Bike/kayak rack for 05 Outback?

[TarHeel]

I did a quick search in this forum, but didn't find the info I was looking for. I have a 2005 Outback which came with rails and crossbars. I would like to get a rack that allows me to transport bikes and kayaks. (I'd like the option of both "two bikes at a time" and "one bike and one kayak", if possible.)

 

I went to REI to get info. They sell both Yakima and Thule, but the salesman was surprisingly uninformed as to the best options for me. (Generally, REI sales staff seem to know their products fairly well.)

 

I'm looking for any advice or testimonials from folks who have done the research and found a rack system that works well.

 

Thanks in advance!

[mdjdc]

The best setup, in my opinion, would be a set of Yakima Lowrider towers, cross bars and then the bike racks of your choice with one kayak rack. If you go with 48" bars you can easily carry two bikes at the same time and onw kayak and a bike. You may also be able to use two bikes and the kayak all at the same time. Just set up the system and mount all of the carriers, then use them as needed. I have a 99 outback and use 58" bars so that I can carry a cargo carrier and two bikes in raptor racks when we go on vacation. Your kayak won't take up as much room as our cargo box so I'd think that you could use 48" bars and not have to worry about hitting the bars when you are walking around the car. If you have any questions PM me and we can get in touch and I can explain how the yakima racks work. I have been selling them online for several years now, but at the moment I donot have any for sale.

[Zefy]

For your application i would recommend thule 450 towers. These would be better than the lowriders because they are rated to 165lbs vs. 100lbs on your vehicle. (this is specific to your outback, not to the towers themselves)

 

you should be able to fit 2 bikes with a kayak on there depending on how you want to carry them. 58" bars would probably be a good call as well just so you have the extra room to play with. (also if you find they are to long, you can cut them down to length. 50" and 58" are the same price)

 

what kind of kayak is it? ocean/lake/whitewater? plastic/fiberglass/kevlar? tandem? weight?

 

to determine which kayak system is best for you these things are important.

 

what kind of bikes do you have? mountain? road? full suspension? carbon fiber? weight? knowing these things will help determine what kind of bikerack is best for you. something like the raptor only works properly with a bike with a standard triangle shape frame. if you have a full suspension bike or an oddly shaped frame the raptor can have difficulties holding onto the bike.

 

some pics of the bikes would be nice just to be certain.

 

I am a rack 'specialist' from rackattack. hope this helps.