Video Transcript for Yakima TimberLine FX Roof Rack Installation Guide - 2023 Toyota RAV4

How's it going, neighbors This is Ed here with etrailer.com, and today, we're gonna check out the Yakima Timberline FX roof rack on our 2023 Toyota RAV4. So, being a Toyota RAV4 owner, you're not unfamiliar with having limited cargo space, especially if you load it down with passengers. Adding a roof rack system like the Yakima bars here are gonna allow you to take advantage of the space on top of your vehicle to get those bigger bulkier items out on the road with you. So, let's take a closer look at the Timberline FX and see what it does for us. The cool thing about the Timberline FX is the fact that they're gonna give you that cutoff that gives you that more OEM look. If you do have something like a kayak carrier or a bike rack where you would want something further away, maybe having this flush end on your tower may not be ideal, but if you just have a cargo basket or you're not really overly concerned with having that tie down point, it's gonna work out pretty well.

Now, the end caps are gonna come off here, and that's where you're gonna find your lock. Out of the box, you're just gonna have this plastic lock that you can use a key or any flat item, or a screwdriver or knife blade to lock and unlock it for an extra measure of security. You can add the Yakima same key system lock core to it, and have it keyed to the same number as all your other Yakima devices. So, like a cargo basket or a XO system, maybe a bike carrier, all those different things. Your towers are gonna wrap around your raised rails with the padded rubberized grip that's gonna clamp down and give you that sturdy foundation to keep everything going as you're going down the road.

As far as the height from our roof, we're right at four and a half inches, so it's gonna give you plenty of clearance for most rooftop accessories. So, that's actually all pros for me as far as what I look for in a crossbar and the fact that you have the wing shape, those elliptical shapes are gonna work to help reduce the wind noise that you experience when you're going down the road. However, you can add an additional faring to the front of your vehicle to help minimize that noise. The only tool that you're gonna need for your installation is gonna be a tape measure. Yakima includes a torque wrench that's gonna allow you to get everything tightened down to the spec that you need to stay safe going down the road.

Let me show you how to get it done. Your installation is pretty straightforward with your roof rack. We're gonna start by removing the cap on the end of our crossbar here, and then we're gonna remove the lock. And you can use a flathead screwdriver or coin or key, just anything flat to remove it, so you can get that core out. This is where you're gonna make the adjustments for your clamp.

You're gonna want to loosen that all the way up. And you're also going to want to loosen the bolt here for the extension across the crossbar. (screw rattles) I'm gonna do the same on the other side, and then we're gonna draw it on top of our vehicle. Now I found that just holding the clamp open while you screw it out to get it to go all the way to the bottom, it's gonna be the best way to get it to slide across those crossbars. Being aware of the position of our bar where the thicker side is pointing towards the front of the vehicle, we're just gonna slide this across (object thuds) and position it in that same space where your OEM crossbars would install. And I'm gonna go over to the driver's side and do the same thing to get it positioned where I want to install it. And now, we're gonna fasten until we hear our wrench click. (wrench clicking) And now that we hear the click from our wrench, we know that our bolt is at its torque requirement and I'm just gonna install our lock and cover. Now, that top bolt can come completely out from the inside of your tower, so you definitely wanna make sure you don't completely screw it out. We actually done that here. Between me and my videographer, Sam, we kind of carnival gamed it back to get it to bite back on. So, just try to avoid removing that bolt entirely. So, this has been a look at the Timberline FX roof rack on your 2023 Toyota RAV4. I'm Ed, this is etrailer.com, and you have a great day.