Yakima Loadwarrior Locks - Don't bother

[blink32]

So I've had the Yakima Loadwarrior for a while and I figured I would get the Locks I see advertised as an accessory for it just for a bit more security. Wow what a waste of time.

First the "locks" are still all plastic brackets and the actual locking mechanism is a very small metal (probably pot metal) tab that twists into place on a plastic retainer. Looked and felt like, with a hefty tug, the whole thing could be popped apart.

Second, they don't actually add any level of security. The regular mounts are 3 pieces that all get sandwiched together. A lower brace goes under the stock roof cross bars, another on top of that that has grooves for the bars of the yakima, the yakima sits on top of that and then the top piece sandwiches down on that. its all held in place with 2 bolts and large plastic wing-nut style hand nuts. The so called "locks" only replace the middle and top piece of the mounts so when you turn the key all you effectively do is lock 2/3 of the mount to the Rack. Nothing is ever locked to the vehicle. So spin the hand nuts and remove the bolts like normal, boom, its yours.

I sat down for a while to make sure I had all the parts required, looked at the stock mounting components, etc, compared, there is no way it actually locks anything except the rack to part of the mounting brackets. Which is completely unnecessary if everything is bolted down anyways.

In short don't waste your money.

[boogyman]

Thanks for the heads up.

[blink32]

Here are the pics. If the links stop working in the future just visit the Pathfinder gallery in my signature.

Stock



Yakima

[V8Pathy]

thanks for the heads up.

btw, how do u like the load warrior ?

[blink32]

I use the he77 out of it. I've carried all kinds of crap in it. I have the 18 inch extension also by the way. Loads have included but were not limited to soil, dresser, tons of lumber, lawn mower, lawn more attachments, steel. Basically loads and loads of crap.

My latest "mod" for it is 17ft of 4" PVC with screw in ends. I mount it as needed with two rubber bungies to the rack and it's as solid as can be. Makes it much easier for me to get long lengths of trim and molding from the Home Center and helped out tremendously today at the Steel Yard picking up lengths of square tubing.