I posed this question a while back, then decided against it, but I really need to be able to carry 2 boats on my Matrix; sometimes mine, sometimes mine and friends. I will have to go with yakima 66" to manage this. The bars will stick out 9" farther than now, and I know they will be right at forehead level for me 
Does anyone else have this issue??? I know tennis balls are a good idea, any others?
Thanks,
Leigh
IB
Ibuprofen?
or what we call IBroken
steve
Long bars
Whenever I put 78 inchers on the Subaru or Vibe to haul 2 tandem canoes (not very often), I give the ends of the bars a couple wraps with hot pink vet wrap. It usually gets my focus before I hit some part of my head on the low bars. But it is still better to put the wide bar rack on my Sienna Van which is tall enough that I don’t have to worry about injuring myself on the canoe carrier.
A couple of issues:
1. Make sure that your bars do not extend past your rear-view mirrors. That might be a vehicle code citation in your state. Bars saw easily with a hacksaw if needed. Or with a pipe cutter.
2. Check (s)Lowes or Home De(s)pot for furniture or crutch tips. 1-1/8" rubber tips will fit perfectly on your bars, and if you buy them in white they will be quite easily seen. The white is not as UV resistant as black, but they are cheap to replace every couple of years.
Jim
Tennis Balls
put a cross-slit in dem an’ pop ‘em on ta de ends o’ de bars. Doesn’t hoyt as much when yer hit dem wit yer noggin’
FE
If you carry your kayak on edge, I’ll
bet you can get by with 58" bars.
Thanks Jim,
I did measure this morning and they won’t come out past the mirrors. I was concerned about that because I didn’t want to hit something with them; didn’t realize there could be legal issues. Good tip on the crutch tips.
Leigh
I was considering that earlier,but
I really need to be able to get two canoes on as well as my yak and canoe. There are times when I go somewhere where the yak is better, say a big lake, and then the next day I might want to paddle a moderate river, and my yaks too long for that. Also, on trips to the coast it’s the yak, then stopping on the way home the canoe might work better.Several friends have canoes as well.
That’s funny Flatpick,
I call it vitamin I.
Funny story
At one time Maryland was quite strict about the overhang on the driver’s side: Not so much as a fraction of an inch past the mirror. But there was no restriction on the passenger side. This led to openboaters with grossly asymmetrical racks (2x4s on Quick & Easy brackets) that could decapitate unsuspecting passersby several feet from the vehicle.
Jim
You may be nearing trailer land.
I know your rails are pretty good, but are they THAT good?
Yup, I am guessing a lot of us boat nuts
have the same problem,
I have 78" bars on my Ford Escape, and they stick way out beyond the mirrors.
I am lucky that at 5’-8’ I just fit under them, but I always have to warn other people to be careful.
I always have to be careful going through a drive through to keep one eye on the end of the bar, and make sure I leave a inch or two between it and the window.
Cheers,
jackL
Alas, trailer land, yes I can see it
just over the horizon Yakima says 125 lbs is the limit. I’m under 100 either way. Am I cutting it too close? I’m guess Yakima understates the limit??? I certainly don’t want to kill anybody.
Leigh
canoe on yak stacker…
Leigh, one of my paddle buddies had a canoe that was too wide for both of our canoes to sit side-by-side on my mini-van. I put my Wenonah Sandpiper on edge with the Yakima stacker bars. The boat traveled quite snugly and I had no problems with it. I made a lot of long trips with this setup. Just an idea for you… Jill
Or tell your friend to get a rack
What kind of car do they drive?
Mirrors smirrors
Hah. We put 96er’s (that’s right 8 foot) on my Colorado for hauling three composite solo canoes to Minnesota. Driven through WV, PA, OH, MI, WI, and MN not even a glance from coppers. And hell even once a State Policeman walked out of a minimart and almost clocked himself. Never even gave it a second look as he walked away with coffee in hand.
Illegal yes. Seems they have better things to do…so far.
Randy
Bar Extentions a Possiblility?
If you don’t need long bars all the time, I found that 1/2" galvanized iron pipe fits nicely into my Yakima bars to create extentions when needed. Can drill them and use marine push pins to hold them in place. I get away with gorilla duct tape. Just be sure the inserts are long enough to go in past the tower clamps a bit for good support. Can also use a long length of 1/2 pipe to create a cheap loading bar that will store inside your Yakima bars.
Pyker, the Scofflaw!
NM
Jim
You don’t even need to drill them.
Just slide the pipe all the way through leaving a foot or whatever out on each side, and then just use a stainless hose clamp on each side up against the end of the yakama bar.
When you want to take it off just unloosen one end and slide the pipe out.
I use duct tape to build up the 1/2 pipe to accept the Yakama fittings.
Cheers,
jackL
Check for ridge inside of Yakima bar…
before buying pipe extensions. One time I planned to use pipe extensions on a friend’s Yakima rack so that he could shuttle my canoe, and at the take-out we found that his Yakima bars have a lengthwise ridge on the inside that prevents inserting 1/2" pipe. I’d carefully checked that the pipe extensions would work before the paddle, but had checked them on my bars, not his! My Yakima bars do not have an inside ridge and the pipe is a perfect fit.