[DM-15Lat]

I have the Latitude w/ roof rails. I just purchased the Thule cross bars and am planning on putting the canoe upside down on the rails. My only concern is I don't seem to see an ideal place to tie down the front and rear of the canoe. I don't have the hooks that the TrailHawk comes with. Although next time I'm at the dealer (still need to get my plates) I will ask if I can buy the hooks and install them on my own.

Any tips/suggestions? Everything I saw in the manual was more geared towards towing, and I don't have a hitch.

 

[Hmmm!!!]

I have a Fiat 500L. On my front bumper there is a small cap on the drivers side. Inside that cap is where I can screw in a round tow hook that was used to transport my car from the factory. After it's delivered to a dealer they snap it into place in the styrofoam in the trunk that holds my jack, a spare tire inflator, a funnel and a screwdriver. I use that hook on the front end to tie down the front end of my kayaks. Unfortunately there is no such place for a tie down on the drivers side of my car or on a Renegade.

But the good news is that there is such a plug on the passenger side of all Renegades. Check out the attached picture. I pulled the cap off of a Renegade. Unfortunately I have not seen any of the transport hooks in the trunks of any Renegades. It really makes me wonder what the transport drivers do with all of those transport hooks after they deliver the Renegades to the dealers. Have not gotten around to asking a local dealer what happened to them. I tie two kayaks to the same hook on the front passenger side.

For the rear I just tie the straps to my trailer hitch. And to be honest I think it's overkill to even have them in the rear. If by chance the roof tie downs both came undone then the kayaks would slide back and would land in the road behind the car. That's why the front ones are needed more than the rear ones. The only time that the rear ones could be useful is if the roof top straps both came off and I slammed on the brakes. Under that situation it would stop them from going over the front end of the car. But before I could hit the brakes they would be on the road behind me if the front ones were not there.

 

[ManEater666]

thats not for Transport they are for towing your car when it is broken ... in the Back the "knobs" are in the Grids of the Bumper ... i just installed a Bullbar to tie things down ...

 

[MJAB]

In the european models there is also a point in the rear to screw the removable tow hook.
It is on the right side, under the right part of the small grid that there is over the exhaust pipe.

If one takes a look to the right grid it can be seen that there is a vertical enbossed line that it is not find on the left grid. The right side of grid flips horizontally to allow to insert the hook.

 

[CalTom]

thats not for Transport they are for towing your car when it is broken

The Renegade is can only be "towed" on a flatbed.

 

[raz-0]

The Renegade is can only be "towed" on a flatbed.

Yeah, but you have to drag it on the flat bed with something. Which is what the tow hook is for.

 

[twospirits]

Yeah, but you have to drag it on the flat bed with something. Which is what the tow hook is for.

Good Point, but then the question becomes will tow truck operators know about that hidden insert tow hook compartment?

TS

 

[MJAB]

Usually that removable tows are used here in Europe to help someone else when it is stuck, for example in snow or mud, or to be helped.
In Europe fixed front hooks are usually forbidden (pedestrian crash rules), for example european Renegade Trailhawk has no front hooks, only the rear one.

A Fiat Panda using rear removable hook.

 

[tony]

Usually that removable tows are used here in Europe to help someone else when it is stuck, for example in snow or mud, or to be helped.
In Europe fixed front hooks are usually forbidden (pedestrian crash rules), for example european Renegade Trailhawk has no front hooks, only the rear one.

A Fiat Panda using rear removable hook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS__nJV0sV4

That would make sense, good to see Jeep added things that make the Renegade a true trail king for what it is.

 

[raz-0]

Good Point, but then the question becomes will tow truck operators know about that hidden insert tow hook compartment?

TS

Yes it is pretty standard on most cars made in the last decade.

 

[Hmmm!!!]

Ok I checked out a yellow Renegade today, mainly to see if I would like the color or not. While there I took the cover off of the front bumper of the Renegade and I screwed in the tow hook from my Fiat 500L. As you can see it screws in perfectly. Makes for a great place to tie down the front end of a canoe. If you do this for your canoe or kayak then I suggest you remove the dangling cap and keep it in the car while you use a tow hook as a tie down point.

The fifty million dollar question reamains unanswered, what do the delivery drivers do with all of those tow hooks? Why don't they leave them in the trunks of the Renegades?

I suggest that everyone who has a Renegade goes back to the dealers and ask them to return your tow hooks to you.

 

[CalTom]

I screwed in the tow hook from my Fiat 500L. As you can see it screws in perfectly.

Can you tell us the thread size and type along with the lenght?

 

[Hmmm!!!]

Can you tell us the thread size and type along with the lenght?

Not certain of any of that. But I can figure all of that rather easily. Will take it by Lowes and will then be able to figure out the thread size and if it's American or SAE. I think that's what European thread is called. Will let you know on Monday. Sorry but I'm not going there tomorrow. Headed straight home after Church to catch the Indy 500, important things first you know.

 

[bwbike]

. . . if it's American or SAE. I think that's what European thread is called. . .

It's either metric or SAE. And both have coarse and fine threads (in general).

 

[ManEater666]

The Renegade is can only be "towed" on a flatbed.

We drive mostly Manuals over here and Manuals can be towed ... you just have to have an intact Batterie for releasing the parking breake ...

 

[robles]

This seems like a very interesting discussion, bookmark first

 

[Hmmm!!!]

Can you tell us the thread size and type along with the lenght?

Ok I went to Lowes before church today and had the thread checked out. It's 5/8" fine thread. The whole thing is 4" long. Here it is stowed in the styrofoam in my trunk. And yes I have a spare under the car, a jack and an inflator pump.

 

[Hmmm!!!]

Here's a picture showing the length.

 

[Hmmm!!!]

And here's one showing the width.

 

[Hmmm!!!]

Used the tow hook to tie down three kayaks today. Comes in quite handy. And fyi these Thule Aerobars will work perfectly on a Renegade. They will overhang about 3 inches on both sides of the Renegade roof rails. I checked the measurements. You will find that this overhang works to your advantage when tying down a kayak, or 2 or 3 or even 4. Yes you could fit 4 on the roof of a Renegade with these Aerobars.

The key to them supporting the weight of 4 kayaks is to use Yakima Jaylow kayak holders mounted as far to the edge of the Aerobars as possible. This makes the weight of the outermost kayaks be supported by the roof rails where they are strongest.