Q: I’m looking to install a Yakima rack on a 4 door 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Here’s question 1. What is the maximum weight load that I can put on the racks? At the most I would be carrying two Kayaks and 2 mountain bikes at the same time. Question(s) 2. I get the impression from looking at your site info that there are two approaches to installing a Yakima rack. One uses a track which is mounted to the fiberglass top to which the towers are mounted on. The other seems to use landing pads which get mounted directly to the roof. Assuming this is true, it seems the track approach provides more flexibility since you can move the towers to adjust the distance between the bars. In comparison using the landing pads mean once you select the position, you cannot change it. Is this true? And lastly, without seeing more detail of the CapNut hardware, I’m not sure how this works (e.g., how big are the holes and how many do you have to drill?, how big are the bolts?, how are they tightened?). Can you provide a little more description? Once I drill holes in the fiberglass roof, I won’t be able to undrill them and want to be sure they will be secure relative to mechanical loading, be H20 proof, and if necessary, replaceable. Should I worry about cracking or splitting emanating from the holes?

A: Unfortunately this is a difficult vehicle to install a rack upon to provide a lot of weight capacity. And in fact, Yakima does not give any indication of weight limits to I cannot give you any maximum load level. Yakima has two suggested options, first is using the 1A Raingutter System but to only mount on the rear door gutter for 24’ of bar spread. Second, is to permanent mount with LP6 and a Control Tower System but even here they say to not mount on the removable t-top portion up front.

Here are the notes for the permanent install from Yakima:

Notes
405. Weight and load limits must be determined by the customer. Load limitations can vary depending on placement of Landing Pads and strength of material being attached to. Landing Pad 7 has a maximum weight rating up to 100lbs.
406. Do not install Landing Pads on the removable panel over the doors. Only install over the rear portion of the hardtop.
409. A factory installed luggage carrier will prohibit the installation of this application.
411. Landing Pads 6 and 7 are a permanent installation. Be sure to look at the CrossBar Spread Table to determine the correct distance between brackets for your loads.
412. A sunroof or moonroof will prohibit the installation of this application.
415. Fairing length may vary depending on location of Landing Pad installation. Measure the distance between your Yakima towers to determine an appropriate length.

There is a third viable options using tracks but please note Yakima provides no recommendations for use of a track, but we sell this option all day long for mounting into fiberglass truck caps. With tracks you need to drill 5 holes per track, they do provide silicon sealant and I’m not sure how to measure the hole but the bolt is about the thickness of a number 2 pencil, and maybe a inch and half long. I would overseal to prevent leakage, and to date have not heard of any roof cracking (one truck caps which they are used on a lot) or leakage or replacement issues, but since these are mechanical devices in a fiberglass roof then all are possibilites and none can be ruled out. I personally have drilled into my own truck cap back in 2004 with a Yakima track and have no issues but I would always worry somewhat about cracking or splitting emanating from the holes. I’ve inspected my cap every few years and see no signs of failure. Whether a Jeep top is of the same level of constructions I cannot answer.

Now Thule (a competing brand) offers a bit more leniency with weight ratings, in fact they say you can carry up to 165lbs, this is using their 300 Raingutter System with at least 58” bars.

So given your situation and what you want to carry, I say go Thule (at least you have their sanctioned fit) and avoid the drilling issues!

Here’s a really solid overview of the Thule 460R Rapid Podium roof rack system, featuring the ultra-sleek and whisper-silent Thule AeroBlade crossbars. The informational video includes an installation of the complete car rack system on  rooftop fixed-points for a premium factory rack looking 2011 Honda CR-V roof rack crossbars multi-purpose system. With the system installed you can then connect any roof mount gearcarrier attachments to the AeroBlade load bars. The components used in the 2011 Honda CRV car rack install are the Thule 460R Rapid Podium Foot Pack, Thule 3042 Podium Fit Kit and pair of Thule ARB47 AeroBlade load bars. The 460R Rapid Podium system is Thule Racks most versatile roof rack solution, as it is often used for other configurations such as mounting to flush side rails, roof tracks and certain custom, permanent rack applications. There are many Podium Fit Kits available, each designed for a specific application and particular vehicle year/make/model.

