Recommended Roof Rack to Carry 3 Kayaks with a 2017 VolksWagen Golf SportWagen

Question:

I just bought a 2017 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. I would love to rig this up to carry 3 kayaks on the roof rack I think I could stay under weight limit. I currently do this on my Toyota 4runner with 66 inch Yakima bars. I think I could still squeeze on 3 kayaks with 60 inches minimum. What Thule or Yakima bar/mounts would you recommend.

asked by: Greg P

Expert Reply:

Both Thule and Yakima produce great products, so I recommend going with a Yakima roof rack for your 2017 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen since that is what you are familiar with.

The recommended JetStream roof rack system for your SportWagen includes 50 inch Crossbars # Y00425, the TimberLine Towers # Y33TR, and SKS Lock Cores # Y07204. This system has a weight capacity of 165 lbs so you will want to keep that in mind when loading your kayaks.

Since you said that you were needing at least 60 inch crossbars you can use the 60 inch JetStream Crossbars # Y00426 instead, but you will need to make sure that they do not stick out from the side of your vehicle further than your side mirrors.

The JetStream bars are 3-1/8 inches wide and 1 inch tall. If you are using aq kayak carrier then you will want to make sure that it is compatible with those crossbar dimensions. If it is not, the Yakima JayLow Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs # Y04073 is compatible and can accommodate either 1 80-lb kayak or 2 kayaks with a combined weight of 110 lbs.

I have attached a video of this roof rack system being installed on a 2016 SportWagen that you can use as a reference.