To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
When you load up for a trip, you want bars that don’t flex or feel flimsy. The Yakima SkyLine roof rack uses aluminum JetStream crossbars that keep things solid under pressure. With a weight capacity of 165 lbs, it’s built to handle everything from kayaks and canoes to cargo boxes and camping gear. The aluminum construction keeps it durable but light enough for everyday use.
Driving with a roof rack can sometimes mean listening to wind noise you don’t want. These JetStream bars use an aero-style shape to smooth the airflow and quiet things down. The rubber strips in the top channels press down around your mounts, closing the gaps that can cause whistling. The design helps reduce vibration and drag so your drive stays calm and comfortable.
Some racks make you trim channel strips before installing accessories, but not this one. The push-down rubber strips in the JetStream bars let you press your hardware straight into place—no cutting required. Once installed, the strips close back around the mount, sealing the channel against wind while keeping your setup clean and simple.
Whether it’s a weekend paddle trip or a long road adventure, this setup is ready for it all. The aero-style crossbars work with most universal cargo, water, snow, and bike carriers—whether they slide into the top channels or clamp around the bars. That means you can use your favorite gear attachments without needing new mounts each time.
The SkyLine towers mount directly to fixed points on your roof for a custom fit that feels stable at highway speeds. You can even add Yakima Same Key System (SKS) lock cores (sold separately) to help deter theft when parked overnight or at a trailhead. It’s a clean, solid setup that gives you peace of mind wherever you park.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey everyone, I'm Evangeline right here at etrailer. Today we have our Yakima roof rack system and I'll show you how it looks, how it works, but also how to install it specifically on your 2022 Toyota RAV4. Now for your different trims as well as your different types of RAV4 models, this will fit if you have a version with the raised rail. It is a custom kit, so let's go take a look. There's plenty of roof rack options for the RAV4, but a lot of people like the Yakima version because the crossbars, the tower, and the custom fit kit, they all go together. However, if you wanna take off your roof rack real quick, it's simply a matter of opening up the doors and you can lift it off.
So for those that may not always want a crossbar on their vehicle but they want it easy to just put on there in case you need to carry some fun gear like a roof box or a kayak, this might be the kit that you're very interested in. This kit currently has the black JetStream bars, but you can get different Yakima crossbars depending on what you need. A lot of people like the JetStream bars though. I like them too. They're very versatile.
They can carry a bunch of stuff. Now you can see the length of our 50 inch bars. Did you know the front and the rear are the same Length is just the curve of the roof that gives you different overhang. So overhang is measured from the tower to the usable end of the bar. In the front we have almost three inches.
In the back we have 4-1/4 inches. You can see the difference there when carrying things that changes because of the curve of your roof. This kit secures to the fixed points of your flush rail. So they go to very specific spot, front and back, which gives you a specific crossbar spread. If you we inchesre gonna measure center to center, you'd get a measurement of 32 inches apart which is actually on the pretty far end for usability with all types of different accessories.
So why would you care about the different numbers said in this video so far Depending on what you're carrying, let's say a roof box or roof basket, you'll want a certain crossbar spread and you can check out those numbers on our page if you're not sure what you need. Now for other items, it also tells you how many items you can put on there. If you wanna carry two kayaks or four kayaks or skis and snowboards, you'll want to know how everything fits together. This does sit pretty high up on the roof. So there's two measurements there. One is gonna be the distance from the top of the roof to the bottom of the bar and where I measure specifically I see around 4-1/4 inches. That's gonna change the depending where on the curve of the roof you're measuring. Now this is a lot of height, so most accessories with clamps, even the U-bolts and wing nuts, you are gonna be fine. If you have this sunroof, which is what we have here, you'll have plenty of clearance. The next measurement is gonna be the height added in total. So top of the roof to top of the bar will range from 5-1/4 to 5-1/2 inches of height. And that's helpful 'cause that's where your cargo sits. So let's picture skis with extra tall bindings. You wanna make sure there's enough clearance with those bindings so you're not scratching up your roof. With this setup, you'll be good. Now, if you we inchesre to carry a longer item like a kayak or a ladder, you'll wanna be interested in how much hatch clearance you have. So when you measure from the rear bar to the closest point on our door here, that's gonna be 28 inches. So that's plenty of clearance. This is gonna be super helpful for carrying all kinds of things. If you do carry a super long canoe, just be mindful of the length it'll add to the back of your car and just maybe not open the door all the way. This roof rack is a great fit on the RAV4. If you are looking for extra clearance to carry all kinds of longer or maybe taller items and still clear with your car, or if you're looking for something that can be easily taken off. If you wanna just put the caps on, maybe you wanna open up your sunroof and you don't want the crossbar in the way. However, it is important to think about what you're carrying and if it will fit well with your crossbar system. For example, if you have Thule accessories, you may wanna stick with a Thule roof rack. If you have Rhino-Rack accessories, you may wanna match it up with your Rhino roof rack. But if you have Yakima accessories and there are plenty of roof mounted Yakima accessories and you want it all keyed alike, this is gonna be a great option for you. I think it looks great, it definitely does work great. In fact, Toyota and Yakima have worked together with all kinds of product partnerships. So you'll see a lot of Yakima roof racks on Toyota vehicles. Now if this is a lot of information, you're not quite sure what type of accessories is a good fit for you, please reach out to us