# 1
Yakima JayLow Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
This is mostly a great boat rack. I have an 11' kayak and the rack carries it nicely under most conditions. I upgraded my set to include the locking device, and I highly recommend it. My one gripe with this setup is that sitting a boat on its edge presents a big face to the wind, which can be very problematic with the wind gusts get high. It can, in fact, get very scary. I recently took a long road trip in the SW, and found myself crossing the highway that runs along Hoover Dam. There are permanent wind warning signs posted there, and the day I went across, the gusts were howling. I drive a Honda Element, which already has a high profile, and I seriously thought I was going to get blown off the road. I ended up taking the first exit I got to and, in that howling wind, had to pull my kayak down, remove the j-rack, and strap my boat to the crossbars, top down, to reduce the profile. I could have done that without spending the money for this rack...
Yakima JayLow Watersport Carrier; I found the carrier to perform as advertised, no surprises. Installation was simple and it easily attached to the factory roof rack on my 2009 Toyota Rav 4. The 45 degree angle on the lower edge of the carrier, enabled us to slide the leading side of our kayaks into the cradle with less effort. Small issue; It took several attempts to find the best position in which to secure the adjustable brackets, (to reduce wind noise), when not in use.
# 2
Yakima BigStack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Post Style - Folding - Clamp On
I acquired a second kayak and needed a system to fit the factory racks on my 2011 Toyota RAV4. Etrailer.com has always had information on what fits and has always had the item needed for the job. I attached the Yakima BigStack to the top with ease, and, with one other person to hold the kayaks while I secured, tied two of them down for a long road trip to Northern Minnesota. The system worked just fine. The only caveat was in the configuration of multiple boats in the instructions. The diagram has two boats on the same side of the posts, however, I found it more secure to put one on either side ( other reviews of this product on different Internet sites have found similar results.) The boats made it through the trip with no shifting.
Worked great on our Subaru Crosstrek with factory crossbars. Loading very easy, and it was very secure, for our 2 kayaks. The Yakima Big Sticks are easy to install/setup and take off. Very happy with our investment,
# 3
Yakima KeelOver Canoe Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Clamp On
Product was as advertised, however it was missing four bolts that I had to get at a hardware store, but other than that it was fine. Service from etrailer team was outstanding.
I've been using the product for two summers now and it is perfect for what I'm using it for. My canoe is an Old Town Discovery 133, it's very wide and I initially had trouble fitting it in the brackets with how relatively narrow my Rav4 is, but the instructions that came with them mentioned I could just flip them around. That worked perfectly. I only use the brackets and the tie down straps from the kit to tie the boat to the crossbars, and then use the painter lines I put on the bow and stern of the boat to tie those to the car. That rides on the highway very easily with no shifting. With two people, the load/unload time is around 10 minutes as long as one person knows what they are doing. This kit had exactly what I was looking for, seems built to last, and if I ever need another kit to help tie a canoe to a car then I know I can trust this product to get the job done safely and reliably.
# 4
Yakima ShowDown Kayak or SUP Roof Rack and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Wow is all I can say. I put the Malone cross bars on and then this went up in less than an hour. For an older very petite woman, It went up very easy. Yes, be aware shorties: you need a step stool to be able to get the rack up. I have a folding one that will go in my car. Yep so glad I did this. Thank you Paul B for the help in getting exactly what I needed.
Awesome paddleboard rack system...my wife loves it on her 2015 jeep wrangler..
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