Kayak mount

I'm buying my first Kayak and I don't own any crossbars yet. It will weight between 70-80 lbs while on the roof. What would be a good quality, safe & strong mounting system for my application? My 4R is a 19' TRD OR with no lift and the OEM running boards.

Thanks in advance!

PS: Cost is not an issue for a quality combination of crossbars/holder/mounts.

 

I use Thule crossbars and saddles for my kayaks and canoe, served me good for past 12 years.

 

I used factory crossbars for my Thule cargobox. Cargobox box is full of camping gear (tent, foldable chair, portable table and other odds and ends) and Ive had zero issues with weight or even thought about weight tbh. That thing is mounted sturdy and not going anywhere

 

Thanks for the input. I know that Thule makes good stuff along with Yakima and Kuat. I'm just not sure if I should buy the Toyota OEM crossbars (from craigslist) or pony up more $ for new Thule or another aftermarket brand.

I would like the wind noise to be minimal when not hauling the kayak so I'm assuming that the flat crossbars would be better than square or round.

 

I use a Thule. You can usually find a Thule or Yakima on Craigslist since all you need is the universal rack with the rubber straps that grab your roof rails.

Some of the accessories made for aero bars may work just fine on stock crossbars...I use Yakima load stops on my wife's CRV but I don't have anywhere near as much experience as I do with Thule and Yakima systems that have all been rock solid under all conditions including very high headwinds and crosswinds.

Aero bars are definitely going to be quieter than rectangular or round bars on an empty rack but I'd expect that saddles or J-bars or V-bars will all make noise. The quietest solution is to lower the rear window and stick the boat inside (works surprisingly well with rear seats reclined to the first notch) or to always keep your boat on the vehicle.

I can load a canoe from the side. If I was shorter or my vehicle was lifted I'd use stock crossbars to reduce the lift height since I can barely reach it as it is. You're probably going to want to put a heavy blanket on the rear of the vehicle and set one end up there and push/slide the boat up. I don't think you want to use your running boards or a step stool of any kind because you'll end up in the emergency room.

One of the many things I love about my 4R is that it will ALWAYS get me to my put-ins (so far, knock on wood).

 

First of all yes , square crossbars will get you some noise. I think oval ones would be quitter, but have no experience with them. If you have kayak saddles or other mounts you'll get noise anyway. I put crossbars at the start of the season and remove them for winter and my long trips in the summer is usually with canoe on the roof, so I'll get noise from canoe and straps which makes crossbars noise irrelevant for me : ) Thule crossbars as well as probably other 3rd party manufactures take maybe 10 minutes to install, so if you concerned about noise you can put them on only when you're going to take kayaks with you. And you remove crossbars with kayak mounts which fully eliminate any noises when you don't carry kayak.

I got myself 58" Thule crossbars because at first I was carrying 2 kayaks and factory crossbars wouldn't work for me. Now I carry mostly a canoe, I don't think it will fit factory crossbars either. Here's my old setup: but there are a lot of solutions on this and other 4Runner forums if you search for it.

 

Coming from someone who used to work for one of the rack manufacturers, it really depends on what you are looking for...

What kind of kayak (Sit inside, sit on top, hull up, hull down)? Do you want/need load assist? Etc.

I have a pair of Hobie, and use the Thule Areoblade 60" bars, NRS straps, plus bow and stern lines. Boats each way about 70 pounds and have done several multi hour trips including fire roads with this set up with zero issue.

Its best having two people for loading, but for solo trips I use the Rhino-Rack | Water - RUSL Universal Side Loader

For my uses, if I only had one boat, I would stay with the factory crossbars-they have plenty of weight capacity and are the quietest. The Thule do make a little bit of noise and add about 3" of height.

Photo was taken before putting bow/stern lines on-they are a must!

 

Thanks for letting me know about sliding the kayak in thru the rear window, I've never ever considered that. The river that I will fish the most is only a 15 minute drive from home to launch area so this option will work.

 

Just make sure there will be no rain in the forecast if you go that route : )

 

Sorry, I should have been more descriptive in my OP.

It will be a "sit on top" model with removeable seat. I am currently looking at the Nucanoe F10 or Flint models. Also looking at the Crescent Shoalie SF, or Litetackle 2 models. I did look online at the Thule Hullavator Pro, but it weighs close to 40 lbs by itself. As Gumpus mentioned above, sliding it in thru the rear window will work for my short commute to my local river. Thanks for the input!

 

I use Yakima Round Bars and towers. I add towers to clamp to the roof rails & Gunnel Brackets on the round bars to keep everything tight.
I also use the "boat loader" which helps getting my kayak up on the bars fairly easy. Takes minutes to put them on & off the roof rails.
Your boat sounds similar to my Native with removable seat.
My setup looks just like Gumpos'

https://yakima.com/products/boatloader

https://yakima.com/products/gunwale-brackets-2001

Edit: Sorry looks like the 2 product links I added are no longer available. But theRhino-Rack | Water - RUSL Universal Side Loader that Troutshooter posted is basically the same item as the boatloader..

Here is a pic of my older Runner with my kayak loaded, I also use them on my current 2023 ORP - exact same setup:

 

Just curious, what is the front strap over the hood attached to under the bumper?

 

Strap is attached to the 2 hooks under the front bumper on each side.
Its not obvious in the pics but I also attach a rear strap to the loops on the tow hitch.

 

For front tie-downs I use woven nylon "pulling tape" that my favorite canoe dealer uses to tie down boats for new customers. I love it because it easily fits in our nice narrow sheet metal gaps plus it eliminates any forces on the hood. You don't need to find a bolt to attach to, just wrap it around the front structure. You can tuck them under the hood when not in use but I usually just leave them out because the airflow seems to go right over them. To resist crosswinds you want straight bow lines and attachment points closer to the bow if the boat than the front tow hooks. Paracord or small diameter good quality rope would work just as well as pulling tape (which is used to pull fiber optic cables and is sold in rolls of like a mile so might be more than you need). Ultra secure and slickrnsnot.

 

Update!

I have decided to buy a trailer to transport the Yak. Being in my mid 60's, I decided it's not worth risking injury to lift the yak onto my roof. On the plus side, I am going to purchase a longer, wider & heavier yak for better stabilization and tracking. Thanks for all of the replies!

 

Saves a ton of time: