options for carrying kayak on Protege5
 

Would like to use Thule or Yakima type kayak saddles to carry my kayak on my P5. The Yakima and Thule sites show the rack for the P5 as a full rack fitting into the door. Does anyone know if Yakima or Thule plan to come out with crossbars to fit the P5 factory rack? Or will Mazda market rack accessories like kayak saddles?
Thanks for any suggestions.

I don't know about that, but I'm using a full Yakima rack to carry me and my wifes mountain bikes. If you do go with these you'll need Q102 q clips. I had to order them directly from Yakima.

Since posting the initial message, I have called both the Thule and Yakima factories. The Thule rep said his info showed that they had tested the P5 rack and it was found unsuitable (unclear why) and that, therefore, Thule was not making anything for it. The Yakima guy had no info on them doing anything for the P5. I then called Mazda and the customer service person said they had no plans for accessories for the P5 rack. She promised to send a message to the engineers in Japan and get back to me. The upshot of all this seems to be a factory rack that is prety useless.

Yakima & thule
 

Okay here's the deal...I've put some time into this...

Bikers:
Thule 889
It's a bike tray w/ half a crossbar...sits on top of our factory rack.
here's the deal...it's short. so if you are a biker, and strictly a biker you're golden. The 889 comes with 2 locks, also comes with skewers. You later can buy the 559 and have too trays.

To add a ski or board rack...take the 889 off. order the FM1 (universal adapter, thule's version of the Mighty mount), then buy the board rack.

Yakima:
Doesn't directly make anything for us. For skis/boards like zacky farm said MightMounts work fine. The one's from a 96 subaru legacy outback works too...I think they are the 24's, but don't quote me. IF you like to mount your bike w/ both tires on, just get the horizontal mighty mounts. 12H. Then get the anklebiter, or...the boa I think. The fork mounts take a little more work...you can make the copperhead fit...but it takes some adjusting.

I don't know about the kayak attachments. If they connect through any might mounts you can get around it. If you have to attach directly to the rack you have a problem.

Oh yeah...YAkima also makes rack bases that fit into rails...kinda like the rails we have after we take our factory rack off. Tomorrow I will see if any of yakima's existing rail mount towers can fit in there. Hope this helps.


L8r,
SnObOaRdEr_X


HEY DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY PICS OF THE THULE/MAZDA FACTORY RACK SYSTEM that is available from the canadian dealer.
I was going to get a full on yakima setup, but I don't like the look of having the clips hang down from my roof. BTW if anyone else wants to get a full on set....Q towers, and Q102 clips.


Whoever bought the full Yakima system...can you post a pic? I want to see how it looks.

weight limits
 

Weight limits for the p5 according to thule is 165. I don't know if Yakima supports that or not, but when I looked in their book they have racks with limits of 100lbs, and 140 so I don't know what the problem is. I'm going to try to talk to one of the tech reps and see why they say our factory rack is unsuitable.


L8r,
sNoBoArDeR_x
:cool: