Dave –
As near as I can see, the factory racks of most manufacturers are just about useless, and Subaru is no different – and now seems even worse than most.
I’m a big fan of Subaru Outbacks, going back to a ’81 model that I bought used in ’85. I currently drive an ’09 – the last year, I believe, that they came with a reasonable roof rack that could be made useable with Yakima or other aftermarket racks and equipment.
On the ’09, I can mount Yakima bars about 39” apart, which is sufficient for carrying a 15’ or 16’ canoe at low speeds (40-45 mph , and sufficient at higher speeds with front and rear tie-downs. I tie the front down using the tow-hooks under the front of the car. I also use the gunwale clips on the cross-bars – a great aid in stabilizing the canoes at higher speeds. With wide bars, I have often carried a canoe and a clam-shell carrier together with no problems. I would certainly tie down front and rear of anything longer than 16’.
1999 Outback w/ canoe and clamshell
bringing D.B. Neal rowing canoe home -- rear tie-down isn't visible
returning to Maine from Assembly 2013 with unexpectedly wide load (new canoe) -- 2x4's taped to Yakima rack that was not wide enough
The ’09 factory rack cross bars seem strong enough to carry a canoe, but the side rails are only 33” inches apart – not far enough apart to carry most canoes. The gunwales of the canoe will not simply hang over the rack side rails, because the side rails have enough upward curve to hit the gunwales and not allow a canoe to sit flat on the cross-bars. An after-market rack is necessary.
However, things changed for the worse in 2010. The factory rack has cross bars that are, I believe, only 32” apart – really inadequate except for low speed hauling, even with front and rear tie-downs. And initially there was no way a Yakima rack could be adapted to the factory rack in a way that improved things. I don’t know what the distance between the side rails of the factory rack is, and so don’t know if there is a problem there, but the side rails do curve upwards going front to back, so there well may be that additional problem.
I don’t understand why Subaru has persisted with this style of rack, especially since their Forrester and SUV models have what look like reasonable factory racks that will accept aftermarket rack systems. Subaru seems to have become more interested in style than function – the mini mud-flaps on the Outback are worse than a joke, causing an airstream eddy that can cause freezing slush t build up under the front door to an astounding degree, and the roof’s rear “spoiler” is very effective in depositing snow, ice, or mud on the rear window.
I understand that for 2013, Subaru has made it possible to unscrew the factory racks from their swing-away positions into new, further-apart mounting positions – some 39” apart. In my opinion, that distance would be sufficient for a canoe of 16’ or less, if you tied down the front and rear of the canoe, and if you could use gunwale clamps of some sort (but I am not aware of any that would fit the factory cross-bars). But again, if the distance between the side rails is narrower than the center width of your gunwales, there is likely a problem lurking. I also have read that anyone can simply unscrew the relocated crossbars and walk off with them and anything mounted on them – something to be concerned about where I live.
It seems that Yakima may now have mounting bars that can be fitted to the factory rack and allow use of aftermarket cross-bars. But the information on the Yakima web site is not very clear to me – I would give Yakima a call, or head to REI or Campmor (consistently has the best prices on Yakima racks, in my experience) and actually see what is involved. If you can actually fit aftermarket cross bars a reasonable distance apart (at least 38-40 inches) then I would recommend the Outback, even with my gripes about mud flaps and spoilers. Power is adequate, and gas mileage isn’t great (and of course, is worse with a canoe or two up top) but the AWD is very good, and the car is comfortable.
The Outback wagon, even though it has much better ground clearance than most cars, also has a lower roof than almost anything comparable, including the Forrester, making getting that canoe up or loading the clamshell carrier easier than on most anything comparable.
You might check out the comments at:
http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseac...ID=12&confID=1
So there’s my 2 cents – part based on experience, and part based on the same concerns that you have. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually used a 2010-2013 factory Outback rack.
Greg