here at etrailer. We love helping people get sorted with the right stuff for their adventure. But if you have a RAV4 and you have yours loaded up with all types of gear, send in a review and maybe a picture, and that way you can inspire other people along the way. If you're curious about how I got this roof rack on here, stick around. For your installation process, it's very simple. Now you do have the option of simply securing just the landing pad to your roof with a cover or you can install the crossbar and the tower system. I'll show you the differences as you get this installed. I already have the rear bar up on the roof. So let's get the front crossbar together. Start at the roof of your RAV4. I grab a small flat head screwdriver and this is what I use to pry up on the plastic pieces in the flush rail. Fortunately, there's a perfect little spot here to pry up on. So just lift and then remove your plastic piece. There will be four of these total. Now to prep the pads that will go into those pockets. So on the rubber pad you're actually gonna see a indication of where it's supposed to go. So this arrow here is pointing to the front passenger side, so that's perfect. And then we're gonna have our other pieces here. So I'm gonna remove the cover of this mounting bracket and then we're gonna bring this onto its spot on the roof. Fit this on there, and then fit that top bracket into its little tabs and then secure with a bolt and flat washer. And this will go into the hole that was already in there of your RAV4. And then you're gonna have this Allen key that you'll use to tighten down. So tighten all four brackets until that bolt is flush. With all the brackets tightened down and you can always just give a little shake to your system just to double check. There may be a little bit of play of that plastic piece, but the important thing is that that rubber piece does not have any play. If it does, tighten down even more. Now from this point onwards, if you want to have a compact position, you can just go ahead and put that cover on and just leave it like that. This is how people who don't want to have their roof rack installed just yet would leave their mounting system. Now, once you're ready to put the crossbars on, take that cap off and we'll continue with the next step. Your crossbars will have their own kit that has to be installed onto the towers. The kit we have today is for JetStream and HD bars. So you're gonna have pieces that look like this. Starting with a tower, you first need to open it up, so you pinch the top of the door and then this will allow that door to swing open. And then now on the inside you're gonna see this bolt here. So using the tool included with your kit, you're gonna fully loosen that bolt until that gate on the inside reveals the other bolts. So notice how torn up our gate is. That's because people have tried to access this bolt without fully losing it. So yours will not look like that. Once that gate is fully open, you can then install this plastic piece first. This just drops in and then you can put this metal piece over the middle. So see there's a bolt in there Well, that metal piece will now thread together if you get your tool and start tightening that down. Now don't tighten it all the way, you just want it barely threaded on. With this loose, you'll be able to slide the tower onto the crossbar. So what I like to do is when I remove the end cap out of the crossbar, I can then slide both towers in from that side, just get that facing each other, just like that. And then we can put the end cap in front of it to secure. After pushing this one tower all the way towards the other end, I then get to tighten it down with the included tool. So with this tool, whenever you're tightening down bolts, you wanna keep going until it clicks. This will prevent over tightening and make sure you have proper tension. Now I have found that sometimes over time the towers don't quite move when you have them fully tightened down. So if that's the case for you and you need to get it into its proper position first and then tighten it down there, then this is the part where you would do that. So first, with it in the open position, you're gonna lift each side of the tower into its bracket, and with the door open, you will be able to just drop it into place. In my case, I do have to move the tower a little bit further out on this side in order to get it to fit into place. And then I can close the door, which then snaps that tower into its bracket. Now something you wanna look for is the overhang on each side. You want an equal amount of overhang, and that way you know it's even. If you need to adjust, move the towers back and forth till you have that equal length. And like I talked about, some people loosen the towers, make that easier, and then tighten it down And once they know exactly where it needs to go, that's gonna be an option available for you as well. Once you're happy with where they are on both sides, then go ahead and close that gate on all the towers, again tightening down to proper tension. And then you can now close this cover, which secures it into the bracket. Here you have a plastic end cap. That's what I use and how I use my towers. But if you have the extra Yakima same key system lock cores, you can replace these small lock caps with those metal lock caps instead for extra security. And here's some final touch up things. There are some rubber strips included with your crossbars. You'll want to cut those up to size to fit underneath the crossbars, that way this won't have a whistling sound when you go down the road. You are also gonna have some extra pieces here. So your vehicle flush rail caps along with your tools, your Allen keys, as well as the cover caps. When you're not using your crossbars, I put them all in one of the Yakima boxes and store them inside of the vehicle so that they're ready for whenever you need to adjust your system. With all that being said, that's gonna be it for the installation of your Yakima roof rack. You're now ready to load this up with all the gear for all of your adventures and hit the road with your 2022 Toyota RAV4. My name's Evangeline. Hopefully this helped you out.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
93% were satisfied with this product
7% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
Bought kayak racks. Took a while to put together, but they are very high quality. etrailer send a wrong part (digits on the part number were reversed), but it was very easy to get this corrected and I received the correct part in less than a week. I even spoke to someone on a Saturday afternoon about the mix up who was very pleasant! They have my vote.
