Yakima roof rack track install

N64_Wallmaster · May 28, 2025

nermalgod[OP] initial post: ↑

To satisfy curiosity and to not completely hijack another thread, I'm going to do a quick write-up of my unique roof rack install.

Quick history; I am a paddler by profession. My roof rack is my tool box. It needs to be solid and functional. I carry all kinds of boats from 5' whitewater kayaks to 24' tandem sea kayaks. Most the time I'll have a canoe or two on my roof, plus a bicycle so I can paddle a river and get back to my truck without relying on another person. So to accommodate all that, I need a rack that has a short crossbar spread for small boats and bikes, and a long spread for big boats, hence a 3 bar system.

I chose to track my topper and my cab so that I could use Yakima's excellent Control Tower system. Thule also offers a similar system that installs identically to the Yakima system. I can remove my rack in under 60 seconds and I do not have to worry about deforming door seals or leakage into the cab. Plus, with tracks, I can position the bars anywhere along the length of my vehicle I need them.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough photos to show every step. I didn't take any photos while I installed the tracks into the topper. I guess because I have done that install almost 50 times now, I didn't think about it until I was all done. The two most important thing to know when drilling into a fiberglass topper is to NOT drill into the thicker portion of the roof and to NOT use a pilot bit. Depending on the brand, that thicker portion is cardboard or foam. Either way, if your hole leaks, you'll have all kinds of problems before you even know you have a leak. If you use a pilot hole like the instructions recommend, when you return to finish the hole to the proper diameter, the moment the bit hits the hole, it will chip the gelcoat leaving an ugly scar. Measure it right the first time and just do it, you'll have a clean hole which is easier to seal.

The biggest challenge I had, was to make sure the tracks on the topper were outboard enough to not interfere with the reinforced roof portion, but not too far outboard that the tracks on the cab couldn't be placed inline. Turns out I had a whole 1/2" to play with. I also discovered, that the reinforcement in my topper wasn't installed squarely at the factory.

So here we go, step by step, this is how I did it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this back in 2009 - it's coming in handy today!

Log in or Sign up

Welcome to Tacoma World!

Yakima roof rack track install

#21
N64_Wallmaster Carolina Cajun

Products Discussed in

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Welcome to Tacoma World!

Yakima roof rack track install

#21 N64_Wallmaster Carolina Cajun

Products Discussed in Entire Site Forum: 2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015) Thread: Yakima roof rack track install

#21
N64_Wallmaster Carolina Cajun

Products Discussed in