Hi.

I just got a deal on two kayaks and now I have to get a roof rack. Any thoughts on this? What exactly do I need whether I go with a Thule or Yakima rack system? The basic system is straightforward enough, but what about the kayak connectors? Is one easier to load than the other? Is one any cheaper? I'm new to racks, so please bare with me.

Thanks.

 

Go with thule. both brands are about the same price but thule is by far a better product. go for the normal style square bars not the new oval ones....and get the kyack rack with it. When i rolled my pathfinder it did one complete roll and then landed on the roof and the kyack racks were fine a little scratched but not bent or anything.for the whole set up it should cost u around 500 cdn dollars.

 

agreed. Thule is the way to go.

 

My parents have two honda elements as company vehicles with the thule square bar racks on them. I've seen the guys throw 2 extension ladders and a stepladder up there without issue (looks funny as hell on top of an element though, lol).

 

Ya i worked at a ski shop and we never had any problems with thule....i have the racks on my truck with a 210cm box no pics tho sorry

 

I just bought the Thule 400 XT base rack which I'll be installing in a day or two on my 2008 Quad Cab. One question I have is that Thule suggest I install the racks 27" apart to correspond with some trim screws along the top of the doors. I notice that there's another screw at approx. 38" apart above the rear door.

Wouldn't the extra distance make the load more stable. I can't see why one screw location would differ that much over another so I'd like to use the rear screw if at all possible.

Do those that use the Thule 400 XT system recall the distance they used between the mounts.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

i put mine as far apart as i could and it worked out good!

 

i got 2 kayak's and a canoe i just put them in the bed with np's at all and i jsut get a ratchet strap just incase.

 

I have only ever used Yakima and have never had a problem. I can say though that you should install the tracks on your roof versus using the door jam clips. I had the clips for a while and they tend to push the doors out. You get more wind noise that way.

 

I installed the permanent base rail on mine. They work with both the Yakima and Thule setup's.
I went with the Yakima setup as I found it was cheaper then the Thule brand, I know the door jam ones work great and won’t fail you, but I’m personally not a fan of them, for pushing out on the door and such, extra wind noise. My setup is quiet, quick and easily adjustable for different loads. Be it 2x4’s or Kayaks. And I can just slide the bases along the rail for whatever distance apart I need.

Here's a few pics