Roof Rack and Kayak Carrier Recommendations for a 2006 Toyota Camry

Question:

Looking for a quality but affordable roof rack for my daughters 2006 4dr toyota camry. Having a hard time finding anything online with confirmed fit. Not looking to spend $500 on a roof rack. She will haul 1 or 2 kayaks on it. Will also need some kind of kayak rack to go on the crossbars once we find the rack.

asked by: Ron G

Expert Reply:

I have a recommendation for a roof rack and kayak carrier(s) for your daughter's 2006 Toyota Camry but I do need to say upfront that there is going to be a pretty big initial cost just for the roof rack even if you go with a bare-bones option.

Since it sounds like you're looking for a deal I recommend checking out the SeaSucker Monkey Bars Roof Rack # 298-SX6000B. This is a little bit of a different roof rack as it uses vacuum cups as opposed to clamps but these cups are rated for 210 pull strength each and I've seen some pretty convincing videos as to how secure they are to the vehicle (I'm attaching one of them for you to check out). The great thing about this system is it's universal so you don't need vehicle-specific fit pieces like you do with the traditional clamp-on roof racks - which means you can easily transfer this to future vehicles.

Then for a kayak carrier I recommend checking out the etrailer Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs # e98878. This is your run-of-the-mill base-line carrier but it has a massive 150 lb weight capacity and it comes with all of the tie-downs needed to secure your kayaks.

I do also recommend securing the whole system with either the Trunk Cable Anchor # 298-BA0020 or Window Cable Anchor # 298-BA0010 and a cable lock like part # e98891 to discourage would-be thieves from just removing the kayaks and/or Monkey Bars when you're making a pit stop.