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kayak rack

22K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  GL-Rig 
#1 ·
hey guys,

anyone here have used a 16' kayak on top of the TB or envoy ?? if so how did you rack it on top??? its it possiable to mount one sideways on a safari rack??? any one have any pics? I just bought a 2 seat kayak 16'er and need to find a way to rack it up for the 50 mile trip home...
 
#2 · (Edited)
I tie down my 2 single occupancy kayaks with the foam blocks and a locking cam straps. I believe my longest kayak is ~14 ft. and is stable on top of my truck. I will post a picture when I found one later. When you place the kayak on top of the roof rack make sure it is totally balanced on the roof and not tipsy to the front or rear of the vehicle. One more tip. put a twist in the strap to reduce vibration noise while traveling at higher speeds.


foam block
http://www.rei.com/product/672423

straps
http://www.rei.com/search?query=kayak+tie+downs

 
#4 · (Edited)
I use the same foam pads. But wanted to ask a question , I have an old town otter kayak , and put it on upside down ,because I thought it would be more aerodynamic and rain doesn't get in ''I don't have a cover' ,I know its a little harder to get on that way, but just wanted to know if its OK to put it on this way or is there another reason why people don't


I know this is an old post. just didn't want to start a new one
 
#5 ·
I have carried my two 17 ft canoes for hundreds on kilometres on my Thule rack. I have 78" bars and Tracker 2 430 feet with the TK1 fit kit. I have also carried one of the canoes with my sons 10' yak a number of times without any problems. I carry the canoes and the yak upside down.
The Yakima and Thule bars flex much less than the bars that come standard on our trucks and things bounce around much less with them. If you are going to carry things often on your rack I think it is well worth upgrading.
 
#6 ·
Hey sLash,Thanks for the info,Yeah I live in PA. now But have a home in St. Pete Fl. and go down about 5 times a year ,and take my kayak back and forth , very interested in the bar you talk about ,,,,I went to the site but when i put in my suv , I put in it has a rail and nothing comes up . Did you use your old rail to put the bars on, I can find the bar ,but not theTK1 fit kit for our Suv's or am i confused on how they go on.
 
#7 ·
TK-1 fit kit
http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-tk1-tracker-kit-1.asp
Tracker 430 foot
http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-430-tracker-ii-foot-pack.asp
78" bar you can buy whatever size you like but this allows me to carry two canoes
http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-lb78-78-inch-load-bars.asp

You remove the existing bars and the TK1 slides into the channels on the roof rack and just remain there(they have plastic covers but I'm not sure how good the covers work because I bought all my stuff used and they didnt have the covers) The Tracker 430 feet just snap onto the TK1 whenever you want to use the bars. They have locks available as well so people can't steal your rack. they also have the Aero style feet and bars available if you want.
I pieced together all of the parts for my rack from different people on Kijiji and was able to get everything for $110.00 including four locks which was a steal but it took me 3 months to find all the parts.
 
#9 ·
I have a 16 ft aluminum canoe I have carried on my factory roof rack for lots of short trips most under 30 miles one way. I just put a piece of foam (like from an old cushion) under each of the 4 contact points and throw the ratchet strap across. The only concern I have is that the factory roof racks don't appear as if they could take you ratcheting down on them too much.

The foam with a little tension keeps the canoe from sliding forward or side to side, makes a big difference.

I also have one of those bed extenders that converts to the up position from harbor freight. If I am going by myself I use it because I don't mind beating on it or the canoe sliding on it. It also is a more solid attachment point. The only problem is that you can't open the rear hatch/window with it on there.
If I am going on a longer trip I'll also use a little more anchoring than just the two ratchet straps. I'll use some additional rope to tie the back in such a way that it can't slide forward or backward.
 
#10 ·
I put my 2 10 feet kayaks on my roof rack. I just use foam to cover the bars of the rack to protect the kayaks and keep them from moving. I ajust the bars so that the opening of the kayaks fits right between them so they can't move foward or backward.

It's very stable, I drove on a lot of trips like that and they never moved.




 
#13 ·
With 2 kayaks it's more stable because the strap really goes around both of them. If you look they are a bit larger than the roof rack so once they're strapped they don't really have anywhere to go...

I used to strap them upward untill I drove an hour in a thunderstorm... Try taking them off the roof once their filled with water...

I also find that they are a lot more stable facing down.
 
#15 ·
I use a Yakima Megawarrior cargo basket on my factory roof rack. I don't have any pics sorry but I haul a 16' canoe on top of this cargo basket with ratchet tie-downs and bungee straps on the front and back. Have traveled 200 mile trips 4 or 5 times with this setup it works pretty good, but Yakima racks ain't cheap by any means.
 
#18 ·
the problem with the factory cross bars is that they slant downward and a traditional J cradle when mounted leans fwd thus causing your kayak to rest on the rear edge of the resting pads on the cradle. I might try to flip the front cross bar so when mounted with J cradles they will conform to the shape of the kayak as it sits on its side (kind of like a bowl shape).
 
#19 · (Edited)
I know this is an old thread but the manual says the do you really need to upgrade? The Thules are rated for 165lbs.

I want to carry a Jackson Cuse 14' and a 10' vibe and was going to just use foam pads and ratchet straps? What do you all think?

".........: Loading cargo on the luggage carrier that
weighs more than 220 lbs (100 kg) or hangs over the
rear or sides of the vehicle may damage your
vehicle. Load cargo so that it rests on the slats a......"


DCNick2...that white trailblzaer looks sharp!!!!!
 
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