Cargo Basket for a 2016 Subaru Outback Wagon

Question

Question:

HI, I have a 2016 outback with the factory intregrated cross bars. I am looking at baskets. I also have a sun/moonroof and the memory for rear hatch. #1 what is the best size length or width for my car. #2 I need to make sure my sunroof still works with. #3 I am being told that Yakima is best because of the attachments available are more readily available. It appears that they all have round tubing so I cant imagine this being a problem. Is it? I like the price of the curt. I like the load capacity and looks of the Rhino. Yakima would be my last choice but I do have snow carrier from Yakima so if attaching is an issue then it would make sense to go with Road warrior. #4 My board is 155cm . I cant tell from pictures, but on Rhino could the extra length go under the fairing? or is it welded similar to back? Thanks

asked by: Gary

0

Expert Reply:

There are a lot of good options for the 2016 Subaru Outback Wagon, so let's address the questions to help you decide on a solution.

1.) Size, length and width.

This depends a lot on your personal preference, however there are a few measurements you can take to ensure the right fit for your vehicle.

You can find the front clearance of your vehicle by measuring from the center of the front crossbar on your vehicle to the line where your roof meets your hatch. If your vehicle's crossbars are adjustable, you'll want to move them as far forward as possible prior to taking this measurement. This is called your "Front Clearance." Correctly matching your clearance will let you continue using all the features of your rear hatch.

The second measurement is the crossbar spread. For this distance, you'll measure from the center of your front crossbar to the center of your rear crossbar. If you have adjustable crossbars, you'll want to take this measurement twice, once with the bars as close together as possible, and once with them as far as possible.

To fit a roof basket correctly, you'll want to make sure that the box has a length of less than your available front clearance, and with a crossbar spread that is listed or contains the spread that you measured.

For instance, the Load Warrior, part # Y07070 has an overall dimension of 44 inches long, and a crossbar spread of 24-32 inches. Yakima does confirm this as a fit for your 2016 Subaru Outback Wagon, and you can confirm this with your measurements you take at home.

2.) Sun Roof Usage

I don't recommend using your sunroof while the vehicle has the roof racks active or the cargo basket installed. The sunroof's glass could impact the roof rack or the clamps on the basket and damage the glass or the mechanism, risking personal injury. Additionally, this makes the wind noise from installing the basket and crossbars far more obvious, degrading the quality of your ride.

3.) Yakima Basket and Attachments.

This actually depends on the basket. The baskets all look the same, but have different size diameter round tubes, meaning that not all accessories are cross compatible between brands.

One of the reasons that people may not be saying but are trying to get across about the Load Warrior is that it has an available crossbar, part # 8870042 that installs into the basket, letting you set roof rack mounted accessories on top of the basket and use its front or rear tube (Which are sized alike to Yakima round bars).

This is one of the strongest arguments for the LoadWarrior, and why I also recommend it as the basket of choice on a Subaru Outback.

4) 155cm Board

The Rhino Rack basket, part # RMCB is a great basket and shares a lot of similarities to the Thule Canyon XT.

The front of the basket, underneath the fairing has several cross tubes that are a part of the mounting system, so you won't be able to run the board through the cargo basket.

I've included videos of both the Yakima LoadWarrior and the Rhino Rack Basket so you can compare them and pick the basket that is the best fit for you and your adventures.