view Whispbar Roof Rack Systems Comparison video

Just released is this excellent, in-depth comparison review and installation video by ORS Racks Direct, featuring the Whispbar Flush Bar roof rack system, Whispbar Through Bar roof rack system and Whispbar HD Bar roof rack system (the Whispbar Rail Bar option is featured in its own movie because it differs from these other systems due to its design that does not use the SmartFoot – Fit Kit technology). The video also provides a good step-by-step procedure for installing the Whispbar Flush Bar on a car with factory installed fixed rack attachment locations on the roof top (fixed-points). In this case the car is a Subaru Impreza. Also, for visual comparison, a single Whispbar Through Bar is attached to the roof in the front, while the single Flush Bar is on the back of the roof. This effectively allows the movie viewer to compare the looks of both systems on a cartop. Very helpful when trying to decide which product to go with. Also, at the end of the movie there is a great informational section detailing how to determine which length cross bars on the Through Bar and HD Bar systems will work on any specific vehicle model. Having the ability to choose longer cross bars than what are normally recommended is a great way to gain extra crossbar space when carrying lots of gear and equipment. Whispbar roof racks feature superior anti-noise generating technology, are ultra slim and low profile and stunning to set your eyes on.

Image of the radical new ARB60 Thule AeroBlade load bars, the longest size crossbars (60 inches) in the new Thule Racks AeroBlade bars line up. Other sizes include the Thule ARB43 AeroBlade (43 inches), Thule ARB47 AeroBlade (47 inches), Thule ARB53 AeroBlade (53 inches).

The Thule AeroBlade bars are Thule Racks winning entry into the realm of aerofoil shape crossbars that eliminate all roof rack wind noise, humming and whistling.

All Thule AeroBlade load bars fit the entire line-up of Thule Rapid Foot Pack roof rack systems, including 450R Rapid CrossRoad, 480R Rapid Traverse, 460R Rapid Podium, 400XTR Rapid Aero and 430R Rapid Tracker.

Not to be outdone by Yakima’s recent release of the Whispbar Racks series of  ‘whisper quiet’ roof rack systems using wind-tunnel tested aerofoil shape crossbars, Thule Racks has just thrown their hat in the ring with the launch of the awesome Thule AeroBlade load bars. Available in four different sizes – Thule ARB60 AeroBlade load bars (60″ size), Thule ARB53 AeroBlade load bars (53″ size), Thule ARB47 AeroBlade load bars (47″ size) and Thule ARB43 AeroBlade load bars (43″ size) – these sizes are exactly the same lengths as the Thule Rapid Aero load bars. There is a very good reason for this, as Thule thoughfully designed the AeroBlades to replace the Rapid Aeros (which have been retired from production) and work on all the same Thule Rapid Foot Pack roof rack systems that the Rapid Aero crossbars worked on – including the 480R Rapid Traverse Foot Pack, 460R Rapid Podium Foot Pack, 450R Rapid CrossRoad Foot Pack, 430R Rapid Tracker Foot Pack and 400XTR Rapid Aero Foot Pack. This makes it very easy and economical for those that currently own a car rack system using the Rapid Aero cross bars to upgrade to the vastly superior AeroBlade load bars, as all that is required is to buy a pair of Aero Blade bars. They attach right to the Rapid Foot Packs for a seamless transition over to the incredible benefits and features of the AeroBlades. The result of laborious, rigorous testing under all conditions and wind-tunnel analytics, the Thule AeroBlade load bars deliver a sleek, fast aerofoil shape that eliminates the possibility of roof rack noise, humming or whistling. Furthermore, the superior aerodynamics actually work to noticeably reduce fuel costs compared to all other crossbars available on the market today. Nor is there ever a need to spend additional money to buy a wind fairing accessory that is normally used to try and lessen noise that often occurs with all other cross bars (though a fairing will never eliminate noise entirely). With technological advancements that include WindDiffuser Technology, SwingBlade Technology, BoxBeam Technology SmartSlide Technology and more (check out this thorough page resource of Thule AeroBlade load bars details and information), it is becoming more and more difficult to find valid reasons to use regular crossbars such as square and round bars. Especially since over the long run, the more expensive aerodynamic AeroBlades will actually pay for themselves over the long haul.

Image of the Whispbar Racks HD Bar roof rack system, one of the many Whispbar products available at ORS Racks Direct. Whispbar Racks recently featured this nationwide dealer with a Whispbar Featured Retailer Profile.

Whispbar Retailer Profile: ORS Racks Direct

In the digital “inter-scape” world of retail, the game is changing for the cargo management category! It’s no longer Pepsi vs. Coke in the same sense that it has been Yakima Racks vs. Thule Racks – Whispbar is here to set a different tone – essentially shaking things up; making it a different category. Whispbar is sleek, aero, and most of all quiet and consumers need to know that. Who is a retailer who is doing this very well? Enter, Catherine Ricklefs and David Ricklefs from ORS Racks Direct.

