Got it here…
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-present/43682-official-2013-outback-info.html
Found it, sea kayaks
I see how they did it - found a picture that shows a cutaway set inside about about in the middle of the rear solid portion. So it essentially represents a third position for the factory cross-bars, leaving the front one where it is.
I think someone would have to see this to tell if it shifts the carrying of a boat overall further back than the prior system - hard to tell from the photo.
The text in the link that gives the longer span says that it was done in response to comments from customers including kayakers. So it appears that a few years later they got the point - or they decided to act when they saw that Yakima was going to steal their add-on business with a landing pad that worked for the new rack. Not that I am cynical or anything.
The part that has me less than comfortable is that there are no statements about whether their new rack system is approved to carry sea kayaks. One unfortunate result of their standing their ground over the silly new racks for the last couple of years is that Subaru put out a pile of statements in print that their rack system should never be asked to carry two sea kayaks (or tripping canoes I guess). I know that when I mentioned the same in Subie dealerships I have been told to look at a trailer. So of someone has an unfortunate event on the highway using the Subie original racks to carry a couple of sea kayaks… it could get messy.
Third party towers and cross bars may still be the safer bet.
I wish there was a like and dislike
button on this forum…
I will reserve judgement until I see one
in the flesh, but moving the REAR bar 10 inches REARWARD is not the best option IMO. Better to allow the FRONT bar to move FORWARD so less boat is hanging off the back.
Jim
Skipped to bottom here … IMO only >>
This and all other modern cars … Pull the stock racks off the roof and use the threaded inserts in the roof to create a simple, well spaced interfaces between the car’s attachment points and your flavor of choice racks.
Wider spacing and lower profile … Simple to create ‘feet’ with angle aluminum.
2012 Subarua Impreza works fine…
– Last Updated: Apr-14-12 10:19 AM EST –
with two sea kayaks.
I'm about to take delivery on a 2012 Subie Impreza hatchback. Its rack system is similar, but not identical to that on the Forester, which has the robust 'Euro' style factory rails.
The width between the Impreza's rails measured the same as the Forester's at around 39". The difference is in the spread of the crossbars front to rear (Thule in my case). On the Forester the max crossbar spread is about 36". On the Impreza it's 32".
Another plus in going to the new '12 Impreza platform is that it is a bit shorter heft to put boats in my j-cradles than when using either a Forester or 2010-12 Outback.
Of course ymmv.
3rd party stuff not the issue
We carry three and four sea kayaks regularly on our third party setup on the older Outback, happens to be Yakima towers and crossbars but same basic arrangement as Thule. The only thing that has to bear the weight is the front to back rails, which are mounted over a reinforced area.
The question that I was referring to above is carrying two (or even one) boats the length of sea kayaks using the factory cross bars. Subie, like many, sells J-bars or similar made for their cars that mount directly to the factory cross bars. That is the arrangement for which people spent the last couple of years being told that sea kayaks were too much boat to safely carry. WW or shorter boats yes, full out sea kayaks no.
Impreza vs Outback
– Last Updated: Apr-13-12 9:36 AM EST –
Subaru Impreza Sport and Subaru Outback are different cars with two different rack systems.
Subaru Impreza -
Impreza Sport is a few photos down
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/impreza/impreza2012photos1.html
Subaru Outback - http://www.cars101.com/subaru/outback/outback2012photos1.html
Edit - what do you know, Subaru dropped "Impreza Outback" designation, probably to reduce confusion
my sea kayak @ almost 17’ weighs
only 5lbs more than my 12’ Pungo. So how can they say that they are not intended to carry sea Kayaks? I use the same rack with the same spacing.
I don’t have a Subaru, but what they are saying makes no sense. They are screwing us and themselves.
Agree
The Subie folks haven’t been making any sense on this since the new Outback racks. Anyone who knows squat about hauling boats knows that length per so is not an issue with proper lines and strapping, because of the weight variations by material as you mention. Before the new Outback rack system, any back noise about this was not so broadly stated. At least, it was not showing up in published letters to customers and responses on blog sites. But with the controversy over the new rack system, the company started getting pretty wacky.
