Outfitting Our New Rig with Kayak Racks and Gear Storage

We recently bought a new Nissan Xterra and needed to outfit it for hauling our kayaks and gear on trips. I turned to the folks at FastTrackRacks.com for some help and they were great. Here's how it rolled out.
Phase One - Add a Trailer Hitch. We added a CURT trailer hitch, which cost, including installation, at about 1/2 the price we were quoted for the Nissan factory option.

Phase two - Add Kayak Racks. The factory racks on an Xterra are stout, but pretty narrow and we wanted to load two kayaks. We decided on adding a set of wider 65" cross bars and went with the Inno Racks - a brand which is big in Japan, but relatively new to the US. Quality and option wise Inno gives Yakima and Thule some strong competition, but they are a much better value. In addition, they have square cross bars which make it easier to get racks to stay in place and not "roll". We added two Yakima kayak racks, each composed of a Yakima "Hully Roller" in the back and the Yakima Mako Saddle in the front. I haven't fully decided whether I would go with the Hully Rollers in the future, or go with a second saddle. The rollers help a little bit, but are less stable and guiding than the saddle seems to be.

Phase Three - Gear Storage. Since our Lab, Makai normally goes everywhere with us, we needed some extra room for gear. I wasn't too excited about throwing paddles, wet boots and life jackets into the back seat, so we invested in a Stowaway Cargo Box. This gives us a 16 cubic foot trunk, which is a lot of space. It was the perfect solution for us as our roof rack is already occupied, and frankly, it is a lot easier loading stuff in at waist height than having to climb up to the roof to access the box. It's easy to install and takes me about 5 minutes to hook up or remove. It fits into the trailer hitch and pins into place. Since it has a swingaway style frame, we are able to gain full access to the back.

The Results - We are totally stoked about the new system and loving the Xterra. It makes it really easy to load and transport our kayaks and gear and it's fun to drive. Since it is the end of the season, we haven't put too many miles on all the racks, but enough to know they were a good decision. We've found the Stowaway extremely useful for all kinds of things ranging from bringing 40 pounds of tomatoes home, to hauling products and display items to trade shows.

Disclosure - We are right nextdoor to the FastTrackRacks office and I know the people there well. They gave us a good deal and lots of helps selecting our new gear. If you are in the market, be sure to check them out, I think you too will find a great deal and helpful service at FastTrackRacks.com.