Sport Car Top Carrier Model Change 2017

In August 2017, Rightline Gear introduced new model Sport Car Top Carriers with several design improvements. The 100% waterproof Sport Carriers have been great products over the years (the previous version since 2012), but we saw a few ways that we could make them even better. The table below summarizes the improvements, but continue reading for a detailed description.

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Simplified Strap Attachment

In our previous version, the attachment straps ran over the top of the carrier from one side of the vehicle to the other to hold the carrier in place. The straps could attach to roof rack side rails or cross bars, run through the vehicle, or attach to the vehicle’s door frame weather molding using Car Clips.

The 2017 model simplifies the attachment process by having (4) attachment straps thread through buckles at each of the (4) corners of the carrier to hold it in place. The straps no longer need to be run over the top of the carrier. The straps can attach to roof rack side rails or cross bars or attach to the vehicle’s door frame weather molding using Car Clips.

  2012 Model

  2017 Model

Material Upgrade

After much research and testing, Rightline Gear developed our new PVC Semi-Coated Mesh XT material for the new model Sport Carriers. The material features a polyester woven fabric layer with PVC sheets glued to either side with liquid PVC. The bottom line is an extremely durable UV resistant material that will stand up to all the abuse a roof top carrier receives.

The previous model Sport Carriers were constructed with PVC Mesh. This quality material  had a polyester woven fabric layer with PVC sheets laminated to either side. We are proud of the improvements gained with our PVC Semi-Coated Mesh XT material.

Car Clips Included

We are happy to announce that the new model Sport Car Top Carriers come with Car Clips included. The previous model Sport Carriers required the purchase of Car Clips separately to attach the carrier to the door frame weather molding. We were able to accomplish this change without raising the cost of the Sport Carriers to our customers!!

We also modified the shape of the Car Clips slightly. The new shape allows the Clips to stay under the weather molding without the tension of the strap, making the attachment process easier. They also fit even better when the vehicle’s doors are closed over them.

D-Rings Eliminated

The new carrier design also allowed us to eliminate the D-ring strap guides from the sides of the Sport Carriers. We had a few cases over the years where our customers attached the straps to the D-rings instead of using them as guides for the straps. Unfortunately, this improper attachment method would sometimes lead to the D-rings detaching from the side of the carrier.

No D-rings eliminate the possibility of this incorrect attachment method and simplifies the overall set up.

Product Reviews

Because the product numbers, 100S30, 100S20, 100S10, and 100S50, remained the same for the new model carriers, many of our retailers’ websites have kept customer reviews that were given for the previous model carriers. These reviews may not accurately reflect the new version of the Sport Car Top Carriers. While we are proud of our 2012 Sport Car Top Carriers, we never want to stop improving our products to make the overall customer experience even better!