[Tatanka]

Hi all, new here.

I just inherited a 2008 MDX (tech/power lift) 203k miles. It was the last new vehicle my late mom purchased. My dad held onto it as a spare vehicle for several years. Original owner, all records, extremely rigorous maintenance.

(I previously owned a 2005 TL, but went on to Volvo P2 T5 wagons)

I travel a ton, work in National Parks in the summer and ski resorts in the winter.

I'd like to put on a Yakima Skybox Pro 12 and a kayak rack. From what I gather, only the Skybox Pro 12 is slim enough to allow a kayak.

The MDX is currently a slicktop. Shall I go with OEM rails? Or Yakima all the way? From what I've read, the OEM crossbars leave much to be desired.

Anyone have any experience?

Thanks,

Tatanka (currently in Wyoming)

 

[mrgold35]

I have the OEM roof rack and it is just for a Yakima Rocketbox Pro 14. The factory roof rail look pretty good and they can adjust forward/back. They are not that wide and my Rocketbox takes up the entire width. Install for OEM roof rack was way past my expertise level and I had the dealership install. Not the best bang for the buck compared to aftermarket systems.

I think you would have more flexibility with the Yakima roof rail system to add wider cross bars if you need to carry kayak and cargo box together. I'm not 100% sure on max weight of the MDX roof; but, I think it has to be less than 165 lbs.

You can also add the hitch (without harness) to add a hitch tray or bike rack to handle extra gear. The OEM hitch allows for a full size spare while some of the aftermarket ones may or may not.

 

[nepbug]

The side rails work pretty well, but, IIRC, Yakima doesn't make a compatible rack for them currently. I had an older set of yakima "Rail Grabs" that I used with a 58" bar for my setup. It works well.

If I didn't have the side rails I probably would have gone for a Yakima setup for a naked roof. The parts price is similar to OEM, but it should be an easier install and likely have a higher load rating too.

 

[Tatanka]

Thanks for the replies!