Roofbar Removal

[Chris_Sugden]

    I have just taken delivery of a new Multispace and am looking for advise on how to remove the factory fitted roofbars. Most particularly how to take the plastic covers off without damaging them in order to access the bolts underneath.
My reasons.
1 Height with the roofbars is 1862mm while height limit for a saloon car on Brittany Ferries is 1830mm. Not sure if they will mind 3cms extra but better safe than sorry. My wife and I are travelling to France in early November.
2.In the longer term I wish to replace them with 3 transverse bars to support a rooftop tent plus awning for extended camping trips in Europe. 

My Citroen dealer had a parts list but no advise on removing them. My experience of removing plastic parts is that they break easily if forced.

I attach a photo and welcome any advise.

[Stu999]

Hi Chris,

Sorry I cant offer any help on removing the bars. I'd guess that gently prizing the covers with a pry bar / screw driver to access the bolts.

I'd be intrested in your bars if you can get them off without damaging them.

Where are you located?

Cheers,

Stu

[Chris_Sugden]

Hi Chris,

Sorry I cant offer any help on removing the bars. I'd guess that gently prizing the covers with a pry bar / screw driver to access the bolts.

I'd be intrested in your bars if you can get them off without damaging them.

Where are you located?

Cheers,

Stu

Thanks for your reply.  I am visiting France in November so will consult a French Citroen Dealer. I suspect that I will decide to leave the bars on and purchase a set of transverse bars to attach to them. Incidentally, not unsurprisingly, Berlingo parts are substantially cheaper in France. For example a set of internal roof storage bars are 160.00 Euro against a UK price of £165.00!

Best wishes Chris

[Solent]

I'm not sure on the bar removal but I would have thought the ferry company could load you along with the vans and cars with roofboxes etc.

[miccheck1516]

I wonder would you drop 30mm being fully loaded, doubt it, but worth bearing in mind, and im sure the ferry allows for some leeway, the wont quote a height that has you almost touching the roof, but i see your point you don't want to turn up and be refused...

[Chris_Sugden]

I wonder would you drop 30mm being fully loaded, doubt it, but worth bearing in mind, and im sure the ferry allows for some leeway, the wont quote a height that has you almost touching the roof, but i see your point you don't want to turn up and be refused...

Thanks for your thoughts. I am going to risk it. We cross tomorrow. I could always let some air out of the tyres as I am carrying an electric tyre pump to re-inflate but as you say they must have some leeway.  It is also not quite as far over as it might be as I have an automatic XTR which comes with the smaller standard wheels than the manual transmission.

[BingoBlingo]

I wonder would you drop 30mm being fully loaded, doubt it, but worth bearing in mind, and im sure the ferry allows for some leeway, the wont quote a height that has you almost touching the roof, but i see your point you don't want to turn up and be refused...

Thanks for your thoughts. I am going to risk it. We cross tomorrow. I could always let some air out of the tyres as I am carrying an electric tyre pump to re-inflate but as you say they must have some leeway.  It is also not quite as far over as it might be as I have an automatic XTR which comes with the smaller standard wheels than the manual transmission.

Probably too late to be of use but I was once told by check-in at Le Havre that they allow 10 mm in excess of the nominal 1830 mm; my 2005 2.0 HDi came in well below 1830 mm when fully laden.

[Pedronicus]

As is said he has probably done the trip now.  However I would not class the Multispace as a saloon car.  More likely to be in the 4x4 league.

[Big_Jim1967]

The covers come off forwards (for the front one) or backwards (for the rear one). I did mine without tools, just grip firmly and pull. Having said that I'm 6'5" and 19 stone, so it's easy for me.
Once off, it reveal a Torx screw which you can remove. The rubber gasket under the rigid plastic part was stuck a little to the roof itself on mine, so care is needed if you're ever gong to refit them.

[Gryffindor]

I would think Brittany Ferries would charge for vehicle passage by height amongst other things, and Chris Sugden may well have had to pay a surcharge. I would have done what he suggested, letting the tyres down a bit for the crossing.

I recently had a 2012 Ford Transit Connect Tourneo (i.e. the MPV version not the large van version). Its height was 6 feet 6 inches (I forget the exact mm) and that caused no end of havoc with 6' 6" car park and council dump height barriers - the noise of the aerial scraping against barriers and roof beams was chilling! Ford missed a trick there - it should have been 1cm lower.