Kayak Carrier Recommendation for 2019 Mazda CX-5 with Factory Crossbars

Question:

I recently purchased a 2019 Mazda CX 5 GT. I requested rails and cross bars to be included and installed on it. When I received the installation the bars were only 25inch apart. A few weeks ago we purchased 14.5 foot kayaks....2 of them. I was hoping to transport them bottom down on saddle attachments or the malone seawing. The bars themselves only have 29.5 inch for attachments so we are talking to the dealership to change for the Thule aeroblades that are about 50inch I think. My partner says theres pre drilled holes for the bolts on the factory roof rails so the cross bars cannot be moved father apart. So my question is..... Is 25inch between cross bars ok for transporting 2 kayaks @ 14.5 feet in length?

asked by: Kevin

Expert Reply:

As long as the kayaks are secured properly in a kayak carrier the closer spread you mentioned of around 25 inches would not be an issue. Also any of the other roof racks that fit your 2019 Mazda CX-5 are going to have the same closer spread.

The Yakima JayLow part # Y04073 is a fit for factory crossbars and would be a great solution. It's padded, can fold down when not in use, and easy to load. With one of these for each of your kayaks you'd be in great shape.

expert reply by: Jameson C