We recently had the opportunity to meet up with these two (husband and wife team) and find out what they are doing to make sure consumers hear the difference…no pun intended here…of Whispbar. I asked David and Catherine what it takes to step into the lead from a retailer’s perspective for getting a new product into the hands of the consumers it speaks to.

Dana (Whispbar Racks): David, we have been receiving a lot of buzz from your website blog and Twitter tweets through our social monitoring efforts and ORS has been LOUD!!! How are you keeping up? Running the business and keeping your employees happy – not to mention raising a newborn – congratulations by the way from us at Yakima, takes a serious time commitment. But seriously, how are you keeping the momentum rolling?

David Ricklefs (ORS): Dana, it’s simple really. It’s a tremendous amount of work on my behalf – really its manual labor – I am constantly monitoring the buzz that comes across all our social channels. I am really “listening” and responding as quickly as possible – that takes work and plenty of it.

Dana (Whispbar Racks): I can only imagine the time you spend on this, for we have a couple people at Yakima monitoring our social and its hard work. What drove you to attack the product introduction as you have through the social marketing aspect?

David Ricklefs (ORS): I knew what Whispbar was bringing to the table after you hosted your retailers in Portland back in April to unveil the product and the retail program to support it. I knew that I needed to be first in the digital game to capitalize on sales, so I took the “playbook” and ran with it. In your online partner line-up, ORS is really a small shop, but it has a big punch and I knew that I could capture a large audience if I could have a louder voice. I knew that by leveraging our website blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts I could not only communicate to our existing followers that we were bringing a new product – something that was game changing – no longer a Pepsi vs. Coke choice. Whispbar is more fuel efficient, quieter, and sleeker – sexier too! I needed to voice that and that’s exactly what I have been doing.

Dana (Whispbar Racks): That’s awesome David! Have you been receiving some positive upswing in demand for Whispbar in the past few months that it’s been in the market?

David Ricklefs (ORS): Yes, in fact, we have generated some tremendous interest in the products and are taking orders now. Our sales team is bought into the product and its benefits, so we are converting that “untapped” demand to sales through them.

Dana (Whispbar Racks): This is fantastic! We really appreciate your business and will find every opportunity we can to support you and the other online partners in the coming months and into 2012 – which will be a very exciting year for all!

visit the ORS Racks Direct selection of Whispbar Racks

Killer example of roof rack excellence, this VW Eurovan roof track rack system and luggage carrier is using the Yakima Control Tower System with 2 sets of #1 Landing Pads mounted into a set of Yakima 60" roof tracks and the Thule 605 Ascent 1700 cargo box.

This is the kind of rack magic we love to see, especially under a bluebird sky. I wanted to praise the owners but I was worried that they may have been taking a snooze after a long day on the trails. This Volkswagen Eurovan permanent roof tracks rack system with cargo carrier is using  a set of Yakima 60″ roof tracks mounted to the pop top. The Yakima Control Tower system is installed into the tracks using two sets of #1 Landing Pads (LP1).  A Thule 605 Ascent 1700 cargo box is attached to the Yakima 66″ crossbars.

Picture of the TracRac CapRac truck cap rack - tonneau cover rack system, a versatile professional grade work rack for pickup truckbed camper shells, caps, toppers and fiberglass tonneau covers. Also serves as an excellent truck rack for carrying sports gear and equipment.

Now owned by the Thule Group, parent company of Thule Racks, the TracRac Truck Rack Company is uniquely situated to dominate the commercial work rack market even further. With the backing of Thule Racks engineers, product developers and efficient production and manufacturing systems in the United States, Trac Rac Truck Racks is upgrading and improving their entire product line with even more features and benefits. Witness the release of the TracRac CapRac truck cap rack system, specifically designed for permanently mounting to any pickup truck bed camper shell, topper or cap (alse serves as an excellent fiberglass tonneau cover rack). The TracRac CapRac now uses a very innovative swivel bracket mounting design for a universally perfect fit on virtually all styles and designs of pickup truck caps, camper shells, toppers and fiberglass tonneau covers. All the fastener hardware is also hidden, delivering a very impressive clean and finished look. The included gaskets also ensure the TracRac CapRac truck rack remains 100% waterproof at all times. Also includes a full set of Load Stops that serve as the perfect tie-downs to secure and stabilize a wide variety of gear and equipment such as ladders, lumber and plywood, conduit and piping etc. The premium, universal  Trac Rac cross bars also serve double time for leisure and recreational sport activities. Go ahead and mount a wide selection of roof baskets, cargo boxes, bike racks, kayak racks, canoe carriers, stand-up paddleboard and surfboard racks, ski and snowboard carriers etc.

