Roof Rack Selection for 2017 Nissan Juke for Roof Bike and Kayak Carrier Installation

Published 01/31/2019

Products Featured in This Question

SeaSucker Monkey Bars Roof Rack - Round Bars - Vacuum Cup Mount - 48" Long

(48)

$499.00

Custom DK Fit Kit for 4 Rhino-Rack 2500 Series Roof Rack Legs - Naked Roof

(3341)

$87.89

etrailer Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On

(219)

$129.99

Rhino-Rack 2500 Series Legs for Vortex Aero Crossbars - Naked Roofs or Fixed Mounting Points - Qty 4

(8964)

$234.99

Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 46" Long - Qty 2

(2754)

$239.98

Yakima JetStream Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 50" Long - Qty 2

(602)

$269.95

BaseClip Fit Kit for Yakima BaseLine Roof Rack Towers - Qty 2

(887)

$71.95

BaseClip Fit Kit for Yakima BaseLine Roof Rack Towers - Qty 2

(887)

$71.95

BaseLine Towers for Yakima Crossbars - Naked Roofs - Qty 4

(88)

$274.95

Question:

I noticed the roof racks you have for my 2017 Nissan Juke have different weight ratings and different distances between their front and rear bars. What does this mean in terms of selecting and using these racks? I have plans to load both a 40# 10ft kayak and at other times a roof bike rack that I have inherited from my sister. Whats the best way to go?

asked by: Tina K

Expert Reply:

The various roof racks we have to fit your 2017 NIssan Juke with a bare roof do indeed have weight ratings and bar spreads that vary from product to product. All racks are shown on the page I linked for your reference.

In general, a wider bar spacing provides greater stability for whatever is attached to the rack, whether that's your bike rack or your kayak. Wider bar spacing simply gives you a potentially steadier setup. For kayak transport 24-inch bar spacing is considered the minimum acceptable spread.

The specialized vacuum cup racks like # 298-SX6000B from SeaSucker do not show a bar spread simply because these are flexible in where you install them. You could space these bars apart by your preferred distance if you have the space on the roof.

Standard roof racks like the Rhino-Rack Vortex system (parts # RRVA118B-2, # RRRLKVA and # DK260) do have a fixed bar spacing which for this rack happens to be 27-1/2-inches, with a weight rating of 110-lbs. This attractive black bar rack is shown in the included photo.

As another example, the Yakima Jetstream setup (parts # Y00425, # Y28TR, # Y06145 and # Y06138) has a wider bar spread of 32-inches and a higher rack weight rating of 165-lbs.

Either the Rhino-Rack or Yakima systems will be fine for using a kayak carrier like etrailer's J-Style Folding model # E98878 or the Yakima HighRoad Roof bike rack # Y02114 which is a wheel-mount type. Videos on both of these carriers are linked.