Recommendation for Carrying 2 Kayaks on 2009 GMC Yukon  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

According to the owner's manual, the existing roof rack crossbars on your Yukon can handle 200 lbs, so as long as the combined weight of your kayaks comes in under that figure, you should be good to go as far as capacity goes.

All you'll really need is a kayak carrier that attaches to the crossbars. Athough the etrailer brand # e98878 carrier is a fine product, you'll need two of them to handle both your kayaks. For less than that you could use the Thule Compass # TH890000 which allows you to carry two kayaks. Not only is this a less expensive alternative, but it's also manufactured here in the USA. It'll also be easier to install because you'll only need to install 2 items instead of 4, so it'll take half the time. The carrier can accommodate kayaks weighing up to a combined 130 lbs. If your kayaks combined weight would be above the 130 lb mark, two of the # e98878 would work great.

The carrier includes the straps for securing the kayaks to the carriers as well as the bow/stern tie-downs. The only thing it doesn't include is some anchors like # MPG308. The anchors are highly recommended, as they can close them in the hood and rear hatch to provide a connection point for the bow/stern tie downs. You won't need to attach the steel hooks to the bumpers and possible scratch something. Even with the added cost of the anchors, the Thule Compass is still less expensive than the alternative you'd been looking at.

I'll link you to some product videos for the etrailer and the Thule kayak carriers I mentioned.

expert reply by: Mike L

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