Clearing the Antenna on a 2012 Mini Cooper with a Kayak Rack

Question:

I have a 2012 minicooper, without any rack. I was told that a good product would be Yakima, with the four towers, the appropriate clips, two 48inch crossbars, and the yakima sweetroll kayak carrier. I am worried, however, that the antennae sticks up in the middle in back, and looks like it would interfere with placing the kayak there. Is that correct?

asked by: Al

Expert Reply:

I went out to the warehouse and put a compatible bar kit together. Your kit will give you about 2-3/4 inches of clearance off the roof for the bottom of the bar, and about 5 inches to the bottom of where your kayak's hull would be on the bottom of the Sweet Roll, part # Y04074.

You may be able to mount over the antenna, especially if you have one of the stubbier versions of the antenna. However, an easier solution would be to mount the kayak to one side or another, or use a J-Style carrier like the Yakima JayLow, part # Y04073 .

J-Style carriers are designed to be mounted off of center, giving you a little more flexibility in positioning the carrier. The JayLow in particular has the added advantage of having load ramps to help support loading the kayak into the carrier. It also can convert to carry two kayaks in an upright position, and also folds flat when not in use.

I've included a video review of the JayLow and the Sweet Roll so you can compare their features.

expert reply by: Jacob W