I know, I need to get with the program and buy something from this decade - but man this Element has served really well for close to 12 years (albeit with a new wheel set, front suspension and a few minor replacements) - longest I've ever owned a single model!

Fit is real sturdy - was thinking with the 2 bikes on board that I might look at a SeaSucker or similar stabilizer arm to attach from the window or bodywork on the tail door to the nearest bike to help stabilize the bikes even further on braking etc - perhaps not needed?

Would be modding something like this with an attachment to grab bike frame:
https://www.seasucker.com/collections/sup/products/sup-rod-holder

You don’t need anything extra for those 1up racks. I’ve used them for years and they are awesome. Your bikes won’t wiggle much at all.

 

[ciaranob]

@bsclywilly

OK, finally got around to testing my lights for the custom rack this (EARLY!) AM (as already hot as hell!).

I can report near 100% success - bloody brilliant - for those wondering the plug is identical to that supplied by Will and an equally simple fit.

The only 'issue' which is not actually an issue is that the car senses that this is not an OEM setup and states in the dash that the "Trailer" reverse/turn lights are 'defective' (i.e. not working properly) whereas in reality they are working 100% - see quick vid attached.

So with my setup installed (again literally a 10 min job and plan to use reusable velcro ties to secure the cable) I can:

1) have synced turn, brake and parking lights all working
2) Rear hatch works 100%
3) reverse turns off the warning alarms re obstuction
4) rear video working fine
5) A custom light pkg that to my eye is 100% more aesthetically pleasing and in line with car's design than the humungous lights on the OEM factory unit.
6) Incredibly cheap solution (ca $30!!)

Pumped!

I will keep an eye on the 'incompatibility' of these lights with the PCM software but see no real issues - perhaps it might throw a note up in service but don't care about that and again these are just ' white' colored advisories and not yellow or red error texts in the dash.

Cheers, C.

PPS: Link in this thread to where I posted the light assembly I purchased: #29

Apologies for small 480 movie but larger 720 apparently too big to load at 46mb - hopefully clear enough - you can see the running lights come on with car startup, brake lights when I stop reversing and indicators:

Forgot to delete the sound - can hear my wife talking to herself , but also the garage amplifying the car's external sound - might actually be the first time I've heard the Taycan from outside the vehicle!!

 

[ciaranob]

You don’t need anything extra for those 1up racks. I’ve used them for years and they are awesome. Your bikes won’t wiggle much at all.

Good to know and TBH, echo's Will's prior discussion - I guess I was thinking more for an emergency braking scenario where it might add that extra level of protection due to max G on the bikes but I get it, and probably not needed - thx.

 

[Artman]

OK, finally got around to testing my lights for the custom rack this (EARLY!) AM (as already hot as hell!).

I can report near 100% success - bloody brilliant - for those wondering the plug is identical to that supplied by Will and an equally simple fit.

The only 'issue' which is not actually an issue is that the car senses that this is not an OEM setup and states in the dash that the "Trailer" reverse/turn lights are 'defective' (i.e. not working properly) whereas in reality they are working 100% - see quick vid attached.

So with my setup installed (again literally a 10 min job and plan to use reusable velcro ties to secure the cable) I can:

1) have synced turn, brake and parking lights all working
2) Rear hatch works 100%
3) reverse turns off the warning alarms re obstuction
4) rear video working fine
5) A custom light pkg that to my eye is 100% more aesthetically pleasing and in line with car's design than the humungous lights on the OEM factory unit.
6) Incredibly cheap solution (ca $30!!)

Pumped!

I will keep an eye on the 'incompatibility' of these lights with the PCM software but see no real issues - perhaps it might throw a note up in service but don't care about that and again these are just ' white' colored advisories and not yellow or red error texts in the dash.

Cheers, C.

PPS: Link in this thread to where I posted the light assembly I purchased: #29

Apologies for small 480 movie but larger 720 apparently too big to load at 46mb - hopefully clear enough - you can see the running lights come on with car startup, brake lights when I stop reversing and indicators:

Nicely done!

