[Jusflyin]

Hi -
I know this question has been asked a number of times, but I couldn’t find a definitive answer, so any help would be awesome.

Can anyone confirm whether the 2nd gen roof bars fit the 3rd gen Frontiers?

I’m looking for roof bars to carry kayaks and can’t use the box racks when I’m towing because of the overhang.

Cheers

 

[Lightingguy]

Are you talking about the rack Nissan provides for the Pro4X ?. Or an aftermarket from Yakima, Thule or Rhino Rack ?. Only issue I see on the aftermarket models is the rails are not very well spaced, front to rear, which reduces support for longer boats. I would have no issue carrying a 10ft boat, but a 16-17 might be an issue. At that point I would be installing a ladder rack system over the bed and install kayak carriers on that.

 

[Jusflyin]

Hi - aftermarket like Thule / Yakima.

The issue with the ladder racks is that there is too much overhang of the kayaks when towing the trailer.

 

[Lightingguy]

One option is to get a Malone cross bar that installs over the cab. Then use a ladder rack front cross bar and the Malone to secure the kayak. This would position the kayak forward over the cab. The Malone is only $85, uses some big suction cups and a strap goes thru the back cabin to hold tight. I had a 17 ft. canoe on my Frontier last summer strapped to a Malone, worked peachy. I have a Leer cab with Yakima cross bars, I needed more depth on the points I secured the canoe. You don't say how long your kayak is, that would be useful info.

 

[Jusflyin]

For sure. I did think about those cross bars, but would prefer another option, if possible.

The kayaks are 17ft, so the bars alone aren’t spread far enough apart, so I’ll likely end up using a bed rack anyway.

 

[Lightingguy]

Well, presumably there are times when you are using the Frontier to take the kayak someplace without using the trailer, so investing in a system that works with no trailer being towed might be useful. Is why I tend to not recommend systems carrying boats or bikes to be installed on the trailer, you still might need to carry boat/bikes to the launch/bike trail and need the carrying system on the tow vehicle for that, after you've dropped the trailer (camper ?). Or maybe for the trips with the trailer think about using a shorter boat, 10-12 ft. or so, that won't have issues with the trailer and will work with a reduced spread of the cross bars. I can easily mount a 12ft. Kayak without issues with a camper on the back. You can get a 12ft. Pelican for $500.

 

[Jusflyin]

When I say trailer, I mean of the camper / RV variety. I could get smaller kayaks, but would prefer to get roof bars, if I could find any that fit…

 

[Lightingguy]

When I say trailer, I mean of the camper / RV variety. I could get smaller kayaks, but would prefer to get roof bars, if I could find any that fit…

I'm pretty sure both Yakima and Thule as well as Rhino Rack all have racks that install and use what is known as a door frame clamping system. This is a clamp that sits just under the upper edge of the door, which can close with the clamp in place. The clamp pulls down on a tower with a rubber foot that sits just above the door frame. The tower foot is a custom shape to the vehicle. You would have to measure about what kind of front to rear spread you would get, taking a measurement from the rear of the rear door to the front of the front door. The Rhino rack fit kit, tower and bars are $561. I'd expect Yak and Thule to be the same. Additional cost for a kayak J Bar pair, probably $220 or so from Rhino. Or you can skip the J bars and tie the boat flat to the cross bars.

Im my experience using Yakima J bars on a 10 ft. boat, it holds very securely. I only tie down the bow to front of truck when on a highway at sustained 70mph plus. Local trips I just use the straps to the rack. I would expect you might get away with the shorter F/R spread if you tie down bow and stern.

#RV0789B - Vortex ROC25 Flush Black 2 Bar Roof Rack |

The ROC25 Flush roof rack system is specifically moulded to fit the contours of your vehicle's roof and features a great sporty look.

www.rhinorack.com

 

[Jusflyin]

Thanks for all of the info! I normally just use foam cradle blocks on the bars rather than the J bars - I’ve heard some horrific stories when using them when transporting sea kayaks. So far I’ve had to use my Infiniti FX to transport the kayaks - the spread on those bars is pretty short, so bow and stern lines are a must if going any distance or speed.

So it sounds like you’re saying the 2nd gen roof bars will fit on a 2022 Frontier? That’s perfect!

Thanks again.

Cheers

 

[Lightingguy]

Thanks for all of the info! I normally just use foam cradle blocks on the bars rather than the J bars - I’ve heard some horrific stories when using them when transporting sea kayaks. So far I’ve had to use my Infiniti FX to transport the kayaks - the spread on those bars is pretty short, so bow and stern lines are a must if going any distance or speed.

So it sounds like you’re saying the 2nd gen roof bars will fit on a 2022 Frontier? That’s perfect!

Thanks again.

Cheers

You need to do a fit check on the Yakima and Thule sites for 2022. The Rhino Rack fit check and link I provided was for the Gen 3

 

[Jusflyin]

Yah, neither site lists roof bars that fit the 2022 onwards. I was hoping to hear from someone that has tried the roof bars for the Gen 2 to see if they fit the Gen 3.

 

[Pro4 KC]

The longest kayaks we have are 17 and 18' composite kayaks, so the J hooks are great for distributing point loads. (I did add foam pipe insulation or extra protection.) Seeing I have a king cab, the roof option is out of the question. Even with a crew cab I'd be tying things down with two bow and stern lines.

Regarding the roof and bed rack combo mentioned above: There is quite a bit of independent flex between the cab and the bed on rough roads (I'm North of Superior). Check your straps as they may loosen up from the movement. I also found that the combo of bumps and grit rubbed the gel coat. Not much of an issue with poly boats though...

 

[Lightingguy]

Regarding the roof and bed rack combo mentioned above: There is quite a bit of independent flex between the cab and the bed on rough road

Likely the reason my rope and knot loosened up last year when I was carrying that 17 ft. canoe. I was puzzled but it wasn't an issue. Now I know, thanks.

 

[Lightingguy]

At OP. FWIW, I did some rough measurments of where a boat would sit on my truck. I have a Leer cap with T rail and Yakima cross bars. My cross bars are 36" apart, that distance determined by the Thule roof box I use that needs 36" or less of spread on the bars for the clamps to work. The center of my bars are 5' from the rear of the truck. If I used a 17' boat, it would have 2-1/2 ft sticking off the end of my truck. My teardrop camper shell body is about 4 ft. from the hitch and I would not have any issue I could see carrying a 17ft boat and using my camper. I would also likely place the crossbars of a ladder rack system in the same place on the truck as where my current cross bars are located.

 

[Jusflyin]

Appreciate you looking into that. My kayak has about 6ft behind the rear bulkhead, so assuming I put the bed rack at the end of the box, I’ll have almost 6ft of overhang. I have closer to 3ft between the truck hitch and the body of the trailer. I need to shift everything forward - the only other option I see is using an over the cab rack.

At OP. FWIW, I did some rough measurments of where a boat would sit on my truck. I have a Leer cap with T rail and Yakima cross bars. My cross bars are 36" apart, that distance determined by the Thule roof box I use that needs 36" or less of spread on the bars for the clamps to work. The center of my bars are 5' from the rear of the truck. If I used a 17' boat, it would have 2-1/2 ft sticking off the end of my truck. My teardrop camper shell body is about 4 ft. from the hitch and I would not have any issue I could see carrying a 17ft boat and using my camper. I would also likely place the crossbars of a ladder rack system in the same place on the truck as where my current cross bars are located.