2011 Subaru Outback Cargo Box & Hitch Bike Rack

There's been lots of talk about the factory installed crossbars on the 2010 and newer Subaru Outbacks.  Conversation has generally centered around their ability to switch from a side-rail to a crossbar without any additional adapters.  This is a convenient feature but does have some drawbacks.

The issue with these crossbars is that they are stationary and have a set distance between them.  Plus the back hatch has a spoiler that points vertical when opened, causing fit problems for many accessories.  Here at Cracks and Racks we have found that a select few options do work and are compatible with these factory crossbars.

****If you absolutely need crossbars with a wider bar spread on this vehicle there is a solution.  Yakima has created the Landing Pad 12 and Landing Pad 13 to work in conjunction with the Yakima Control Tower and Yakima Round Bars to achieve that wider spread.****

Here are some photos of a recent install we did on the factory installed crossbars on the roof of a 2011 Subaru Outback.  The cargo box pictured is the Yakima 7178 SkyBox 16s and the bike rack on the back is a Yakima 2426 Flipside Hitch Bike Rack (no longer available).

(Note: the Yakima Flipside is no longer available.  The new option is the Yakima 2464 SwingDaddy, a much more user friendly version.  The SwingDaddy also allows for access to the back hatch of the Subaru by swinging away completely and is designed to keep your bikes loaded on the rack while doing so, giving you more time to ride.