# Yakima LowRiders that "kinda" fit my factory rails



## zuuds (Jan 30, 2004)

I have a set of Yakima LowRider towers from my old car, and I mounted them onto a 2011 Toyota Sienna. As you can see from the pic, the clamps don't fit the contour of the factory raised side rails very well, there is a gap. The claw on the inner side grips underneath the rail, and the claw on the outer side grips the bottom of the outer side of the rail, but there is not much contact between the clamp and the side (outer curved portion) of the rail. 

The LowRider towers are the previous generation model, they have been replaced by the RailGrab towers. 

I e-mailed Yakima about this, and they said the LowRider towers do not work with this vehicle and they said I need to get the RailGrabs. They sent me a picture of the RailGrabs installed on the same vehicle (the second picture), but that looks like it has a bit of a gap too - although not as much as mine. 

The LowRiders seem to be on there pretty good, after tightening them down, I can't get them to move. However, I'm leery of the gap and the fact that Yakima said the towers aren't compatible. What do you rack experts think?


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## Wildhog (Feb 17, 2012)

I'm glad I found your post. I'm picking up my 2011 Sienna today and was wondering if I can use my LowRiders that I currently use on my Outback. I emailed Yakima but have not gotten a response yet. 

Please keep us posted on if you decide to go with the RailGrab.


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## zuuds (Jan 30, 2004)

Here's what Yakima said to me:

Thank you for contacting Yakima Customer Support.

I did not find that the LowRider towers will work on your new 2011 Toyota Sienna Factory raised siderails. You need to get the RailGrab Towers, PN 8000138, $165.00, to be able to put the Yakima round crossbars on the roof. Here is the fit that will work on those factory raised siderails:

Vehicle: TOYOTA Sienna Dual sliding drs 
Year Range: 2011-2012 
Fit Type: Top 
Factory Rack: Factory Raised Siderails 
Weight Limit: 165 
Tower/Attachment: RailGrab 
Crossbar Length: 48" CrossBars 
Recommended Fairing: 32" Fairing 
Front Clips/Landing Pads: Medium Claws 
Rear Clips/Landing Pads: Medium Claws 
Fit notes:
16. Works with LoadWarrior Extension (PN 8007074). Extension adds 18" of length. 
22. Doesn't work with MegaWarrior Extension (PN 8007082). 
69. Refer to page $ of the FitList or visit http://www.yakima.com/download/Yakima-Hatch-Interference.pdf for rear hatch clearance information regarding cargo boxes. 
81. Any load extending beyond the length of the roof (except luggage boxes) must be secured to both the front and rear of the vehicle, in addition to the rack. The total weight of the racks and loads must not exceed Yakima's weight limit for that vehicle's factory rack. 
132. Any load/mount extending beyond the rear hatch seam may cause interference. 
191. StrapThang limited to 2 surfboards. Boards must be stacked - DO NOT carry side-by-side. 
197. Foam blocks limit capacity to one boat per vehicle. 
198. Medium Claw recommended for this application. Claws included with all RailGrab Tower sets.

I've attached a couple of photos of how the RailGrab towers look when they're installed. They show how the RailGrab towers use the claw to snug onto the lower part of the siderail to help secure the towers.

The only other option I show for your vehicle's factory raised side rails is with the Whispbar series, but that means you would need to replace everything.

If you have any additional questions, please give us a call at 888-925-4621, 7am to 5pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

Thank you for your inquiry!
Yakima Support

Title: Custom Installation
Link: Custom Installation

Title: Tower Conversion
Link: Tower Conversion

Title: LowRider vs. LowRider Max
Link: LowRider vs. LowRider Max


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## Wildhog (Feb 17, 2012)

I got my response from Yakima and it's completely different:

Thank you for contacting Yakima Customer Support.

Yes the LowRider Towers will fit the newer Sienna.

Thank you for your inquiry!
Yakima Support


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## cracksandracks.com (Oct 22, 2009)

the railgrab has a more positive attachment point, because inside the siderail, and claw hooks around the siderail. the small gap in the tower at the top is insignificant.
the lowrider doesn't have this claw. the portion of the tower that engages the inside of the sidrail is flat. it relies on the outer, lower portion of the tower to hook fully around the siderail.
i would venture to say, based on your install photo, that I could release that tower with a stiff upward pull.


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