Does Yakima Outdoorsman Ladder Rack Require Bars to Extend Past the Feet by Certain Amount

Question:

Hello! I recently purchased a Yakima Outdoorsman ladder rack couple with a Yakima Big stack on 58inch crossbars. I will be fitting some Inno INA451 on the crossbars also. This is all to transport two 12foot kayaks on a 2001 Chevy S10 pickup with a 6foot bed. I am concerned as to whether the crossbar lengths are long enough, as the ends of the crossbars fit flush with the holds on the ladder rack. That is, there is no excess length coming out at the ends of where the ladder rack and the crossbars connect. I will be doing interstate travel from Vermont to Florida and I want to ensure that any head or crosswinds will not be able to shimmy the crossbars out of the ladder rack holds. Would it be better to have the 66inch length crossbars, and thus have some extra inchesfoot length beyond where the ladder rack and crossbars connect? your expertise and assistance are very much appreciated.

asked by: Margo P

Expert Reply:

Your current crossbar length with your Yakima Outdoorsman 300 Ladder Rack like the part # Y01136-Y00409 would be just fine. The bars of the rack do not move at all in the uprights so you would not have to worry about the bars moving and slipping out.

Looks like you have a couple inches on either side and would be just fine.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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Dale

5/22/2020

Do the both angle braces have to be on the inside. Could the rear be mounted with the angles at the rear like the front.

Chris R.

5/25/2020

The rear angle brackets would need to face inward as well. The issue is that the uprights come pre-welded to the brackets, so if moved in different orientations, the vertical side of the bracket that needs to clamp inside the bed rails would be on the outside.