So I finally ordered my F-sport and checked out the manual for a factory tow bar with wire harness. Kind of shocked to find that the tow bar installation requires a complete strip out of the boot and all the boot panels plus the bumber bar and removal of the exhaust.! Not sure if the cross damper on the F sport also needs to be removed.
The associated wiring harness requires removal of the A and B pillar trim, the front and back sills, the left and right vents, glovebox and trim beneath the steering wheel.
The only untouched panels are the door trim, roof and top of dash.
Now that's sloppy engineering. If it was prewired and a better design for utility this should not be necessary.
Happy rattles as I can't see the local technicians putting all back together again like a fastidious Japanese Lexus employee.
Needless to say I'll be getting the roof racks to carry the bikes plus sideboards. By the way installation cost for the sideboards is more than that of the towbar and wire harness. Go figure.
And by the way, you'll need the mud flaps if you don't want to hear the the water spray vibrating off the in un- insulated bottom of the sideboards.

 

the mudguards don't help with the sound of water kicking up onto the running boards...

 

Any suggestions for the noisy sideboards during wet weather?

 

What are you looking to put on a tow hitch? If you don't have to plug anything in to it, like a bike rack, you can do it on your own pretty quickly. If, however, you do need the lighting to work then it isn't a very easy job as you have already figured out.

Phil

 

Wiring harness is compulsory in Australia with any form of tow bar/hitch.

 

I'm going to get someone to do a few layers of truck bed liner. Hopefully it deadens the sound at least a little. Not a priority for me just yet, not much rain.

 

Just stay. away. from. rubberized. undercoating. That stuff is evil. EVIL ya hear?!!

 

I'm thinking 7 coats of Plast-dip should do it. This stuff is expensive here but I think it's under 10 bucks a can in the U.S.

 

Not really. Even with a mess of expanded foam under mine, they still make some sound. Its resonance with the metal itself. Unless there is a way to isolate the metal from the impact of the water droplets, that sound will always be there to some degree...

 

It really is. Only thing is, when you live in an area where they use a lot of calcium chloride during the winter, it CAN protect you slightly better than leaving the car bare.

However, since our dealer offers free unlimited car washes, we just make sure to run the car over and get it washed at least once a week during the winter. I also have a few salt remover chemicals in my garage that I use on the corners of panels and on the frame in the winter to help remove any outstanding sediment.

 

For reducing resonance in an open chamber such as the step bars, consider injecting expanding foam inside the hollow steps combined with a rubberized asphalt coating underneath. It's what I would do. Of course you need to leverage an existing hole or drill a couple of small ones in strategic locations.