Yakima SkyLine Towers are well-designed and well-executed. They easily fit into the Yakima Landing Pads and form a tight fit when closed. And they also fit nicely into the Yakima JetStream Crossbars when following the Yakima instruction manual and various YouTube videos. I did run into a snag at first where I found the rubber seal on one SkyLine Tower getting caught on the JetStream Crossbar track, but after that I was careful not to let that happen with the other towers.
I find the appearance of the Yakima SkyLine Towers to match their level of quality in materials and design.
Relatively easy to install on my VW Golf (etrailer videos are very helpful) and sooooo useful with my Yakima skybox. Not much road noise, so I can leave the rack on even when I am not using it.
the product was exceptional. I would recommend it to anyone, who has a vehicle with a naked roof. It is a solid as a factory installed rack. Josh went out of his way to get me a replacement torque screw driver because the first one from Yakima was working properly.
These bars are outstanding. They were purchased for a Jeep grand cherokee '18. I had previously purchased from another brand, but the whistle noise was constant and very noticeable. These are completely quiet, I am glad I changed to the yakima bars. Installation was also much easier, and more "flush" mounting with the yakima brand. Glad to do business with etrailer!
The Yakima JetStream Crossbars minimize wind noise and provide full, yet sleek support to every roof top load demanded of it.
Super solid rack and the only one that fits the Jeep Cherokee without rails well and looks good too. Easy to install and worth the price
The rack system seems very good, but time will tell, of course. The installation is difficult and time consuming. I purchased the system needed from etrailer website with guaranteed to fit pieces. I would call myself a very experienced do-it-yourselfer. I followed directions slowly, carefully, and exactly, yet there were problems. The video for installation given for my exact order did not match the printed and actual assembly and installation directions. The baseclips that were guaranteed for my model vehicle were actually for a different model vehicle according to the enclosed sheet ... however they did work anyway but caused some "looking up" and some confusion during assembly. I was careful to assemble exactly to measurements given ... and once that is all done and tightened and "sealed up" you put them on the roof, only to find that they could have been spaced a bit wider for a perfect fit. They are fine enough and we'll see if they stay tight to the vehicle. If not will need to take it all apart and widen the spacing.
It is excellent that basically only one tool that is provided with the racks is needed. And also that each part must "click" when properly tightened. That adds reassurance and satisfaction while assembling.
There are so many models of vehicles and it is not easy to figure all this out. etrailer has a very helpful website, response, and videos to help ... but my review is to emphasize that the instructions are not perfect. One needs lots of patience, common sense, and perhaps re-assembly for a perfect outcome.
Very nice quality towers. Very heavy duty! They have a cool "snap" on / off mechanism for quick removal and installation.
Well you asked for it so;
I ordered this as part of my roof rack for a 2021 Nissan rogue. The complete roof rack set was unavailable le as one bracket was on back order and said would ship in under a month so I ordered everything else in the meantime. Little did I know it would take a over a year to get one stupid bracket and yes, I'm still waiting. I can't even return the items I bought because it's way past the 90 day policy even though they're brand new still in the box collecting dust. etrailer, this has been the worst experience I've had yet with you guys. Oh still waiting for my one bracket to complete my roof rack
robert s was terrific !!! excellent customer service !!! from assisting with a return, to recommending an alternative, to informing me about delivery status ...
the yakima jetstream crossbars with baseline towers were a bit more complicated to assemble and install than the brand i returned, but the wind noise and whistling are dramatically less ...
the next step is to select a cargo carrier ... it goes without saying that i will consult robert again ... thanks so much robert, and safe and happy travels to all
Great product but what is even better is etrailer’s service! Order was lost in the mail but Lauren stayed on top of it and made it right. Thank you for the great service!
