Will The Yakima Jayhook Kayak Carrier Work with a Factory Rack on a 2009 Lexus GX 470?

Question:

I previously had a 2003 Suburban and used an older Yakima round bar tower rack system. We used it at various times for a Thule box since sold, Yakima J-Hook kayak mounts for our 16foot tandem and 2 Yakima fork mounts for bikes and it worked out great! We sold the Suburban last year, but the Yakima rack/bars went with it. We recently bought a 2009 Lexus GX470 which has a factory installed, raised siderail rack, but would like to be able to haul extra cargo on top and be able to transport the kayak preferably using the old Yakima J-Hook mounts we already have. Im not as worried about the bike mounts since we now have a hitch mounted bike carrier. I was looking at cargo baskets instead of box such as the Yakima MegaWarrior/OffGrid or the Rhino XTray but wasnt quite sure if they would support the kayak mounts as well, or if another set of crossrails was needed/required. Also, Im somewhat concerned about the placement of the kayak mounts since some of the systems I have looked at seem to sit back rather far on the roof. The kayak is as long as the vehicle, so getting it at least somewhat centered seems like a necessity? I not too particular on brand but would like something that allows for operation of the sunroof and has a fairing of some sort if possible. Thanks in advance for any thoughts and recommendations!

asked by: Shawn C

Expert Reply:

Yes, I confirmed with Yakima that the Yakima JayHook Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - J-Style # Y04084 will fit with your factory raised rails with factory crossbars.

For the basket, I did some research and found out that the Yakima MegaWarrior Extra Large Roof Rack Cargo Basket # Y07080-82 is compatible with your factory rack on the 2009 Lexus GX 470. I recommend the MegaWarrior over the Rhino-Rack XTray Pro Cargo Basket # RRRMCB03 and the Yakima OffGrid Roof Cargo Basket # Y07138 because the MegaWarrior has a larger overall carrying capacity (74 inches long x 48 inches wide) and comes with a fairing on the front. The MegaWarrior also gives you the option of mounting a single bike with three kayaks.

With the Yakima MegaWarrior Extra Large Roof Rack Cargo Basket # Y07080-82, the Yakima JayHook Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - J-Style # Y04084 can be installed on the MegaWarrior crossbars.

As for sunroof clearance, I checked with Yakima and they said that the mounting equipment for the MegaWarrior is pretty low-profile. However, they did recommend that you test the clearance of the sunroof before mounting the basket on the brackets.

When it comes to mounting a kayak to the kayak carrier, mounting the kayak carrier to the center of the vehicle as possible is recommended in order to maintain the best structural integrity of the hardware.