Thread: Roof Racks

Crossbars will pretty much handle any weight, it is the attachment (towers and feet) that are load rated. Yeah you need them some what substantial, if you haul another with you and both have 80 lb kayaks, you are at 160 without any gear.

IMO only two brands to look at: Thule and Yakima. It is pretty easy to find used crossbar and towers, just need the specific fit kit for your vehicle.

Keep in mind that all this weight will be going down the road at 55 - 70 miles per hour. If you run an open cockpit it will also put stress on the load bars/feet attachments.

Factory Jeep load bars are rated at 150lbs. My first kayak was 26lbs and when I put on top of factory bars with a J-craddle, it buckled to the point I was not happy with.

I ended up buying a Thule set up. It rated 500lbs and really does the job. I bought mine part by part on Ebay and some help from my friend that owns the local bike shop.

Even now that I have upgraded to larger kayaks and tons more gear and rigging, the Thule is still up to the task. Take your time and buy something your gonna be happy with in the long run. Good luck to you and happy fishing.

Sound advice NYHellbender.

I made my own and hauled a ride 115 on the interstate 75 miles with no issues, now I have a trailer that we fixed up for kayaks but the rack worked great. Here are some pics.