Roof rack question

[KNINE]

Which cross bars are more practical, the stock bars that came on the early Vibes and fit between the roof rails, or the aftermarket ones that fit on top the roof rails? I want to carry my kayak on top of my car.

[Kamikaze]

Personally I would have to say the ones that sit on top are probably more practical. (not saying that people haven't used the ones that fit in the rails to carry anything)... you have more clearances on the bottom, if you have to wrap something around the bar.I like the look of the ones that fit in the rails better, but that's more for style than function.

[lovemyraffe]

This one is right up my alley. I have Yakima on mine and love it. As far as aftermarket vs. GM, aftermarket are typically stronger and more "usable." I have put two kayaks on top and it worked fine. You can't go wrong with either Yakima or Thule. Thule uses a square bar while Yakima uses a round bar. They are the about the same as far as price and attachments. I would start with Yakima bars (Yakima bars can use Thule attachments, plus with a round bar you can adjust the angle you attach things) and add as needed. I can get you a screaming price on this. Go to yakima.com and figure out what you want. Typically I will be able to save you 20-30% including shipping.

[NaNC3]

I have a pair of Yakima bars and Q-towers for my old car. What would I need to use the bars on my Vibe?

[lovemyraffe]

You can use the Q-towers. I have my setup with low-riders. They attach to the factory rails and raise the bars above that.

[KNINE]

Do you think I can carry an 11 footer?

[lovemyraffe]

I wish I had pics of when my wife and I went kayaking. I took two with us. 11 feet shouldn't be a problem at all. The funny thing is, I actually got better gas mileage when I had the kayaks on than normal. The trip used a full tank of gas and I got 39 mpg for the trip.

[KNINE]

Are the racks that you're referring to the ones that are on the car in your sig.?

[lovemyraffe]

Yes. But that is just a few of the options. In that pic I have a ski rack, and one bike rack on. I have put 5 bikes on top at once or two kayaks. I have used it (on a Subie Legacy Wagon) for hauling full sheets of plywood.

[prathman]

I'd recommend the current GM "Utility Bars." These have the same rectangular dimensions (1.25" x 0.875") as the popular Thule racks (may even be made by the same place), so they should take all the same accessories. I went to a few places shopping for Thule & Yakima racks before buying the GM ones and didn't get nearly as good a price as I got at PontiacAccessories.com. And the GM Utility Bars came with locks included which were still an extra cost option on the others. The bars themselves seem plenty strong and are labeled as good up to 100 kg (220 lbs.). But Pontiac has a much more conservative 75 lb. limit on the rails.An 11' kayak should be no problem at all. For our 18' double I'd prefer the bars to be farther apart but it works ok. I suppose I could put towers on for the front bar, but I haven't bothered yet - I do use bow/stern lines for extra security.

[lovemyraffe]

Quote, originally posted by prathman »I'd recommend the current GM "Utility Bars." These have the same rectangular dimensions (1.25" x 0.875") as the popular Thule racks (may even be made by the same place), so they should take all the same accessories. The bars are Thule. It is a co-branded item (just like the Vibe itself). There really isn't much of an advantage of getting one over the other GM/Thule/Yakima. The biggest advantage of getting Thule/Yakima over GM is if (heaven forbid) you sell your car, your aftermarket rack can transfer with a few modifications, whereas the GM rack will not. The rack on my car now, has been on 6 different vehicles with no more than $25 to change to the different car.A huge downside to the GM bars, they don't offer a wind-fairing. It makes a huge difference in reducing wind noise.