Will Yakima MegaWarrior Roof Basket, Part # Y07080, Fit Factory Roof Bars on 2012 Honda CR-V

Question:

I have a new 2012 Honda CRV with factory bars. I want to carry some 48X96 pieces of plywood as well as 8 foot lumber 2X8s. Will the Yakima road warrior be of use? It needs to be at least 48 inches to hold my lumber, not long but wide! How wide is this device? Is the Yakima my best bet? Other products that would do better? Will the Yakima fit on the Honda factory bars...I have Yakima bars from previous racks. Can I retro fit them without towers?

asked by: Paul S

Expert Reply:

If your 2012 Honda CR-V has factory installed crossbars that run side-to-side on your roof then the Yakima MegaWarrior Roof Basket, part # Y07080, is a direct fit. If your vehicle roof has only side rails that run front-to-back, then you will need first to install a roof rack, such as the Thule system with silver WingBar load bars, parts # TH711200, # TH460R, and # THKIT3118. You cannot re-use your existing Yakima cross bars without the discontinued Q-Clips and Q-Towers. You would need 2 of part Q699 which is discontinued, and 1 of part # Y00124 for the towers.

Please note that the MegaWarrior basket overall (outside) dimensions are 52 inches x 48 inches, and it weighs 35 pounds. 4-foot x 8-foot sheets of plywood will not fit within the basket interior. (Also, bear in mind that lumber products can have dimensions that vary slightly.) We do offer larger rooftop cargo carriers, such as the all-aluminum Surco # SPS4550-1101 which mounts to your factory side rails without need for crossbars. This basket weighs approximately 60 lbs.

However, the limiting factor for your application is the weight burden such a load will exert on your CR-V roof. The weight of the basket itself will count toward the vehicle roof weight-bearing limit. The specs for the 2012 CR-V on the Honda website do not indicate roof weight capacity, but my research on owners forums shows the quoted roof rack weight limit to be 75 pounds (you should consult your owners manual for your specific model CR-V to confirm this). If this is the roof weight limit for your CR-V, then you would have only about 40 pounds of capacity left after accounting for the weight of the Yakima basket, and only about 15 pounds left after deducting the weight of the Surco backet. A single sheet of plywood (depending on the variety) could easily weigh 40 lbs and this would exhaust the vehicle weight limit.

Having significant weight on the top of any vehicle will potentially affect its handling characteristics by altering the center of gravity. Again, review of your owners manual is advisable in this case.