Aftermarket Roof Racks and Hitches for 2012 Subaru Outback Wagon

Question:

Wagon has factory racks with cross-bars rated at 150 pounds. Do we remove the factory racks to use the RB1500 on the Outback? What is the weight rating on this rack?

asked by: David L

Expert Reply:

Rhino-Rack's Heavy Duty Crossbars # RB1500 are able to handle at least the same amount of weight as the roof of any car on which they fit. However these bars are not a fit on the 2012 Outback Wagon.

We do have aftermarket roof racks for the car that are designed to fit either the version with a totally bare roof or the version with raised side rails that run front-to-back. All appear on the linked page which shows these two roof configurations. Racks vary in their own weight ratings.

When an auto maker provides an OEM roof rack on a car it is usually designed with a weight capacity that matches that of the roof itself since there would be no benefit to installing bars that can handle 200-lbs on a roof that can only handle 150-lbs. Installing a higher-capacity rack on a car does not increase the roof's own weight capacity.

If you are looking to increase the car's cargo carrying capacity then you might consider installing a 2-inch hitch like # 75673 from Draw-Tite which would allow use of a hitch cargo carrier with up to a 500-lb load capacity, such as # C18151 from Curt. The hitch bolts on with included hardware and no drilling as shown in the linked video.

expert reply by: Adam R