Yakima BowDown Kayak Rack
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Taking J-cradles to the next level, the Yakima BowDown has all the features you've been looking for in a kayak rack!
Shop similar products- Cradle arms fold down when not in use—now you don't have to worry about parking garages with limited clearance
- Accommodates most hull shapes; cradles and protects your kayak with soft pads
- Because kayak is propped up on its side, it leaves more space on your crossbars for other gear
- Universal mounting hardware fits round, square and most factory bars
- Includes heavy-duty straps with padded buckles for secure transport; also includes bow and stern tie-down straps
- Locks to crossbar with SKS lock core system (sold separately)
Imported.
| Best Use | Kayaking |
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Update on my June 2008 5-star review
I gave this rack a 5 star rating in 2008. I can no longer support that. We used the same set I reviewed then this holiday weekend to take our kayaks on a 4 hour drive to Northern Michigan. Our commitment to using bow/stern lines is the only thing that saved us from a huge disaster on I-75 in 3 lanes of heavy traffic going at least 70 mph on a rather windy day. The plastic "T" that forms part of the clamp assembly failed when the T's stripped and the kayak, still strapped to the front Bowdown, flew off and hung at the side of our van. The only thing that kept this from ripping off the back Bowdown and flying back into heavy traffic was our bow/stern lines. We had to put the boat directly on the roof rack to continue (and frankly it rode better there.) We had one more kayak on a 2nd set of Bowdowns and by the time we made the round trip home, we found signs of stress on that set too, as well as an alarming amount of space for the T arm to move horizontally (see photos.) I feel that one more hour of driving would have left us in the same position on the side of the road. Not trusting the second pair after the first failure, we tied them down to the roof rack to give us a little protection. You shouldn't have to do that. Although we've had these for 4 years, we only use them about 4 times a year. I liked their convenience so much back then that I didn't really consider what a weak point that little plastic T is on the clamp when you have heavy loads running at highway speeds, and in Michigan, often in high crosswinds. The way these rested on the roof rack was always "OK" but they were never perfectly vertical; always a little play in the "universal" fit and even tightly secured, they seemed to wiggle loose in use. That little T is really expected to do a lot. In retrospect, I think this particular part contributes to this being a bad design. When I think of what kind of horrific accident this could have caused in Memorial Day traffic, I'm thankful we take the time for the bow/stern lines. Many people I see don't, but I'll never go 5 miles without them again. I haven't had time to take both pairs of Bowdowns back to REI but I'm not concerned that I'll have any problems with the return. They're great about that. I just know I don't want new ones; we'll be doing our research and finding another rooftop solution for our boats. I can't trust this product anymore, which is sad. Wish Yakima would have put as much thought into the clamp assembly as they did making Bowdown a nifty (expensive)bottle opener. If you still own and love this product, that's great! I just strongly recommend using a bow/stern tie down to protect your boats, your car, and the cars/trucks behind you.
Wind is not "Yakima BowDown Kayak Rack" friend
I bought two sets of these racks last fall to transport kayaks. I must say they worked great through several trips.....but recently....I discovered that the fasteners at the pivot points were coming loose ( hasn't Yakima ever heard of lock tite? ). And then this weekend we were traveling and there were heavy crosswinds....and I noticed my kayak was listing off the side of my rack....and upon inspection discovered one of the uprights kept "collapsing" from the wind hitting the kayak and pushing it. OK....I will admit...it was a lot of force pushing on it. But today - i am researching better systems for hauling my kayaks.
not right for me
After minimal use during attempted install, one of the J's would no longer lock into position. The screw assembly used for the turn knob must have stripped inside the unit. Also, I had great difficulty trying to install the Bowdown on my factory rack. The manual requires that it be in the vertical position when you set your kayak on it. However, the alligator style clamp to attach the unit to the factory rack only tightens on one side. This results in the assembly slowly tilting as you tighten it. The auto-shift waffle blocks help some, but not nearly enough. It was very frustrating and time consuming to try to get this installed properly.
Gets Job Done Well
I actually own two Yakima BowDowns. I use one on a Dagger Stratos and one on a Dagger Zydeco; two very different kayaks. They do a great job holding the kayaks in place. I do not use the folding feature currently, but certainly see the benefit if one doesn't want to remove them when not in use. They attach well to my Outback factory bars. My only complaint is the loops on the bungie hooks are open ended. I lost a hook when a strap came loose and the hook was immediately lost. This is remedied by simply using a clamp to close the loops. Even with the lost strap, I felt comfortable finishing my trip with the remaining straps. I would also like to point out how pleasant REI was about an exchange. I had tried another type of kayak carrier but, after using it once did not feel comfortable. I returned all the parts in working order in exchange for a BowDown.