Very happy with our purchase. I love how easily you can remove the entire rack easily. Too bad the locking mechanism comes separately but we are still happy with what we received.
Amazing quality easy set up fast shipping buy the locks the 4 pack With this fast shipping super impressed
For a 2015 Mazda 3, 4 door sedan.
I used the 50" jetstream bars with the skyline towers and the #22 Landing Pads.
Went together easy, great quality, very solid feeling! And, easy to remove and install when needed.
Super happy with my purchase from e trailers purchased yakima roof rack. Knowledgeable sales rep.Help me through the process on purchasing my roof rack Recommended to anyone quality parts
Lightweight and actually quite quiet with no attachments on them. With my bike racks there is a fair amount of noise but it doesn't come from just these. Mine is on a 2011 BMW 335.
The installation was super easy, and despite a long time stuck in shipping the delivery itself was extremely fast, and the package arrived in spotless condition. The manuals were very easy to follow, and the end result is absolutely amazing. I love that there's a rubber piece in the top rail that doesn't need to be cut, which makes it a very flush and smooth fit. I also love the modularity and the weight that it can handle, especially for the stuff i plan on carrying.
The yakima jetstream crossbar looks beautiful. Quality is great. Took my vehicle for a test drive, and i didnt hear anything loose or broken from the bars. Very satisfied with the product and the instructions were great. It was my first time installing a roof rack too.
I waited several weeks for roof rack to arrive after ordering online. I am accustomed to Thule racks, but could not find any towers/bases to fit the 2019 Santa Fe. Once here, the Yakima rack mounted with ease and I look forward to hauling kayaks or basket on the roof.
Thank you etrailer.
Bought these landing pads (and towers) for both our Outback and Rav4. We shuttle our Yakima rack between the two, depending on the need. We mount both a Thule pod and a Roofnest Meadowlark on the rack with no problem. Once these pads and towers are permanently installed, it takes about one minute to install or remove the rack. Great system, highly recommended.
I like this Yakima rack much more than the Thule system which was remarkably narrow. The only issue I have is rotating the wing bars so that they are flat; tightening the set screw changes its position and makes it very hard to adjust and maintain. . .
Fits nicely into the slot as designed for the 2023 Yukon.
It’s Easier to remove these Yakima skyline towers. Locks are a must for peace of mind in case one of these hinging clamps opened on the highway (very unlikely but a lock would prevent that completely.)
I do wish it was a little smaller profile, but it’s pretty good for a Yakima product.
The only problem I had, was when I watched the video showing how to install the rack, I did not realize that the actual installation process was a lot more complex. For example, the woman who was in the video only showed the installation one rack (I believe itg was the back rack and she gave the width measurement for that one. The front rack was already on the car and the woman neglected to say, "check your manual. The width of the front rack (may be) different than the back. She also did not explain carefully that there were three different screws that needed to be adjusted for a proper fit so the towers were properly adjusted for yoiur specific car. (My car is a 2018 Chevy Volt.) (I also bought Yakima kayak cradles from you guys, which were easy to install.)
However, I blame myself for not reading the manual carefully, so when I installed the racks, they did not fit right and one of them actually fell off while I was driving. (Luckily there were kayaks on and no one was hurt. The two towers were damaged but luckily the rack and the kayak cradles were fine. I called etrailers and was told I had to contact Yakima, which I did. I explained to the Yakima customer service rep that I was at fault for trusting the video and not reading the manual carefully and after asking me to send him photos of the damaged towers he sent me two new towers for free, as well as another torque wrench, so I could work with a second person.
This time I read the manual carefully and watched the Yakima video many times during the a week before I felt confident enough to try installing the racks again.
This time they fit perfectly. I love both the rack and the kayak cradles. I use them to transport my two kayaks down to the Hudson River near my house and have also used them to carry the kayaks to a family camping site 50 miles away, confident they are safe and secure.
But please, review the video you put out for the installation of the racks onto a 2017 Chevy Volt, and either correct the shortcomings by doing it over, with an explanation about the adjustment of the widths, and also reading the manual and finding the correct positions for the adjustment screws. (Or delete it and refer your customers to the Yakima installation video. Though it’s more generic than yours, at least the tell the customer to refer to the manual.
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