Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

[Link]

The kayaks we have are the "toy" type and ones we may buy in the futher will be the same.<br /><br />Store clerks at GI Joes and Boaters World have been no help at all.<br /> <br />I have a factory rack (flat bar) on my van.<br /><br />This is not a money question. One style will carrey 4 boats for about a hundred bucks and the other style will carrey 2 boats for 200 bucks with both brands.<br /><br />The two Brands we have here are YAKIMA and THULE<br />Pros or Cons on the brands.<br /><br />The two styles are either the Hull-a-port / Hull Raiser and the stacker models for both brands.<br /><br />Pros and Cons on each style<br /><br />With no input from someone who has used either style I'm leaning towards the saddle type that each hold one kayak because it looks safer, but dont know which is why this post.<br /><br />If we had, had them with us last weekend comming home from Seaside Oregon there were at least 6 different lakes/ponds we could have just went out and fished errr I mean paddled around them Lilly Pads! <br /><br />Each of our vehicles, Truck,Van and car has poles and tackle boxes plus kites. So we are going to add the kayaks to the van on trips.<br /><br />Thanks for your help<br />Link

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

I would go with the saddle type, but we went cheapy mc-cheaperson and wrapped the flat bars with those foam tubes that you put over plumbing and strap the kayak down. It works fine, so anything better than that is an improvement.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

Link, Jason's sugestion is a very good one. We also used to use the standard factory roof rack of our Ram Van, and wrap them with "punchy-noodles" that can be purchased at wally world or any pool supply store fairly cheap. The trick is to carefully slice them with a razor blade, slip them over the chrome rails,and duct tape the ends. It werked fine,and really doesn't look as tacky as it sounds. On the Mustang Ghia, we had to buy a cutom rack. I think we got it mail-order from JC Whitney, but don't remember for sure. I do recall it was pricey.

 

[Link]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

Thanks guys<br /><br />We went with the YAKIMA saddle type. Have already made one improvement to them. <br />We went with them because its easier for two pwople to load and tie down.<br />And even though they dont tell you this, the Saddle type can also be used as a stacker to carrey up to 4 boats. Just add one more set of straps. Which we already have from the second saddle<br />I may pick up some of those pretty colored tubes you can get at Fred Myers... "punchy-noodles"??? cut them for the rack to put the canoe inbetween them.and also use them between the kayaks if we get any more of them.<br />Anything using Duck tape has to be good! <br /><br />BTW the only reason we picked Yakima is because the local GI Joes had two in stock and none of the Thule.<br /><br />Tomorrow evening we are gathering up mother inlaw, her Sandy dog and going to a small bass lake to eat dinner (pic-nick style) and try fishing out of them.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

You can't go wrong with Yakima or Thule. Happy 'yaking....

 

[one more cast]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

I'm not a kayaker but I noticed a rack on a van that had rollers on the back of the rack. This would really make loading a kayak or canoe easy.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

Thats the type I want to get for our rig. I am not the 'yaker, my better half is, so she could use an easier way to get it on her Jeep. She does fine now though. Good exercise....

 

[BillP]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

Link<br />I have the straight Thule racks and normally carry two poly kayaks with them (14'-6" Carolina & 15'-8" Alto). I optioned for the extender bar which is a big help when single handed. The racks are ok and plenty strong but nothing special in the engineering or materials dept.<br /><br />I space the racks so they are a little wider than the cockpits and carry the boats upside down. When carrying my third kayak (14') I just get it on top of them and cinch down. Years ago I had noodles on the racks but removed them because they get torn. The kayaks slide easier and make mounting/dismounting easier without the noodles too. <br /><br />I tie them all down with 25' long nylon straps that wrap over the hulls and under the roof through the doors. There's hardly any way the boats can fly off using this method. On long trip I tie the bow and stern so they won't get buffered too bad from big trucks blasting by.<br /><br />Saddles are supposed to be the best for keeping poly hulls from "denting". I didn't get them because of the extra cost (the darn Thules w/extender bar were around $275 if memory serve right). The hulls DO dent but it comes out so fast I don't have issues with it.<br /><br /><br />Here's a pretty good web site to ask questions and learn about kayaking... <br /><br /> http://www.paddling.net/

 

[Link]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

Man I've learned alot about kayaks mounting systems in this last week. And to be honest we just got lucky when I picked up the saddle system.<br />They only had the yakima in stock and they were on sale so the total price with tax for two sets was 170.00<br />You guys have all made good points and if I ever have to load them by my self I might be cursing the saddles But they look cool! <br /><br />Just saw the roller system OMC mentioned yesterday. For easy mounting it looked good. There was a guy in the parking lot with it on his rack. He told me that he had started out with a thule saddle system like I had but after a couple years changed over because they were too much work. <br /><br />BillP<br />The thought of denting the kayaks hadn't crossed my mind. Hind sight being 20/20 I may have goofed in my haste. But now its what I have and will learn to live and or adapt with it.<br />Good website. Thanks<br /> <br />A friend who is a "real" kayaker suggested that we take a basic kayak course. This we are going to do. He is more concerned that I will get dumped and loose my tackle box and never use the kayaks again than he is about my safety LOL

 

[BillP]

Re: Car Topping Kayaks would like advice on equipment

Link,<br />Denting is more prone to straight racks. Saddles support the kayaks correctly (if spaced right)and don't dent. <br /><br />Getting in and out of a kayak is harder than preventing a roll...unless you are surf riding.