Recommended Roof Rack For Installing A Yakima ShowDown Kayak Carrier On A 2021 Toyota Highlander

Question:

My Highlander has flush rails, and i need the Yakima Showdown because Im old and short. What crossbars/towers system should I purchase to be compatible with both my car and the Showdown? Also, Im handy with hand tools, so is this an installation that I could do myselfboth the crossbars and the Showdown? Thanks.

asked by: Juju

Helpful Expert Reply:

For your 2021 Toyota Highlander with flush mounted rails I recommend the Roof Rack by Yakima which includes:

Yakima HD Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 55" Long - Qty 2 # Y01156
SkyLine Towers for Yakima Crossbars - Fixed Mounting Points, Flush Rails, and Track Systems - Qty 4 # Y53TR
Landing Pad 28 for Yakima SkyLine And Control Towers - Qty 4 # Y66VR
HD Bar SL Adapter for Yakima BaseLine, SkyLine, TimberLine, and RidgeLine Towers - Qty 4 # Y03541

The Yakima ShowDown Kayak or SUP Carrier and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs # Y04081 will clamp onto the crossbars of this roof rack system for an easy peasy installation. You will need to ensure that the crossbar extends at least 3.5" past the feet for the ShowDown to have enough clearance when lowering down. If needed you can offset the crossbars more to one side to achieve this.

The crossbars will also need to be spaced at least 24" apart as well.

The installation of both of these systems can easily be done at home and I've attached some videos below to help walk you through the process.