Very Satisfied
I have used this product on factory rack systems for two different makes of vehicles, Volkswagen Touarag & Land Rover LR2. The racks fit on to each of these factory rack systems well. You just have to use your head a little bit and pay attention to what you are doing. Very easy to put kayaks on once they are installed. Makes tying down the boats very easy as well. My wife has a 13.5' and I have a 14', I am able to secure boats well enough that I never even use the bow strap. Hauled Kayaks from South Carolina to Erie, PA with no issues. The bottle opener on the end is a nice perk too!
MUCH better than standard J-Bars
I'm so glad I spent the extra $50 for these over the standard Jbars and I think they are much better than foam blocks or lay flat mounts. I drive a minivan (don't judge me) and I'm 6' 5". I can easily He-Man the boat over my head and land on the bars without a problem. When I take it off, I slide it off the back. The van is a little tall so the ability to fold the bars down is AWESOME. They aren't as obvious as standard Jbars would be driving down the road w/o a boat and fit under my garage door easily. I would recommend these to a friend. Pros: - Easy to install - Work quite well on my OEM Toyota flat roof rack bars - Easy to use on a regular basis - Easy to get the boat up and down - Very secure, no worries about losing the boat. I was worried they wouldn't be as sturdy as standard bars, but they appear equal in strength. No wiggle. - Very well padded. Cons - The do whistle just a bit at highway speeds. With the the windows up I barely notice, but drives my 5 year old daughter CRAZY. Very noticeable with the windows down, but manageable. - A little pricey, but I think worth it. TBD/Neutral: - I've used them on three occasions 3 so far and had them on the vehicle for 45 days. I have had to tighten them twice as they have shifted. I have ZERO concerns about losing my boat. I think they have settled in and don't think this will be an ongoing issue, but no guarantees. - A quick release lever would be nice for folding/unfolding when not in use, but a few quick easy screws and the are secured in place.
Get the Thule
We purchased this to carry two kayaks, and to use on two vehicles -- a Ford cargo van and a Subaru outback. They fit pretty well on the Subaru, but on the Yakamia roof rack on the van, we could not get them tight enough to not roll over when loading a kayak. We tighetened so much the lever to tighten with snapped off. Still, the J hook rolled on the bar. I mean, who'd make a round bar on a roof rack? While they were sturdy on the Subaru (the integrated roof rack does *not* have round cross bars), they are difficult to fold down, and would be *really* hard for a lefty to manage. We returned the whole lot and got Thule instead -- much better design, much easier to use, just as sturdy for carrying your boats. BTW, REI was great about the return.
Perfect Solution for Hauling Kayaks
I recently purchased the racks to haul a 12 foot kayak weighing 38lbs. I was impressed with how easy it is to take on and off. We use the racks on two different cars with different shaped aerodynamic crossbars and it fits both tightly. The padding is outstanding for protection and grip. Strapping both tip and tail is a good idea for longer boats especially at freeway speeds. Peace of mind is worth the extra 5 minutes it takes to do so. Pros- padding, mounting ease, quality construction. Cons- lifting my 38 lb kayak up and over the edge of the rack.
Works so well I bought another
I installed this on my Honda Odyssey's factory rails in the REI parking lot so I could carry my new kayak home. It was quite easy to do, and I was immediately pleased. After loading and unloading the kayak a couple more times, I decided to purchase another Bow Down. I is not "rock solid" but I attribute that to my factory racks rather than anything Yakima did/didn't do. The design has the bottom of the "J" protruding a little from the rack, making loading easier. The material is kind to the hull. The fold down feature is great, and I have not had problems as mentioned by another reviewer. 5 stars implies "perfect" and I am not sure I would call this perfect, but I cannot think of any reason to knock a full star off the rating - so 5 stars it is.
Sail away
So while I do enjoy the functional and practicality of this product, I am still going to return this time that I bought 4 months ago to my REI store because of the sideways stacking of the kayak on the BowDown. Loading and unloading is easy but driving through a crosswind with it stacked this way takes on the function of a sail making my truck's handling going up and down grades a little bit sketchy. Also, maybe I tighten my straps to much but I don't think that the BowDown should press in on my boat's hull, forcing it to concave. I am going to go with the DeckHand and HandRoll instead and see how that performs through the same conditions but rather with the kayak mounted on it's hull. BowDown is a solid product but I just don't like the sideways stack. A space saver on my rack, yes but a sail on top of my truck?... kind of annoying.