HD Bar, Heavy Duty Crossbar, Large (68")

As described. Easy setup and the added length from the 60” house the awning, rooftop and batwing. Yakima has always been an exceptional product.!!

After ordering the towers ($990) and the slotted screws adapter kit ($100) for my retrax tonneau cover I was pissed when I received the HD Yakima after spending this money to realize there were no crossbars. I had to order the x-bars ($318). Thinking that they would be a quick install I began the install. The socket hex bolts were a pain to get them threaded into the sliding plate inside the track. All the bolts closest to the towers would not thread especially when using the washer and lock nut. Of the 8 blots that had to go in, 4 should have been at least 1/4" longer to make the install easier. Also the plate that you are suppose to screw the bolts in to secure the crossbars should be machine better to accept the bolt thread. So the rack cost about $1400+ for aggravation and a lot of unnecessary parts that were not needed for the install for different rail configurations. So now all the metal clamps, bolts and rail plates go into the garbage. So Yakima sells you an overpriced rack when the could tailor your needs and save us money and the planet also. Thumbs down Yakima

This product was purchased along with the HD mounts to free up my bed for future kayak trips. I always thought of how to load kayaks, but then failed to think of all the rest of the things you need to entertain and feed a family of four. I have yet to load the kayaks on the rack but hope to get one kayak in a j cradle and the other laid top down flat on a pad I will place on each bar. 68 in bar worked perfect with my Colorado. You can see how my toolbox is a little taller than the. Ars but hopefully won't affect the loading of kayaks. I will use a hitch mounted extend a bed bar to ensure longer kayak is secure since the two bars are closer together. This was an easy install and I was able to fit the mounts in between my OEM bed lighting and the bed liner protrusion that exist under the bed. The mounts do move back and forward if you apply enough bodyweight into them when testing connection. Instructions state they shouldn't move in any direction using only arm strength (not body weight). Passed that test at least and will see in future use if they move while traveling with two kayaks (about 150lbs).

So, the towers are easy to install but the bars (which need to be purchased separately) are a completely different story. It really doesn’t make sense to sell the towers and bars separately. Should force you to select your size preference when you buy or select a no bar option instead of defaulting to no bars automatically. Now, that I’ve said my peace there, the bars are marked for measuring but they are completely impossible to read. They are very faint and face down, so they are impossible to read during install. But the bigger problem is that the included hardware is wrong. The bars attach to the towers with 4 screws, 2 on each side. While the inner screws on each side work fine, the 2 outer ones are too short. I had to purchase M8 socket screws separately which weren’t expensive but was really annoying since I couldn’t complete the installation and had to wait until the next day when the hardware store reopened. For the money you spend and the hassle you go through to ensure you are ordering the right parts (since they are sold separately) you’d think Yakima would spring a few pennies for slightly longer screws. Haven’t mounted anything to them yet, but I can assure you they are way more robust than the Thules I used to have. I think the other design flaw is that because the towers are slanted you can’t adjust them vertically without loosening the bars from the towers, since the mounting points between the bar and towers need to slide horizontally as you raise the height. That said, Definitely pricey, but they look great.

I installed the HD 65” bars and loaded them up (about 250lbs)worth then drove from California to South Carolina over 5 days with no issues and many stops along the way . The HD bars are extremely sturdy when laying stuff on top , they do however bend slightly upwards when ratcheting down to them . So far they have went back flat . Not hard to install by any means , do not even really need instructions . Worst part of install was I could not reach them from the ground and had to climb onto my camper shell . Good product but kind of high price , time will tell how good they really are