2011 Nissan Rogue Roof Kayak Racks for Side Rails - how to carry 2 kayaks on 2011 Nissan Rogue factory roof rack side rails

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Posted: 5/26/2011

Question: How do I select the components needed to transport two kayaks on the 2011 Nissan Rogue factory side rails (the two bars running front to back of the rooftop, there are no cross rails running across the roof that I can attach kayak racks to). Hoping I can get recommendations from you.

Answer: As of this writing (5/26/2011), we recommend the following solutions for a 2011 Nissan Rogue roof rack system to carry two kayaks...

You will first need to install a multi-purpose base rack system on your 2011 Nissan Rogue factory side rails. This will provide the cross bars to enable you to then connect any kayak carriers. The first option is from Thule Racks and is the Thule 450 Crossroad roof rack system (includes a Thule 450 CrossRoad Foot Pack and a pair of Thule square cross bars with end caps, the 50" bars are the recommended length for the Rogue). Likewise, the Thule 450R Rapid CrossRoad roof rack system (includes a Thule 450R Rapid CrossRoad Foot Pack and a pair of Thule Rapid Aero RB53 53"cross bars with end caps, the RB53 53" bars are the only length you can use on the Rogue). From Yakima Racks you can use the Yakima RailGrab roof rack system (includes four Yakima RailGrab Towers and a pair of Yakima round cross bars with end caps, the 48" length cross bars are recommended for the Rogue). All these systems are quick to install to the side rails and all include easy to follow instructions. Helpful videos are also located on the product pages.

With any of these Thule Racks multi-purpose base roof rack systems installed as a 2011 Nissan Rogue roof rack cross bars system, you can then connect any kayak carriers to the cross bars and achieve a complete 2011 Nissan Rogue kayak roof rack set up. Virtually all kayak racks are universal mounting, allowing you to choose the model that you like best, independent of whether it is the same manufacturer as the base rack system. In general you have three types of kayak rack options: 1) kayak saddles - carry the kayak laying flat / 2) kayak j-cradles - transport the kayak cradled on its side (great for when you need to carry multiple kayaks because the j-cradles use up less crossbar space than the kayak saddles style) / 3) kayak lift-assisting models - mostly kayak saddles with a rear roller that helps you to more easily load and unload the kayak, however some side-loading options are also available that work with j-cradles etc.

Finally, remember that if you are selecting two sets of j-cradle style carriers (which use up less cross bar space) for carrying 2 kayaks then you can go with the normal 50 inch cross bars with the Thule 450 CrossRoad roof rack system and he normal 48 inch cross bars with the Yakima RailGrab system. However, if you will be selecting two sets of kayak saddle style racks that carry the 2 kayaks laying flat hull side down then you'll need to select the longer 58 inch length cross bars with the 450 Crossroad and Yakima RailGrab systems. If using two sets of kayak saddle style carriers you won't have enough room on the Thule 450R Rapid CrossRoad RB53 53" bars. Plenty of room however if using two sets of j-cradle style carriers.