Roof Rack Poll

I already had tons of thule attachments from my previous vehicle so I just bought some adapters to mount the bars on the oem, which allows me to have the attachemts of the Thule and the problem free OEM racks (no worries about leaks etc)... kinda the best of both worlds IMO. Canoe is 8-9' long.

 

The load surface of the cross bars on the 2009 OEM rack are 47 inches wide max. Don't know what your canoe weighs but I had a load of trim on mine the other day that had to be at least 60 lbs with no problem at all, bars did'nt even flex. I would think you might want to calculate in any additional pressure you might add if it's long canoe and you strap the front and rear of it too. Also remember the forces of wind. How many times have we all seen someone cruising at 70 mph and their load is flying all over, but
when they come to a stop to check it out, all looks fine!
Hope this helps.

 

Boat is about 60 lbs and is almost 15' long so i'd need to strap it front and back, good to know your crossbars didn't flex even though you probably didn't have front and rear straps. Thanks for the width measurement also, I'll see if that will work.

 

just got mine from the dealer i work at. love it ill load it for the shore this year

 

Setup could not have worked better this weekend. The drive was 4 hours one way from home. Had a blast on the river.

 

AzogSS,

What kind/model are those black chests in your bed? They look like a custom fit.

 

Two pelican 1660 cases. Got em cheap on eBay. I put 4 extra d rings in the bed and use a thick cable bike lock to make sure they don't walk away. Pelican products are waterproof, have a lifetime warranty, and are tough as nails.

 

My decision was between Yakima and Thule. I chose Thule because there is no risk of load stops or any other carriers turning while on the road... because of round vs square bars. To that point though, you can turn down accessories on Yakima to store them out of the wind while not in use.

 

I'm about to buy an OEM. It looks like ToyotaPartsPeople.com has it the cheapest. Are they a reputable company? Anyone find one cheaper somewhere else? ($240 after shipping)

 

AzogSS, your setup is awsome!

Mecha, that price sounds pretty good. I was happy to get $268 to my door in 3 days from Toyotaparts4u.com. Either one is far less than the $698 quoted by my local dealer! Installation is easy, took me an hour, the next time it would take no more than 20 minutes.

 

i put an oem one once. Does the job and works great. mostly for carrying long loads like extension ladders, conduit, wood, etc. (along with the trail hitch rack).

IMO, tacomas look really naked without some type of rack.

 

I used my OEM rack for the first time, this past weekend. Hauled my 12.5' 60 lb kayak with no problems. I left the cross bars in place and drove to work yesterday and boy were they noisy! Glad they can stow into the side rails when not in use.

 

Man you are not kidding! I use them all the time during the week for work but definitely stow them for the weekend or trips.

 

I like the OEM!! Looks Sweet!!

 

Can you somehow rig up a few lights onto a roof rack?

 

got my thule on now. i bought a used one on ebay for $150 shipped,
fairing included. i rattle canned it, looks brand new.

 

dude that is a sweet set up!!!! where did you pick that thing up at? lights and all?

 

I really interested in doing this. I love the way the OEM looks, but now I'm questioning the functionality of it. I definitely want to have a light rack/cargo basket setup. Do you guys think I will have any issue fitting a cargo basket to the OEM rails?

 

I'd say Yakima just cause it's fun to say...

 

I think Thule is more fun to say. It's actually pronounced 'Toolee'.