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Comparing The Yakima ShowDown And Thule Hullavator Kayak Carriers For A 2012 Subaru Outback  

Updated 02/03/2026 | Published 07/16/2024



Question:

Hello. I was hoping you could help me figure out what I needed and should do for a car roof rack system and kayak lift assist. I am admittedly confused by all of the options / requirements. 1 I have a 2012 Subaru Outback with the factory rack installed. Its the type where you can stow the bars or open them up and put the crossbars across the roof. 2 We are wanting to transport 2 touring kayaks - both about 24 wide, about 14 feet long, and 45-50 lbs. We are probably most curious about the Thule Hullavator but have also watched videos for the Yakima Showdown so either of those would probably be ok, but confused on how long of a bar we need or what system to get, plus would weight requirements, etc be ok. Can you help clarify all of this for me with all the things I would actually need including locks Thank you so much for any help you can give. Leon

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Expert Reply:

Hi Leon,

Factory roof racks typically have a low weight capacity and won't have enough overhang for a kayak carrier with lift assist to be compatible so I definitely recommend checking the capacity and overhang to see if you can use it. The Thule Hullavator # TH898 requires either a Thule SquareBar crossbar or a crossbar with an accessory slot in the top to mount so it would likely not be compatible with your factory crossbars.

The Yakima ShowDown # Y04081 comes with clamp on brackets making it a lot more versatile. It requires 3.5" and the Hullavator requires 4" of overhang so that the lift assist doesn't touch the side of the vehicle while loading and unloading. If your factory rack doesn't accommodate this then you can replace it with the following Yakima roof rack components:

Landing Pad 13 # Y00239
SkyLine Towers # Y53TR
Yakima JetStream Crossbars # Y00426

The ShowDown is going to be the better option overall because it's easy to mount, the saddle design will make it easier to load the first kayak and then slide it over to another carrier, and can be locked with Yakima's SKS system lock cores # Y07202.

expert reply by:
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Kevin C
Lazer S. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Lazer S.

2/3/2026

Hey Leon, how did things go with the Yakima ShowDown setup on your Outback? Did the new crossbars and towers give you enough overhang for the lift assist to work smoothly? Your update could make it easier for others trying to haul two kayaks on a similar roof rack.

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