Is there much difference in actual performance/dependability between Yakima, Thule, Malone, Rhino, etc?
What are advantages / disadvantages of different cross bar types?
I recently bought a 2013 CR-V with no rails and need to choose a rack.
You’ll get users who prefer every maker (most are brand loyal and not many people have experience with different brands – we tend to like what we know.) But in observing all the friends and family who haul outdoor sports gear for the past 30 years, it has seemed like the bicyclists and downhill skiers prefer Yakima and boaters, surfers and and people who also use their racks for hauling building materials and ladders (like me) prefer Thule. To some extend market penetration has a bit to do with the kind of dealers who stock the brands, though with so many buying mail order these days that is less of a factor. I started back in the 1970’s with the Quick-n-Easy clamps that mounted on car rain gutters (which no longer exist) and for which we made crossbars from treated wood 2 by 4s. So I naturally gravitated to the standard square bars of Thule once I started hauling kayaks and canoes and have used them ever since. I imagine there are some benefits to round bars, possibly more efficient roller type attachments to facilitate sliding boats onto the rack, but I like the larger area of contact and the ease of keeping attachments upright with square bars, especially for hauling a canoe.
I do admit I usually buy used Thule components, either locally through Craigslist or Marketplace or through eBay, and have always had good outcomes with those. Since the parts are so model specific, people often sell off a rack when they buy a new car. I do have a Malone inflatable rack (their H20) that I take with me for travel to place on a rental car, but I have no experience with their standard racks.
Not at all familiar with Rhino, but looking at their web site I see no boat specific attachments and their aero blade type bars would not accept the wings, j-racks and other kayak and canoe carrying attachments that Thule and Yakima offer
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no difference in function, any of the name brands will be fine.
I’ve stopped buying name brands and find the $40 racks off ebay work perfectly well also.
My last truck was $3000 and Yakima thought I should spend $1600 for cross bars. Well, no.
My wife is looking at a new CRV, on which the dealer charges $2200 for the crossbars.
Used racks off ebay are as willowleaf says, a good option. For a 2013 CRV there should be a decent selection. I’m still using Yakima racks from 1990 on one car, the racks don’t really wear out as such.
Buying again or new, I would consider the aero-shaped crossbars, as my cheap ones whistle as we drive.
Here’s a couple of Explorers, one Ford and one Mad River, to demonstrate the $40 racks at work…
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I stopped my Thule square bars from whistling by wrapping a spiral of parachute cord around them to break air flow. I choose bright neon colors which helps me find my anonymous little grey blob car in crowded parking lots. The cordage fades after a year or 2 in the sun (though now that I finally have a house with a garage it should last longer.)
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Haven’t heard of any problems with non-major brand racks, but there have been a number of stories of cheap J-racks failing due to metal fatigue or substandard fasteners. The J-bars tend to break at the base.
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CRV with $2200 crossbars? Yikes! Is that rails and crossbars? Even if that’s it, it’s crazy. My local Honda dealer was laughably outrageous with attachment prices but since my 2023 Hybrid Sport came with rails I was able to get Honda crossbars from an online dealer at below MSRP with shipping. Still not inexpensive.
In case she hasn’t looked into it, there is absolutely no place that I or the service dept could find to secure bowlines for transport. Under the hood is so packed with plastic covers and such that hood loops I used on previous gen CRV were useless. The one space I could find was just below the windshield and it was impossible to get tension because of the angle it allowed. There are front tow hooks but then you have your straps/rope going over the grill which is plastic and has some of the driving sensors in the H badge. There may be a way to do it that I haven’t figured, but I gave up. Frustrating for a “sport” vehicle that people should want to carry a canoe on.
These can be bought or DIY.
They can be used on the hood, trunk, or on a hatchback. Some people worry that they may distort a hood, but I’ve never heard of a problem.
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I bought a 2024 CRV and it came with rails, right now I am using the Honda Cross bars (~$230 dollars from the dealer) that fit the car and aeorodynamic large surfboard pads (~32 inch wide I believe, $50 from Dakine), so far this has been fine for large SUP board and kayaks that weigh less than 60 lbs, I don’t drive over 75 mph and have high quality NRS straps. No issues and I have made about 2500 miles in trips this way. Longest day driving was 850 miles and just needed to tighten the straps a couple of times.
