Yakima Mega Warrior Basket Install

Here was my project today. I couldnt see spending the money for a THule Tracker system or similar for my topper. So, I found this yakima basket on craigslist for cheap. I bought some stainless hardware from Home Depot, Rust Oleum Black texture paint, and clear silicone sealant for the holes. Anyways heres what I did.
Made a template in the house for the holes on poster board. Made sure it was centered on the topper and taped it lightly so it wouldnt move.

Drilled the holes and used the cross bar clamps to mount inside and out of the topper to spread the load and not crack the fiberglass.



Final product, pretty happy with it. Now it wont sit as high as it would if it were on crossbars and I can strap down my kayak to it and any other gear. I kept the fairing off for now, gonna see if its needed. Maybe put some lights on it later.

 

That looks awesome Sean, well done. I love how low profile it is.

 

He said his kayak and gear. Now zip up your North Face jacket and reread the post.

 

Interesting. I've had load warriors for almost 10 years and they perform really well. I would make sure you distribute the weight accordingly and NEVER exceed the weight limit (140lbs) of the Load warrior. The load bearing bars are meant to distribute the weight relieve some of the stress on the shell. Let us know how it works out for you.

Also you may want to buy the locking brackings otherwise you can screw the load warrior off the truck in less 3 minutes without much effort . The locking brackets run 60.00 for 2.

Nice job!

Azbackcountry

 

What's wrong with North Face? They make really nice clothes.

 

nice job,i to am wondering how well it will hold up to a load over time without the bars.

 

I understand that the bars disperse the weight. However, what is the difference between putting it on bars that have four mounting spots on the cap, or the four mounting spots on the cap direct to the basket? I'll update on how it holds up, for now it'll just be camping gear until spring when I get the kayaks back out. Thanks for the replies.

 

Looks great! I don't know why i was thinking i needed a Yakima or Thule system to mount a basket when i could do it this way. Keep us posted on the weight as thats my only concern. Good job!

 

Nice job!

 

i like the low pro look! great job i would have had a hard time drilling into the cap

 

So how did this hold up over time?