I have seen a lot of contradictory info about whether I can put one of the larger Yakima or Thule cargo boxes on my 2015 4Runner with factory crossbars. Some (including the tools on the manufacturers websites, that no I need either timberline towers plus bars (e.g jet streams) for the Yakima or else the aeroedge bars for the Thule box. I went to Rackstarz yesterday and they said no problem on the factory crossbars. I’m dubious. Can anyone share their experience?

Many thanks in advance.

The problem with the factory cross bars (non-TRD Pro rack) is they are very close to the roof. Although my Yakima cargo box will fit, there is the danger of scratching the roof if you are not careful in putting the box on and off.

It would be better if you could get some cross bars that are further above the roof. I had some OMAC cross bars for a while, but they were only marginally better.

It depends on the box as well. My Yakima 21 wouldn't move far enough forward to allow me to open the tailgate more than about 1/2 way. I tried using the LFD crossbars as well and no luck. I couldn't safely load long boats and tandem bikes with the minimal crossbar spread either. I ended up going with the Rhino Rack permanent rack tracks and crossbars. I was a big commitment but now I can carry anything that is long or bulky with ease. Also, being able to have a naked roof when I'm not carrying anything helps with wind noise, MPG and car washing.

^ this

factory crossbars are just too close to the roof and can bend with weight on them. can you make them work? sure, many people have but that depends on the box and use. if you don't have any plans of needing a platform or a RTT then a good quality set of thule or yakima crossbars are very functional for bikes, baskets, canoes, boxes etc.

I have the thule 60" wingbars on the 450r footpacks. they do sit a tad higher off the roof than I'd like but it does allow me to wash the roof when I have my pelican boxes up there. I sit just under 6'10" with the boxes on top which is 1" higher than I'd like

I mounted a Thule Force box on a 2013 Trail OEM rack. The problem I had was not vertical clearance, but cross bar spread. The Thule mounting clamps have a limited range of fore-aft adjustability. On some of the longer rack models, the minimum spread of the clamps was greater than the maximum spread of the cross bars. Allowing clearance for the hatch at the aft end further limited the range of adjustment. The 2013 Trail rack is a different design, but the same concerns may apply to your model. Recommend verifying that the rack mount adjustment range is compatible with your cross bar spacing and that you will have sufficient clearance to open your hatch.

Not sure how much weight I’ve had up there but no problems experienced. Tents, chairs, my BBQ all tarped up, that kind of thing. I use 4 factory cross bars under it, had two given to me so why not. No clearance issues with basket brackets, all seems to work well. I presume a box mounts in the same manner with those clamps? You reach inside it ? Not sure.

I have Timberline feet and crossbars for my cargo box. I scratched the HELL out of my roof the first time I put my box up there, not realizing the clamp was open. Factory cross bars sit way too close to the roof...


Can you Show some pictures of this? I have some Yakima Landing Pads that I've been going back and forth about, main hesitation is the thought of drilling holes in my perfectly fine roof....

I ran into the same problem as others have mentioned: not enough gap between the roof and the factory crossbars.

Here is my thread with photos: Yakima Whispbar and Skybox 16 install photos.

There's a new option from OVS for a set of cross bars that are super easy to install and remove, so you don't need to keep them up there year round. They would sit up higher to gain decent clearance from your roof to mount anything to them. They're intended to mount an awning or RTT, but they'd also be great for cargo boxes or anything else.

They're in 4 different lengths too.

Overland Vehicle Systems Freedom Cross Bars System - Exit Offroad

I mount my Yakima 16 on factory X bars all the time, however I also wedge some foam under clamps between roof to prevent the possibility of rubbing. I will prob grind a little off the bottom of the box clamps to be sure. Don't need to remove very much, they are plastic.

Problem I had with a Thule box is the factory bars were not stiff enough and once at highway speeds the box vibrated up and down.
Ended up using ratchet straps to the side rails to hold the box down to keep it from bouncing and put a rag between the box and roof to not scratch my roof until I could get to REI and buy the aerobars.

I thought about doing this on my Off Road Premium. I love the look of the Pro and have already upgraded to the Pro side steps, rims and tires.

But the last I checked, the OEM basket is $600 plus the mounting hardware. In total, I found to be looking at a price tag of over $1000.00. So, I looked at adding just the basket to the existing crossbars.

In the end, I've decided to go for the entire OEM basket and mounting hardware as the look is important to me.

Installation is intimidating.

Has anyone done this upgrade> If so, can you please share your experience?

Thank you.

I have a Thule and a Yakima box. Both worked fine on my OEM cross bars, but with enough weight the Yakima clamps could hit the roof. I keep half a dozen square 6x6" roughly sized patches of clear bra in my car tool kit for things like this. Just stick them onto the roof where it might rub. If it does, it's no problem. Won't damage your paint. Anytime a strap contacts paint I'll just stick one on either temporarily or just leave it if I'm going to use it again.

Since then I've changed my bars out for some 8020 T-slot bars that I use for mounting other stuff to. I like them better for pretty much everything. Mounting the cargo boxes is a lot easier with the T slot rail and drop-in t-slot hardware. But the OEM cross bars worked fine for either of my boxes and sometimes both at the same time. But it depends on the clamp like other have said. Some might not fit between the rails and the roof.

Good luck

I took this 'Toyota' to Florida and back at 80 mph. 1000 miles each way on factory roof cross bars. For the best results I spread the bars as wide (front & back) as possible.
If the factory Prado 150/GX works... the 4Runner will to. (My sister-in-Law had a shorter, cheap Sears box on her 18 4Runner Limited on the same trip)

missed the photo last post

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