Thule Set and Glide rust question

[Goody]

I want to see what other folks think about this. I have a Thule set and Glide883 that I got about 1 1/2 years ago. I normally put it on during the weekend and take it off afterwards after every outing. Well in the course of this time I noticed that one of the glide piece has a little rust on it. My question is this, "Should it be getting rust?" considering that it isn't exposed to the elements all year long and gets washed off after usage and stored in the original box. Also if this is normal, why don't the other three pieces have rust? I thought these things were made so you could put it on and leave it there all year long.

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In any case I emailed Thule about this and they said it's normal. I emailed a response to their response and will update this when I get it.

If this is normal, don't expect me to buy any more Thule products.

What are your thoughts on this?

[Romo]

Metal exposed to water or salt through saltwater spray, drip, road splashes or even blown through the air will eventually rust if not treated with some kind of anti corrosive compound. Everyone has different expectations for longevity of products but I wouldn't have even noticed a rusty bolt like that because my kayak rack is mostly held together with rust. I also own a Tacoma which is notorious for frame rust so I have come to accept rust as a part of life. If it really bothers you take it out, sand off the rust and spray it with some corrosion-x. Maybe you can even order the part directly from thule?

[Goody]

Thanks for your reply. I understand that, except that I'm pretty diligent about taking care of my stuff and washing it off after every use. I would expect that it would be more durable considering it's not exposed to the elements all year long.

I would replace the part if I could but the that part is a riveted part or something. Not a regular bolt or nut that can be changed out that I know of.

Metal exposed to water or salt through saltwater spray, drip, road splashes or even blown through the air will eventually rust if not treated with some kind of anti corrosive compound. Everyone has different expectations for longevity of products but I wouldn't have even noticed a rusty bolt like that because my kayak rack is mostly held together with rust. I also own a Tacoma which is notorious for frame rust so I have come to accept rust as a part of life. If it really bothers you take it out, sand off the rust and spray it with some corrosion-x. Maybe you can even order the part directly from thule?

[moc]

I have the Thule Slipstream kayak rack. I never take it down, so it stays out in the elements 24/7 365 days a year. It has served me well for the three years that I have had it. I did notice some rust around some joints on the bars, but it has not affected the performance of the rack and glides so far. I agree that rust is a part of life with products that are exposed to the elements as our metal devices are without additional protection to reduce the occurrence of the rust. Let me know about the bolt and nut if you can get it from Thule, just incase that I may need it in the future.

[Salty Dog]

I spend as much time possible fishing the salt. I am proactive rather then reactive. Or compulsive obsessive, anyway any hardware that can be replace is replaced with stainless, hardware that cant be replaced is coated with automotive lacquer. When I got my Hullavator any metal that was not stainless or aluminum was sanded, primed, and painted. No problems with rust.

[tufnik]

The cross bars on my Thule rack are made of aluminum. Been using it about 5 years. No rust. However, certain parts are made of iron. The pivot pins and the carriage bolts on the supports are iron-based, and they do show surface rust, even though I take the rack off my car after every outing and store them in the garage. The iron-based screws (used to attach the bar to the car rack) is protected within the housing; no rust. You may want to treat the rust with a rust treatment (not paint; use the type that chemically reacts and creates a protective polymer surface with iron-oxide) or replace the parts with SS.