Yakima sideload roof rack

[Southern_Accents14]

Hey all,

I’m wanting to installl the Yakima sideload brackets to my hawk. Has anyone done this or know any info in it? I was told that I could take out the screws that hold the roof to the frame and use the same screw holes and that I wouldn’t need the nuts or the back plate that comes with the kit.

And suggestions? Thanks!

 

[veryactivelife]

I haven't done this or seen it done, but I have to wonder about it. Is there a specific reason you want to mount a rack this way? Also wondering who told you to do it this way. I have a lot of experience with racks and have been factory certified by both Yakima and Thule as an installer and trainer. Here are my concerns with doing it:

1) It puts a lot of sheer load on the fasteners that are only screwed into aluminum box tubing, especially if you have cargo up there while driving on rough roads.
2) You will have a very wide bar spread across the whole width of the roof which will make the cross bars susceptible to sagging.
3) You will be adding several more inches to the width of the camper and likely be snagging tree branches, etc.

Just my 2 cents,
Dean