GREAT idea Peter
I agree…would be more than happy to pass on a supportive email.
For years I used a Yakima rack for bikes and kayak attached to the factory crossbars of my Outback…in fact a few Outbacks. I ALWAYS use bow/stern tie downs…takes just a minute or so and will make a difference when it is needed…and given I cannot predict that…
On my Toyota4Runner I was told at one local paddling dealer to use the Yakima rack and to attach it to the factory rack with adaptors. However, after looking further, the factory rack was only tested for 100lbs maximum weight…far less than my Tempest 170 and Skerray. So I purchased the setup that allows me to attach directly to the car (above the door jambs). With this setup, the tested/suggested weight max. is 150 lbs for the Yakima rack.
Interestingly, a different paddling store suggested I tie straps in a way that was absolutely inconsistent with the suggestions on the Yakima site in order to maximize the width of the bars. Ultimately, I am now using Malone Autoloader attached to the Yakima rack…works beautifully…
Go to the top of the Subaru leadership…ESPECIALLY the Marketing Dept. who have marketed this vehicle as THE economical AWD to carry stuff to play with…
Best of luck…
Bob
Baja clamps
True, they are different than OB clamps (just stopped at the local dealer to check). But the issue with short spread and long boats is still valid. Lotsa torque happening there!
Jim
This more a post-mortum than an answer,
but I anticipated a similair problem with my Acura Integra. I couldn’t get rack bars more than 22" apart. I carry a 17’ cedar stripper canoe on a 13’6" car. I envisioned a huge roof-top teeter-totter. I added a trailer hitch for our bikes and installed a T bracket in it to hold the bow of the canoe which yields a 7’ spread. I catch a thwart with the strap on the bar, tie the canoe fore and aft.
Something that is easy to forget is that besides the weight, the lift forces on a car-top boat at highway speeds are tremendous. If I encounter high winds, I run a strap over the canoe and through the door openings.
thanks…
Thank you for all your posts on this. I am still working on it. I don’t think anyone posting has a Baja, which I think is one of the problems (short roof with long load, even though the racks were as far apart as they can go). My kayaks are 9 and 10 feet long, and each weight about 38 pounds. I had a bow line (one for two boats, admittedly not a very sturdy one) but it pulled loose when the boats were pushed to the side of the car. There are two places to hook to under the Baja on each side - but nothing in the center. So I hooked to one side. My feeling on this though, is that the bow and stern lines would not have prevented this from happening, since the forces came from a cross-wind. I didn’t check to see if the cross-bar to side rail mount bolts were tightened. I was not given a tool for this from Subaru, and assummed that it would be properly secured form the factory.
Either way, my goal is just to be sure that I make a good effort to inform others so that this won’t happen to anyone else. I will be pursuing this and many of you gave me some suggestions I hadn’t thought of - thanks again!!!
AR
hooks
My ‘05 outback has two hooks under the front of the car and one in the center in the back, so what I do is hook a line from the driver side hook, through the handle in my 16’ kayak and then down to the passanger side hook. therefore, you can use tension to center it that way.
The rear, I just cinch it down to the hook that is in the center of my Outback.
Jay
I’ve got an '04 Outback Sport …
(read:fancy Impreza) with the same setup. I have a piece of climbing rope with a bowline on each end that I clip to the front attachments with carabiners and use the Thule Ratchet lines to the canoe. I have a similar setup that clips onto the single offset back attachment point. Quick, Easy, Strong. Used a similar setup on an '00 civic sedan and put thousands of miles on. Solid as a rock.
~Glenn
on my 99 Forester
I transport a 16 ft. Old Town Penobscot canoe on my 1999 Subaru Forester. I always use just the factory rack, some old towels for padding, two bow lines to the hooks under the front, a stern line, and most importanty, one cam buckled web strap tighlightly wound around the top of the boat and through the rear windows. With this arrangement the rack virtually can’t fail.
rack failure
SOA will generally extend warranties to original owners. Suggest you get service mgr at dealership that sold you the Baja to call corporate in NJ.
They’ll probably “participate” fully or partly.
If selling dealer is unsuccessful don’t hesitate to ask another dealer to make the call. I as an independent Subaru reseller/servicer in Boston can’t get SOA to do ANYTHING extraordinary for me…nor can others…but original owners CAN get stings pulled. Subaru IS notoriously slow and cheap re recalls and warranty issues…they’re a relatively small manufacturer. Nice to see the extended warranty on 2k+ head gaskets, but what about all those 98+ auto trannies that are starting to…AHEM…“hesitate” in Drive??
That’s the next can 'o worms…
The Forester is clearly Subie’s flawed platform, as its aspect ratio is tippy (too short wheelbase for its track and height).
Subie has NOT a great track record with 6cyl NOR overheating issues (witness the 96-99 phase 1 2.5L
OB/GT/For debacle), so I’d be VERY careful to run synthetic in all turbo 2.0 and 2.5. Also personally think the turbo 2.0 (orig WRX) is extremely torque-light, and thus a joke. The newer 2.5L turbo shows far more balance and driveability, btw. Just keep those heads cool…!
The OE crossbars on 2k+ OBs are secured VERY well.
I use a Yak stacker with two 52 lb yaks on it at 65+ with no instability or signs of wind6torque stress. But shorter roof and different design of Baja may alter application limits greatly.
Jetlagged at 3:30 AM in Grenoble,
Ern
Cross bars
All the good aftermarket carriers I've seen attach to the main frame of the factory rack, not the factory cross bars, which normally have rather flimsy-looking attachments to the main frame. I'm not saying I've seen all that many carry systems, but that's what I've seen on the good ones, and for Thule to attach their brackets to the factory cross bars instead of the main frame seems like a really really bad idea from the get-go. They should attach to the beefiest part of the factory rack which bolts right to the roof, IMHO. I suppose if you want to cut costs/labor and avoid buying Thule cross bars or making your own sturdy cross bars, using the factory cross bars is the only option left, but maybe "you *save* your money and takes your chances".