Suggestions for Kayak-on-CarRoof Transport ?

Hello All.

I am looking for suggestions anyone can offer on what type of 'on top of car roof' system I can rig up to transport my kayak ? I am not very interested in actually purchasing a roof rack from GM, but rather do you recommend just a couple foam wedges and nylon tension tie-strap at the front as well as rear ? Any related tips or ideas ? What works for you ? Any special place you would suggest to purchase ?

Whatever assistance/experience you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Hi Kimberly,

Good thing you didn't ask what brand of roof rack to get. This is guaranteed to spark a holy war.

You didn't mention what type of car or kayak you have. If it's a whitewater kayak, and you have the 60/40 fold-down rear seats in your car, then you can easily stow it inside. (I've seen a guy with a toyota doing this.) If you have a sea kayak, then roof mounting is your only option (unless you want to tow a trailer).

Anyhow, by nylon tension tie-straps, I take it you mean the flat nylon (or whatever material it's made from) with the self-gripping cam buckle.

You can get these straps and the foam blocks from any of the stores in Westboro like, MEC, Trailhead, Bushtukah, etc. I think I've seen them at Canadian Tire as well.

One problem with this basic setup is that you'll need someone to help hold the foam blocks down so that they don't blow away with the wind. Otherwise you can use some double-sided tape or any tape to temporarily hold the blocks in place.

I've tried having the basic foam blocks and straps with my current rain-gutterless sedan. While this 'works', one thing to consider with this setup is that when you put the centre strap around the kayak, it will pinch your car door rain seals and it WILL leak.

I did this once, just before a thunderstorm. Suffice to say, my back seat was a little wet.

Another thing about having just the blocks, you have to watch that when tightening the straps you don't deform your roof. (Yeah, I did that too).

As for what I use, I went at bought myself a roof rack for my car from Auto Racks in Westboro after that thunderstorm. But, I still use the foam blocks.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Alf's right about the center strap leaking, I drove three hour in the rain and my back seat was a lot wet. If your kayak is plastic and you don't position the foam blocks under the bulkheads most likely you will put dent (oilcanning) in the bottom of the kayak. On my Lesabre i positions one block at the front of the roof (strong and stable here, just above the windshield) and rigged an old trunk mounted bike rack and boards to give support at the other bulk head. that worked okay.

Hey Alf (& JVR),

Thanks for your input. You are right, I did leave out several important details... Kayak is a Paluski Spirit (13-16? feet). My car is a two door 94 Sunbird- and I didn't opt for the 40/60 split option when I bought it 8 years ago.

Yes, you are correct about the straps...Car racks are not an option at this time due to cost...I am not willing to spend the coin this season until I see how frequently I take out the kayak...I am looking at a low cost alternate until I can determine usage, and then if I can continue with it, great, if not, then perhaps Santa will assist in time for next season ....

I guess my queries are as follows: 1. durability of the foam blocks (once on, are they stable or will they slide about ?) and do they last...a few years ? or begin to crumble within several uses... 2. safety of the front and rear straps ? will they blow about ? 3. by the sounds of it, you are also indicating a centre strap...necessary ? even & front and rear 4. centre strap leading to wet back seats...hmmmm 5. dented roof....hmmm

Any more feedback much appreciated gents... Sincerely,

Knowing this helps. I have a 16.5' touring kayak. Not that far off from yours. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't dream of not having the bow, stern and centre straps.

[snip]

To answer (1) and (2) The foam blocks are quite durable, but not indestructible. Depends how much (ab)use they get. Can't tell you how long they last, since I've only had mine (I bought them new) for about 9 months, but only used them about 5-6 times. No problems so far.

One thought I just had is to put the flexible, self-adhesive strip magnets on the bottom of the blocks to hold them down when mounting your kayak. I've seen these at the dollar stores around town. Or use some kind of non-marring tape to hold the foam blocks down.

You may want to use a stronger glue/adhesive since the double-sided tape used on the magnets isn't that great.

Depending on how fast and how far you're driving, the foam blocks can slip out from under the kayak. Hence the need for bow and stern tie downs in addition to the centre strap.

Regarding (3), before you tie down or hook on the bow and stern straps, put in a couple of twists so it doesn't resonant when you're driving. Otherwise, the straps can work themselves loose.

(Of course, you don't have to use the cam buckle straps, rope will do just fine, but the straps are more convenient than tying knots and not have to worry about tying rope onto the metal of your car ... i.e., will the rope get cut?).

While I can't comment about the construction of roof racks I've seen at Canadian Tire, they do carry some that are cheaper than a Thule or Yakima. But, they are limited in the number of vehicles they fit.

Cheers,

Thank you, Alf.... I really appreciate you taking the time to explain your suggestions to me... This weekend will be the test, so hopefully all goes well...

Sincerely,

You're welcome and good luck.

I believe you could use an older style gutter mount rack which you may find at a yard sale somewhere. Used on on our 89 sunbird and it carried canoe and another time carried 2 kayaks ok. If you are near Lakefield I may have one you can have if my daughter hasnt disposed of it. It isn't pretty but it works well

Denis

Kimberly, I'll tell you what works just fine for my Cobra Explorer: supplies: 1. Get some '550 cord' also known as parachute cord. 20 feet will be more than enough. 2. Get about 4 foot (minimum) of those hard solid foam tubular round things. Not sure what the name of them are (?) Picture a cylindrical solid foam tube, diameter about 8 inches or so. 3. 2 ratcheting tie downs (with S hooks) that you can buy at an auto parts store. that's it for the supplies! 4. Make a small (6-8 inch diameter) loop with the 550 cord underneath the front and back bumpers of your car in the middle. You'll secure your hooks on the tie downs to this cord. You'll have to run the cord through the hook eyelet and then over the S hook for a good, secure connection. 5. Cut your foam tubes into 4 one-foot smaller tubes. Get creative with a BBQ rotisserie spit (or something similar) and fasten the 550 cord to the point and drive it lengthwise through the tube, so the cord goes through the middle of the foam tube. Pull out the spit, leaving the cord through the middle of the tube. Repeat with ONE more tube. Position the tubes on the TOP gunwales (for want of a better term) where the scupper holes are at on your kayak. Run string around underneath boat and tie to form a loop. Repeat with other two pieces of foam at the other two scupper holes. 6. Voila! You've just made an awesome, very secure rack for your kayak. The slick part is, you can grab the 550 cord (while fastened to your yak) and carry your yak around! Use dive gloves to keep the 550 cord from cutting circulation off in your fingers. 7. Put it on top of your car with the foam as close to the front/rear window as possible, as that is where your roll cage is at (to prevent buckling your roof). Do the tie down loop thing and ratchet it down, front and back nice and tight and you are ready for the beach.

Hope this made sense. E-mail me if you want more info: I've got a buddy with a digital camera and I can send along some pics of what it looks like in action.

Regards, Rick Rivard 'You either make dust or eat dust.'