Okay so we have two WS Tarpon 120 and we had been putting them on top of a 2011 Subaru Forrester. We had the factory Aero Cross Bars and bough the Thule Hull a posr pro. Yesterday after going to the lake we found out that one of the bolts holding on the actory crossbars was stripped out and the bar was loose. I kinda think it maybe be from the added pressure and we are thinking of ditching the crossbars and port a pro and putting on thule square 58 or 65 inch bars and then having the kayaks lay flat which we feel will be more stable.
Please help us with this as we want to go out paddeling but don’t want to waste money or get the wrong things. (of course we will use REI because of the great return policy lol)
Check the weight limits
SOTs are heavy. I suspect that you may have gone beyond the weight limits for the factory cross bars. We have always gotten towers and third party crossbars for serious carrying of kayaks.
Thule and Yakima may have
towers that fit exactly into your car’s factory mounts, but first be sure the factory nut(s) inside your roof are not stripped. If they are you may have to get creative to safely secure the towers. R
Thule on Forester
– Last Updated: Jun-25-12 7:07 PM EST –
I have the same Forester line but a 2009. I had the Aero crossbars but ended up removing them as they really can't handle more than a single boat and that curve on those bars were a problem.
Sounds like you said that the stripped bolt was on the Aero bar not on the roof rack rails? So the rails are still good just the Aero bars are bad for being anything other then a decoration.
I went with a Thule 450 Crossroad pack and a 50" square load bar. I then have two sets of Yakima Bowdowns (J racks). I usually carry two SINK recs (26.75" at 43lbs and 27.5" at 55lbs or so the manufacture claims -- that 55lbs boat is freaking heavy). I think I come bit under the weight limit of the bars. Not sure what the Subaru roof limit is but everything seems secure to me even with a good wind. I see a bunch of Foresters out there with two sets of saddles or J so seems like most of us are keeping under the limit.
I probably get about 1.5" of bar sticking out past the feet. I am thinking the 60" or 65" would be sticking out past the rearview mirrors which I believe is illegal in most states. Are you thinking about putting saddles on the bar outside of the foot pack?