OEM or aftermarket crossbars for kayak?

[Feriner]

Thoughts appreciated on OEM vs aftermarket crossbars for rooftop kayak hauling. I don't think I'll exceed 100 lbs. total and usually it will be just one boat at 45-ish lbs. Mostly local but I plan to take a few trips each year that will involve a few hundred miles of highway travel.

Your opinions and experience appreciated.

 

[GhostRing]

Quality aftermarket crossbar kits are almost always sturdier and more versatile than OEM bars, but you *should* be ok depending on how you distribute the weight.
Your call on using saddles/J cradles/etc. to locate the kayak(s) on the bars, but I strongly recommend using appropriate, correctly routed straps - including bow & stern.

 

[ArthurKotb]

On my '04 T4R I carry a 95 lb. Jackson Big Tuna, OEM rack. I have carried it from central Kentucky, down to central Florida, over to Texas and back to Kentucky without any problems. It sits there just fine, moving only on the cross members enough to rub off the paint. I need to do something about that.

I have the Malone holders on the side rails. One broke but they are guaranteed for life. Malone shipped a replacement in Florida. I fashioned a couple of straps inside the hood area that I can pull between the fender and hood. Then I rope those to the bow of the kayak. This picture is older. I have replaced the 3 straps with 2 wider straps.

 

[John in NC]

I've seen folks running really wide aftermarket bars that can fit a bunch of stuff up there, like a rooftop thule/ yakima type cargo box and a kayak.... but that setup above looks pretty nice on stock bars.
Stock bars probably give very little aerodynamic drag as well, and if you like a clean look, they're tucked in low out of sight.