Great shot of a Toyota Tacoma hitch bike rack and roof top kayak rack system using the Yakima SwingDaddy hitch mount bike rack. The rooftop rack system consists of a set of Yakima 42" tracks, the Yakima Control Tower System with Landing Pads #1, two sets of Yakima Mako kayak saddles, and the Yakima BoatLoader kayak lift accessory.

Here is a nicely racked up rig that I recently spotted on my way to somewhere.  This Toyota Tacoma hitch bike rack and roof kayak rack system is using the Yakima SwingDaddy hitch bike rack mounted to the 2″ receiver and is ready to carry up to four bikes.

On the roof, a set of Yakima 42″ tracks has been installed and is supporting the Yakima Control Tower system which uses two sets of Landing Pads #1 to connect to the tracks. 

For transporting kayaks, two sets of Yakima Mako saddles are attached to the Yakima crossbars, and the Yakima BoatLoader kayak lift assist accessory, which integrates into one of the crossbars, is ready and waiting to help with the job of loading and unloading the kayaks.

Image of the various Whispbar Roof Racks Base Fitting Kit Clips. Fit Kits are for use with patented universal Whispbar SmartFoot & Cross Bars on vehicles with bare roofs, factory installed fixed-points, side rails, roof tracks, raingutters and more. Whispbar Racks is owned by the Yakima Rack Company.

An important aspect of the Yakima owned Whispar roof rack systems is the modular component design that allows for a cost-effective way to transfer the same roof rack over to a new vehicle. In most cases all that is needed is a different set of Whispbar Fit Kit attachments that connect to the base of the patented universal SmartFoot on any of the Whispbar Racks general-purpose base rack systems (Flush Bar, Through Bar, HD Bar etc.). Using the correct specific Whispbar Base Fitting Kit with the SmartFoot will allow the system to mount to a vehicle with a roof mounting requirement that the specific Fit Kit is designed for, such as automobiles with completely bare roofs, factory installed fixed-points, factory side rails, roof tracks, raingutters, even custom permanent roof rack mount applications. There are many different models of Whispbar Fit Kits available to match virtually all specific vehicle year, make and models. Please note that the Rail Bar factory side rails car rack does not require Fit Kit attachments. It will transfer directly over to another vehicle with factory side rails.

Picture of the Whispbar Racks HD Bar combination sport-work rack, the ideal choice for any professional applications, commercial work use as well as playing and having fun. Whispbar is owned by the Yakima Rack Company.

Now available at select Yakima Racks dealers thoughout the United States and Canada is the all-new Whispbar HD Bar roof rack system, the ultimate multi-purpose base rack system for anyone seeking to combine work applications with sport and having fun. Whispbar Racks is owned by Yakima, and the product line is a premium high-end option for those seeking the ultimate blend of aesthetics, universal ease of use, durability and whisper quiet cross bars that produce no noise, whistling, humming etc. The cross bars also effectively reduce wind drag and deliver better fuel economy than any other roof rack options on the market today. The Whispbar HD Bar system uses the same SmartFoot engineering as other Whispar rack models. The Smart Foot is a proprietary Yakima innovation that allows the SmartFoot to combine with any number of different Base Fit Kit options to mount to any vehicle rooftop style. Whether you need a roof rack that mounts to a completely naked rooftop, factory side rails (both flush and raised types), fixed-points, roof tracks, raingutters or even a custom permanent rack mounting application, the Whispbar HD Bar SmartFoot and appropriate Base Fit Kit will do the job. The HD Bar roof rack differs from the other Whispbar options (FlushBar, ThroughBar and Rail Bar) because the cross bars are more heavy duty and can handle up to 220 lbs of weight while the crossbars on the Flush Bar, Through Bar and RailBar models hold up to 165 lbs of weight. The HD Bars also have a uni strut T-slot running the length of them to allow for attaching many different work rack accessories such as tie-downs, load stops, ladder holders and ladder rollers, ratcheting cargo buckles, pipe and conduit holders and more. The HD Bars also have integrated tie-down points to secure any gear load. Also has rubber stripping running down the bars to protect the gear load and the crossbars themselves. Also serves to prevent the load from shifting laterally when in transit. 

Learn about Whispbar Racks