For racks I prefer Yakima and I am looking at putting some on my Ford Maverick pick up, they are pricey but not as bad as Thule. I know several people who have had inexpensive racks from Amazon fail, it’s just not worth the trouble and risk of damage to your boat and other people on the road. In the dark ages I had some heavy duty aluminum racks on the cab and built my own rack for the bed of my ancient ford ranger, total cost was free, but they don’t make vehicles with solid metal rain gutters any more.
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I have a naked roof on my 2010 Honda crosstour and used https://www.etrailer.com/
to find a selection of main brands and off-brand racks and bars that would custom fit.
It is a handy site if you are a DIYer, but it is a weird market niche and you get what you pay for–even if the relative prices seem far too high for the main brands.
But the nice thing is you can mix/match and the techs will ensure it all fits together or they sell adapters. That said, I haven’t had any problems with my racks, and I carry two yaks with two Malone sea wing cradles.
The rack and crossbars for a bare roof with two cradle-type carriers and additional fitments like the dogbones for the hood/hatch, cost a total of about $1100 new (including shipping/tax etc). Certainly recommend going used on this stuff. Can find great deals.
I will say I only use the dogbone tie downs in front and back if traveling outside our community’s marina-- because once strapped down properly the kayak doesn’t budge and I only drive 5 minutes around the corner at 25 mph. But you need to have them. Not only for peace of mind, but the front and rear tie downs are required in some states and certainly a liability risk if you go on a state road or something without the two additional tie-down points secured.
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I’ve just always been in the bowline/sternline camp and assumed the new CRV would accommodate that. I have under 30 lb canoes and often am traveling 2-3 hours on an interstate a couple times a week. Figured there was that tiny chance of rack failure that could be pretty nasty and found the sometimes unexpected shifting around when the semis blast by a little disconcerting. I ended up getting Yakima KeelOvers which with the usual NRS straps makes it feel completely solid.
Most “Sport Utility Vehicles” are no longer designed for “sport” or “utility”. They are grocery-getters, just like the station wagons before them.
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What are you using for the front tie downs?
I drive a grocery getter and love it because we road trip a lot and it’s less fatiguing.
We’ve done about 50k all over Europe and I can tell you that we like to roll in comfort unlike when we were younger. Air suspension is a must.
There has to be room for doggo and food and great music system. I’ve had utility sport vehicles, Jeeps and such but now we require some comfort
We have Thule and have bought used cross bars on eBay.
The Thule website gives you the # for your vehicle then go to eBay and search it, saves about half.
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No front tie downs; that’s been my issue with new CRV, no place for it. So it’s the NRS straps for the crossbars, Keelovers for lateral stability and secure a thwart to crossbar with flexible gear ties.
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Don’t get me wrong, @MohaveFlyer, we all need groceries. In general, I love wagons and have had several over the years. My comment was more about how marketing gurus target the buyer’s fantasy rather than their reality. After all, how many buyers really need a lifted Ram 3500 dually? Damn few.
As a twenty-something, I drove a full sized Chevy wagon. It was decidedly un-cool amongst my peers, but the roof rack held my 18’ Grumman just fine.
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my vehicle is a 2013. I was planning on using the tow points to attach my bow and stern lines
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My 2013 CR-V is also a “naked” roof. This site looks like my best option. Thanks for sharing.
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On my Ford Sport Trac, I installed a couple loops of heavy climbing rope behind its grille.
The Honda Fit uses its tow hook, though the manual specifically says not to use it for anything except towing 
but I don’t see the harm. No sensors in that car, and the rope clears the grill anyway.
I think we may try the dog bone tiedowns on the hood… though most of the canoe carrying will fall to my future (when delivered) Ford Maverick…
Ford dealer prices on both Yakima and Thule racks for the Maverick are about $800, not sure if I am going to do that.
New cars with aluminum light weight hoods it can be a problem and bend them up.
I’ve heard that concern, but have never heard of it happening to anyone. There shouldn’t be that much force on a bow tiedown and even aluminum hoods have their edges reinforced. In an accident, all bets are off but you generally have more to worry about than a deformed hood.
Using two tiedowns would further reduce the stress on the hood.