 

[Hirschaj]

OK, finally got around to testing my lights for the custom rack this (EARLY!) AM (as already hot as hell!).

I can report near 100% success - bloody brilliant - for those wondering the plug is identical to that supplied by Will and an equally simple fit.

The only 'issue' which is not actually an issue is that the car senses that this is not an OEM setup and states in the dash that the "Trailer" reverse/turn lights are 'defective' (i.e. not working properly) whereas in reality they are working 100% - see quick vid attached.

So with my setup installed (again literally a 10 min job and plan to use reusable velcro ties to secure the cable) I can:

1) have synced turn, brake and parking lights all working
2) Rear hatch works 100%
3) reverse turns off the warning alarms re obstuction
4) rear video working fine
5) A custom light pkg that to my eye is 100% more aesthetically pleasing and in line with car's design than the humungous lights on the OEM factory unit.
6) Incredibly cheap solution (ca $30!!)

Pumped!

I will keep an eye on the 'incompatibility' of these lights with the PCM software but see no real issues - perhaps it might throw a note up in service but don't care about that and again these are just ' white' colored advisories and not yellow or red error texts in the dash.

Cheers, C.

PPS: Link in this thread to where I posted the light assembly I purchased: #29

Apologies for small 480 movie but larger 720 apparently too big to load at 46mb - hopefully clear enough - you can see the running lights come on with car startup, brake lights when I stop reversing and indicators:

Those look great

 

[ciaranob]

The 1up trays have a useful recessed grove underneath where I will inset the wire and tape over with black tape. The remaining length of wire to the plug can be super easily and neatly attached to the left side rack bar. So basically the lights are permanently attached to the outer 1up tray and assembly only requires you to plug in and attach two reusable velcro strips to take car of any hanging wire.

Just a pic to show LED strips attached - off to my local Lowes to get right length velcro strips and some black duck-tape to cover wire recess on underside of the tray !

OK - finished up hiding the wires under the tray using the 'super-strong' black duct tape brand and I lied, I just need one velcro tie to secure the remaining cable neatly Not sure it could be any easier!

Lights final installed look:

Single re-usable velcro tire and yes I could route that wire a little more neatly but you get the point !

2 x 1up's ready to roll I had to put both facing the same direction as my wife's bike's handle bars were interfering with my seat when I attempted to have them facing away from each other - no big deal to mount in parallel.

 

[TaycanCook]

@ciaranob, I've the same planned setup as you for the lights, for the exo box that's en route. That's interesting that the car outputs a notification that the trailer lights are defective. There's likely not enough resistance on one of the pins. Would be interesting to compare what the @bsclywilly trailer plug resistance per pin out are vs. the plug that we've got.

 

[ciaranob]

@ciaranob, I've the same planned setup as you for the lights, for the exo box that's en route. That's interesting that the car outputs a notification that the trailer lights are defective. There's likely not enough resistance on one of the pins. Would be interesting to compare what the @bsclywilly trailer plug resistance per pin out are vs. the plug that we've got.

Indeed - should prob look it up but in regards altering the pin resistances in this 3rd party unit I would prob not bother (nor am I particularly competent in that area!), as truthfully the white advisory notices only appear on start-up i.e. it is not up there whilst driving, so really not intrusive at all. (EDIT: see addl comment below)

UPDATE: OK, just drove around my neighborhood on mix of smooth and rough roads and rack is a champ - rock solid.

One clarification though re the white advisories in the dash - see below for what they look like (also one additional advisory came up I didn't get a chance to capture saying LGW (load gross weight) support not available .... didn't catch the rest) - all can be easily dismissed before driving away by simply hitting the 'return' arrow on your steering wheel for each advisory and then they are done and gone.


So again these are simply advisories and likely relate as @TaycanCook said to differences in (the PCM's) expected resistances on relevant plug ends however they do not effect the actual operation of the lights at all - they work perfectly.

