Will Yakima JayLow Kayak Carrier Fit on Factory Crossbars of 2016 Subaru Crosstrek?

Question:

Hi! I want to carry two 8ft kayaks on the roof of my 2016 Subaru Crosstrek with the factory-optional aero cross bars. Will I be able to fit two sets of the Yakima Jaylow carriers in the J position Ive read thats safer for high speed/highway travel - true? or do I need a longer cross bar?

asked by: Kara

Expert Reply:

I checked with Yakima and the JayLow Kayak Carrier # Y04073 is a fit for the factory crossbars on your 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. They will need to be configured in the post-style as opposed to the J-style for two kayaks, and this is going to be perfectly safe for highway travel so long as you have the kayaks adequately tied down. If you wanted to stick with the J-style you would be able to, but would need to get two of the JayLow carriers.

For a pair of kayaks (and just one carrier) you will need to add a set of the Yakima Cinch Straps # Y05006. I also highly recommend using the Yakima Same Key System (SKS) Lock Cores # Y07202 in order to lock the kayak carrier to your Crosstrek; if you got two of the carriers you would want Lock Cores # Y07204 to have both carriers keyed alike.

I've added links to video reviews of each of these parts, including a video showing the JayLow being installed and used with two kayaks.

expert reply by: Kyle S