I have the fabric roof on my 90 First Edition and have ordered a fit kit for the Thule rack that was previously on my Discovery. I'm wondering about the wind issue though. I'll give an update once it is installed.

 

Just picked up my D90 First Edition with Canvas roof and dealer installed Expedition rack. I did mention the quote on page 105, and the key part for them was the second sentence after the notice. " The sliding canvas roof is not compatible with lateral cross-bars or roof rack equipment. Using unapproved roof mounted equipment could result in damage to the sliding canvas roof." My dealer has said that the factory expedition rack is compatible with all roof options. Who knows maybe it will be a dealer to dealer issue and if I go somewhere else they will say different. I do think that if a non-factory rack or cross bars is installed and there is a problem with the canvas top later they may not cover it under warranty.
That being said i don't really notice the buffeting sound until around 70-75mph and it isn't much different to the ski box i have on top of my SQ8 with a panoramic sunroof. Its a bit louder but it doesn't bother me too much until i get to about 80 mph and then its very noticeable but again comparable to a roof top box. I really like the canvas roof option on the 90 as it covers almost the whole roof and really gives it an open top feel. I hope someone works on an aftermarket option for the rear glass to open up too, really give a jeep like feel but that's probably wishful thinking

 

I picked up my D110 X-Dynamic HSE with Folding Fabric Roof. I do not yet have cross bars installed. My Thule parts come in the next 10 days or so. Without the crossbars I did get a bit of the buffeting noise when above 50 mph and the roof is in its fully opened position. However, that is the type of noise which usually goes away when you crack a window open and I would expect that since it will primarily be used in warmer weather that will not be a problem.

Overall I am very happy I went with that option and the kids love it. I'll update this when I get the cross bars installed and take it for a ride.

 

I have the folding fabric rack on my vehicle and saw the same notice in the manual about the roof rack - I had my dealer track down the full story because my build also included installation of the roof rack but I had to wait a month for that to arrive. Bottom line is that it is supported. Someone in the copy editing group at LR manuals should have made it clearer about UNSUPPORTED (i.e. not LR I guess).

I would agree with your description of wind noise. Before the rack was fitted it was ok but now its noisy above 50mph like you mentioned. Also, one other thing of note is that roof does also creak a little when closed. With the added noise of the rack I don't notice it but it was annoying without it.

Without the rack, the extra open air experience of the fabric roof is really a nice benefit and I probably should have not added the rack, Time will tell, Luckily this isn't a freeway cruiser for me, plus I got rid of my JL Rubicon with Besttop roof for this so comparatively it's better

 

In my experience the quality of the fabric roof is excellent. Insulation inside and lining are fine and it seems very robust in operation. My only complaint (before adding the rack) was that there was some creaking of the roof compared to what I've ever had with other glass sliding roof vehicles.

 

So, installed the Thule crossbars in all black yesterday. My initial thoughts...

1. First, they look awesome with the black contrast roof.
2. One fold of the fabric roof barely skims the front bar. Besides that the roof does not touch the bars at all. This does mean however that with the roof box attached I will not be able to open the roof (just crack it a bit). I personally don't see this as a problem as I wouldn't open the roof with a box above the opening. With t-slot accessories there should be no problem at all.
3. It does as a bit more noise but really very little and no worse than my wife's glass sunroof with cross bars.

Still happy with the arrangement and glad I did this combo.

 

I had my Thule bars installed for about a week with no roof issues. The bars do not interfere with the fabric when open and while the wind noise at 70+ is noticeable, it is no worse than the noise from the same rack when it was installed on my Discovery. Ultimately I removed the bars as they just touched my garage door when entering or exiting, but if I ever need them for a ski rack, roof box, etc., I think they will work well.

 

What is the length of your Thule Evo bars?

 

They are the 53" length.

 

It's been about 6 mos. since some of you posted about your folding fabric roofs...I'm hoping to get some long term review feedback.
I'm currently looking at 110's as a replacement for my Disco V and really like the folding roof concept.
I've driven the Jeep with it and it's awesome.
That said, the Jeep roof opens really far back and you can take the rear quarter windows out (and the doors if you're so inclined), so not an apples to apples.
How are you liking the feature so far...pros / cons?
The main pro for me is that it appears to open much further than the glass roof which is great.
The main con is no sunlight when it's closed.
Any concerns about durability?
Any concerns about weather...rain, snow, ice...(I live in Chicago).
Thanks in advance for any feedback you can share.