 

[bsclywilly]

Indeed - should prob look it up but in regards altering the pin resistances in this 3rd party unit I would prob not bother (nor am I particularly competent in that area!), as truthfully the white advisory notices only appear on start-up i.e. it is not up there whilst driving, so really not intrusive at all. (EDIT: see addl comment below)

UPDATE: OK, just drove around my neighborhood on mix of smooth and rough roads and rack is a champ - rock solid.

One clarification though re the white advisories in the dash - see below for what they look like (also one additional advisory came up I didn't get a chance to capture saying LGW (load gross weight) support not available .... didn't catch the rest) - all can be easily dismissed before driving away by simply hitting the 'return' arrow on your steering wheel for each advisory and then they are done and gone.


So again these are simply advisories and likely relate as @TaycanCook said to differences in (the PCM's) expected resistances on relevant plug ends however they do not effect the actual operation of the lights at all - they work perfectly.

This is certainly because the LED trailer lights draw a lower current than incandescent bulbs. In-line resistors are typically used to solved the problem. Unfortunately after a quick search there aren’t any preassembled adapters for LED lights available for the 13 pin plug (unlike the 4 and 7 way adapters that are readily available), in the US at least.

There’s some more information about that here with a link to the resistors install if you want to get rid of the warnings with aftermarket LED lights.
https://www.etrailer.com/question-55349.html

 

[ciaranob]

This is certainly because the LED trailer lights draw a lower current than incandescent bulbs. In-line resistors are typically used to solved the problem. Unfortunately after a quick search there aren’t any preassembled adapters for LED lights available for the 13 pin plug (unlike the 4 and 7 way adapters that are readily available), in the US at least.

There’s some more information about that here with a link to the resistors install if you want to get rid of the warnings with aftermarket LED lights.
https://www.etrailer.com/question-55349.html

Excellent and thx - spot on as usual Will - I will def look at this link and see what I can potentially do - again genuinely no major issue as a few clicks gets rid of the messages but would be even better to eliminate entirely.

 

[ciaranob]

This is certainly because the LED trailer lights draw a lower current than incandescent bulbs. In-line resistors are typically used to solved the problem. Unfortunately after a quick search there aren’t any preassembled adapters for LED lights available for the 13 pin plug (unlike the 4 and 7 way adapters that are readily available), in the US at least.

There’s some more information about that here with a link to the resistors install if you want to get rid of the warnings with aftermarket LED lights.
https://www.etrailer.com/question-55349.html

Ordered 2 of the kits as in browsing some of the expert feedback/instructions it seemed possible I might need to install 3 sets of resistors (but possibly overkill) - need to read some more but at some point I might ping you (if you don't mind) on the best/most efficient way to install these inline on my wiring,
Cheers, C.

 

[bsclywilly]

An update for those of you on the 2nd group buy. The bars have finished their turning operation. There is still some milling to be done for the holes and threads. Expecting all the machining and anodizing to be done by mid next week, then they'll ship out. Expected arrival is going to be around the end of July so should be able to get them delivered to you by first week of August.

If anyone else is interested, DM me or leave a message here.

Round 2:

1. @Albion ,
2. @Old man ,
3. @Swissbob ,
4. @Artman ,
5. @Tincan,
6. @nafzal80 ,
7. @KarlFreund ,
8. @Changer ,
9. @action-ant ,
10. @satchurator,
11. @landshark ,
12. @thecoloradokid ,
13. @Mtljckt
14. @Pandsw

A few of the first round bike racks being used:

 

[TaycanCook]

Here's a setup with a yakima exo gear locker.

If you remove the cleats from the box, there are two cross channels which is what I used to fit the strut channels. I decided to install it this way to get better support under the box. The box from the manufacturer is bowed down towards the middle. The cross bar setup will better support the box. I'm going to load it up with a 100lbs and drive around to see if anything loosens up. The outer most cross bar is tied into the outer most pre drilled hole in the billy bars.

Also note: I was hoping to NOT drill any holes into this box but to only use the existing holes for the cleats. With this setup, I had to drill holes. This setup will not allow the trunk to open up if the box is open. The mounting points for the box would need to be about 2 inches further back if you want the trunk to open while the box is open.