Ok so I got a 2011 Sienna as a company car. It has the factory side rails. When I go to the Yakima site I come up with the Railgrabers as the only option. My concern is that the side rails run down the back half of the van. It seems that if you had a canoe centered on the cross bars you would have a lot of boat hanging off the back. I normally would be hauling a 16"6" solo or an 18’6" solo race boat on this set up. I am guessing that somebody has this set up and wondering how it works for you.
It will be fine
– Last Updated: Feb-18-11 9:46 AM EST –
But unfortunately Toyota shortened the rack on the new edition of their Sienna. The rack used to go a good bit farther toward the windshield. What they have now is a rack setup that is like the Honda Odyssey's. You still have plenty of bar spread. But I would make sure to have a flag hanging from the stern. As you said, the boat will have to be aft of centered.
When I have to replace my '04 Sienna I may opt to drill the roof and install another bar farther forward and then use the rail grabbers on the factory rack for the rear. Either that or I'll buy a used Sienna of the last year with the better bars (2010).
no options for a q-tower up front?
Ideally you could add a q-tower and bar above the front doors, then use one bar with rail-grab towers on the back.
Perhaps you’ve looked into this with a yakima specialist, and found it’s not possible? (I’ve found the reps at ORS to be very helpful with finding solutions to my rack problems, even when they’re not a standard configuration.)
I may have to dig
Deeper as I have always used towers with my Yakima racks and I have been using them since the 80’s in fact I think I have a few sets lying around the barn. Since I normally have one boat or another on top all season long I would prefer not to have a large hunk sticking out the back.
I’ve got the old
"double cross" towers I think they were called. Didn’t think they would go on my Sienna, but they did. Like them better than the new railgrabber…that just doesn’t seem like enough material hooking under the rail.
If you have the old type, try them. I had to unscrew them all the way to fit around the rail, but they did it and it’s a really secure fit.
That’s good news! I have Double
Cross left over from our erstwhile Outback, and my daughter and son-in-law just got a 2007 Sienna. I can spot a canoe in New Orleans at their house and save gas driving down, without a boat and rack on my car.