I suspect that they may have been as confusing had they been as pressed for responses about the prior racks. But their racks hadn’t had substantial changes from well before the time that a house fire in Connecticut resonated 90 minutes later on the news in California. I think they blew it on thinking about sea kayaks with the new rack system, and that was compounded by their not understanding that the world has become a much more public place.
More re the 2013 Outback Rack
I happened to park next to a post-2010 Subie Outback at the bank today, and realized that we lined up almost perfectly when I started to get back in. Our Yakima racks were up and they had their crossbars deployed, so I could see the relative locations between that and our 2007 Subie Outback.
- The forward rail in the 2010 system is maybe a couple of inches further back, at most, than the location on my car.
- The new slot that they are adding in the rear for the 2013 models looks like it should line up with where our rear cross bar is currently set, at the back of the open run along the side rails.
In sum, they just spent a couple plus years being cranky about going back to pretty much exactly what they had before they decided to “improve” it. Fill in the blank…
Cranky? Nahhhhh.
I got an actual letter from SOA regarding my complaint about the 2010 and later racks.
They were PROUD that they had vetted the design with several “focus groups”.
Apparently the ACA and IMBA were not included in thos (un)focused groups though.
Jim
Longing for a set of Euro Aero rails (like the ones on Outbacks from across the pond.
Jim
Focus groups
Been there done that.
You can get almost any response you want from a focus group. All depends on whom you select as focus group participants and how you lead the discussion.
If the Outback focus groups consisted of people who did not use their roof racks then any roof rack design is fine.
If their focus groups included people who use their roof racks for canoes or longer kayaks I am sure their focus group results would have been considerably different.
Did you mean “abomination”?
“Abortion” doesn’t quite fit in the context.
Ahhh, learned something new
So it’s like the “v. 2.0” that quickly becomes “v. 2.1” as soon as the early-adopters start howling.
I’m looking at hauling my 12’ kayak with a set of kayak racks for my Forester, I found a set of folding that are much cheaper than Yakimas. https://vaultcargo.com/subaru-forester-roof-rack-cross-bars/ Wondering if anyone has used j bars other than Yakima or if you’ve used these and they worked well. thanks.
@ said:
30 in
I just measured the spread and it is 30 inches. On top of the car it doesn’t look like much but my last car was a Honda Civic and the rack attached to the front and back windows. That can’t possibly have been more than 30 inches.What I can’t find, is a suitable place in the back to hook lines other than in the trunk.
Move the rear bar to the aft position. You’ll have 40", on a 2017 Outback. You will note the aero cradles from Yakima.
I don’t know where you got 30 inches. But the rack measures 40 front to rear with the bar in the aft position. Aft position is fixed. It also does not work with all roof boxes so you’d have to move it back. There is a ‘allen stock’ wrench in your tool kit in the spare tire area for this purpose.
The saddles are Yakima “Even Keel” saddles. When I bought them they were $80 for four. They are now $109. https://yakima.com/evenkeel I’m not real fond of them but they do work in this configuration with little extra drag or performance loss, mpg.
I’ve also used the foam blocks. You can get those from West Marine for about $25. Mine cost $34 last time.
https://westmarine.com/buy/attwood–kayak-car-top-carrier-kit–18462770?recordNum=1
When I carry two boats on this car I use one level and one on Yakima J Hooks.
https://yakima.com/jayhook
Yes it takes some technique to tie these down securely. Run the straps to the horizontal roof rack bars not the j-hook and you’ll be better off. It secures the boat in two vectors not just one as the factory suggests. Note that is the method provided with the Honda OEM bars.
PS…I don’t use bow and stern lines. I just tie ‘em down good. Note, I normally carry 17’ seakayaks. Think long and skinny. If you carry short and fat kayaks all bets are off.