Review on Yakima J Style Rooftop Carrier Capacity by Bill Russett

I'll start with the pluses of this stand. I have it on a 2018 Audi Q7 with factory cross members. Very easy to fit and very secure to Audi cross members. I bought locks from him and the locks were also very easy to fit. Although the locks are optional, they give me a sense of security. I usually kayak in Vermont and park in some remote locations that I've always wondered about , whether my previous porters would do all still exist. when I returned because they were attached with wing nuts, easy to take off. So I mostly took foam blocks with me. The trunk lock is really a bonus. they are easy to put on and take off. I didn't use packed straps as I use NRS straps and the kayak was easy to strap on. The crossbar spacing was correct so the straps run back and forth on the hood. Traveled by kayak from Connecticut to Vermont and had no problems. I felt secure enough in the stance not to secure the kayak with bow and stern straps. Now a big problem and a small problem. One small issue is that it would be beneficial to have belt guides. The only minor issue I had with securing the kayak was that the straps would always sink to the bottom of the rack when I moved them out of the way to load. But only a few manufacturers have belt guides. The main issue I had, apparently it's been around long enough for Yakima to fix, is the whistling. It was loud enough to hear on the radio. Yes, caulking the screw holes fixes this problem, but Yakima also offers simple rubber plugs for these holes to fix it. This might not be an issue for everyone, but it looks like it's a common complaint and should be addressed by the manufacturer rather than using duct tape on a $250 rack with locks. Plugs provide two benefits: 1 - better sealing of metal parts from moisture, dirt, rust, etc., 2 - stops the damn whistling noise for many of us who have this problem. So at this price I see them like the Cadillac of pillars and can hardly explain why I have to tape the holes to fix an issue the manufacturer needs to fix. It's like putting duct tape on my Audi door because it won't stay closed. It just won't happen.