Yakima BigStack Boat Rack
Add a pair of Yakima BigStack Boat Rack posts to your rooftop rack and you can carry up to 4 kayaks on their side on most vehicles.
- Single-post design has integrated padding and folds flat when not in use
- AnchorHeadâ„¢ tie-down system provides 2 options for securing boats: Outer hooks can be used for "lasso loading" or straps can be run through the center of the AnchorHead
- Fits round bars, square bars (sold separately) and most factory-installed racks
- Includes set of heavy-duty straps and bow and stern tie downs
- BigStack locks to crossbar with SKS lock core system (sold separately)
Imported.
| Best Use | Kayaking |
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Just the thing
Have tried combinations of J-carriers, and flat side-by-side carry of (2) 14' boats, and this option is by far the simplest and most secure, provided you follow the manufacturer's instructions. For 3 large boats or 4 small boats, there's really no other truly simple, stable rooftop option. Some things to remember: Just because the boats are securely attached to your car rack, it doesn't mean that you're immune to crosswinds - they will push the whole car around more as you have effectively added a sail to the roof. Be careful passing or following big rigs, too, as they create turbulence that can be a challenge to deal with at speed.
Warning: do not use with Yakima HD Bars
Kayak stackers make it easy to transport kayaks. For 25 years I used Yakima stackers on Round Bars on a 1996 truck with rain gutters. When I (finally) got a new truck, I upgraded the rack to the beefy HD bars on the current BigStack. In the attached photo you can see where the BigStack broke. There are three notches you can use to hold the bail that goes under the bar. With the HD Bars, you have to use the bottom notch. The plastic holding the bail is half as thick for the bottom notch. Yakima replaced the product, but I have no plan to use it. I expect the new one to fail the same way.
Not bad
I do not suffer stability issues with this item like some reviews have mentioned. It takes more time though to stabilize then 'J style' racks. I always use bow/aft straps and my kayak is just over 16 feet in length of moderate touring design. My kayak has not suffered any of its scratches from this rack set up. I am happy with the product as my roof is narrow and can not fit two 'J style' racks on my car. This rack allows me to carry more then one kayak on my small car. I would go with a 'J style' rack if I had more space or only wanted to carry one Kayak as they are much easier and faster to load.
Not for larger kayaks
Decided to save a few bucks and get this to transport two 12.5 ft fishing kayaks (~60 lbs ea). I found for this application these were quite a bit inadequate. It is very difficult to attach the 2nd kayak, I can't imagine going for 4 as the box advertises. They were not even close to stable without very taught lines from bow and stern (I actually bent the bars a bit from over tightening). With some effort and cuss words I was able to make it work for a 7 hour round trip at all speeds and some very heavy winds... so it's not a complete loss, and would probably be fine for a play boat or two. For me, I'm returning and getting a couple sets of hullraisers... I think the time (and insurance premiums) I save will be well worth the extra $100.
Updated version of a proven concept
First of all, I'm stunned by some of the negative reviews for this product. No offense intended, but there has to be some user error involved in some of those negative experiences. Kayak stackers are a concept that have been around for MANY years ... I've been safely and successfully transporting kayaks using a variety of kayak stackers (from home made wood racks to just about every version Yakima has made) for over 30 years. It would probably help the reader to know how each reviewer is using the product. Attached to factory crossbars, Thule square bars, Yakima round bars or Wispbars? How much crossbar spread? What type/length of boat? All of these variables could potentially impact the user experience. In my case, I use Yakima round bars with a roughly 42" spread between the bars. I only carry whitewater kayaks, but I've carried everything from an old school 13'1" slalom boat to 6'8" playboat ... with no stability issues whatsoever. Use of the straps is intuitive and easy. While obviously not recommended, I've traveled thousands of miles at highway speeds with a single playboat strapped on with no bow and stern lines (although I do clip a line from a grab handle to the bars to make sure my boat doesn't go bouncing down the road in the event of a catastrophic strap failure). But multiple boats definitely need bow and stern lines. And I love that the big stacks have incorporated the locking cores. Nothing worse than having components of a high priced rack system go walking off. Only two minor negative issues with the Big Stacks. I agree with some of the previous comments about the rubber foots ... they don't stay in place as well as I'd like. They don't need to be permanent, but they shouldn't fall off without being pried off. And it's difficult to tighten them down enough on round bars to prevent them from rotating under pressure. More of an annoyance than a real problem ... I just have to rotate them back to fold the stackers down level with the roof. I recognize that this is due to a design concession to enable the stackers to mount to a variety of bars. Yakima themselves states that the mount is optimized for aerodynamic bars. With all that said, this is a great product and I would (and have) recommend it to a friend without hesitation.
Flexible and quick to load
I have used Yakima Stackers and now BigStacks for years, both for whitewater and touring kayaks. I have run from one to four boats up and down the interstate in excess of 80 mph and have never had an issue. If you believe these are unstable then you are likely strapping the kayaks down incorrectly or it is likely a perception issue. If you have bent your bars trying to tighten them, you really are using them incorrectly, as you should not even need to deform the boat when tightening, let alone bend steel. There are great instructions on the Yakima website on how to use these. It is essential that the strap coming over the kayaky is not allowed to slip outboard on the crossbar, or the system will be unstable. You must go around something beside the crossbar (like the stacker itself) in order to keep the strap tight to the kayak, otherwise it will not hold the bottom of the kayak tight. Again see the Yakima website at [@]. Trust me, if you follow these simple instructions you will not have any issues. I have never lost a kayak or had one even come loose, and I only use bow and stern tie downs as safeties on my touring kayaks (never too tight, just as a backup).The only negative I see to the new BigStacks is the added bulk and weight, which is totally un-necessary. Other than that, I like the fact they now accept the locking cores and that they have the loop at the top to make things a little easier when loading and give me something to lock my boats too with a cable.Overall, a very flexible and easy to use product if you follow the instructions.
Good rack but invest in bar stops/ extra bow lines
Easy to install, a little complicated for hooking up 4 kayaks. Figured don’t really show good strap layout for putting two and two kayak configuration. I recommend another bow/stern line set with 4 kayaks or make a rope big enough to slide through all the handle points. I also recommend the stops on the rails to help hold the kayaks from slipping when mounting multiple. Other wise good sturdy mount for lots of kayaks.
Excellent Kayak carrier
I use my Big Stacks every weekend, to carry two 10' kayaks and one 14' kayak. This item makes it very easy to load and secure all three kayaks, by myself. Although, sometimes my wife helps load them... Not sure what problems other people have had. I've had no problems, following the instructions.
Not the easiest, but very versatile
The primary reason we chose the BigStack was for the versatility of it. It doesn't really matter how we stack the boats against the posts or what the shape of hulls are so much as how many boats one can bunch together on the cross bar, and for that, these are a great choice. The only significant Con for this setup is ease of loading and unloading, as taller vehicles create a significant challenge in getting the boats onto the rack and positioned just right. They all tend to slide around a bit until the straps are moderately secure. I think however that rubberized padding on the cross bars would significantly reduce the issues with that however. That said, with this rack system, we were able to carry two sit-atop kayaks as well as two bicycles on the same 58" cross bars. 4-5 boats seems like a doable option in the same space, although additional straps would be required.
Horrible Product
Don’t buy this!!!! I’ve had it for two years and it takes forever to put your kayaks on. You’ll spend half your day strapping and unstrapping your kayak. It takes all the fun out of your day.