How are you mounting your kayaks?

Another option is the roller style. The rear rack is a roller, you just put the front of the kayak on it and then push the kayak forward. It’s what I’ve got and I love it.

 

I did make a giant drawer system for when I run just 2 full sized kayaks, I really need to finish it though as the drawer slides broke and need to be replaced.

 

Also this is pretty awsome

 

Y’all all need to stop using ratchet straps to secure your boats. Wether you’re putting them on a roof rack, bed rack or just in the bed, a simple cam strap is eons better than a shitty old ratchet strap. Folks in the boating community have been using them for years. They are much more reliable, efficient and safer to use. Get 2-3 different lengths and they will store compactly under your seats or somewhere. I love summers in the south, but I hate seeing everyone driving around with boats “tied down” with bungee cords or a ratchet strap that is obvious the user doesn’t actually know how to use it.

Here ya go:https://www.nrs.com/nrs-1-hd-tie-down-straps/p4yc

 

+1 for NRS straps.

 

My kayaks are fairly light at 39lbs a piece. That said, it is awkward weight dispersment to lift onto the roof of a truck. My truck isn't lifted, I have steps, and I'm fairly tall at 6'2". All things in my favor. So getting them up there isn't too much of a pain....but I wouldn't say it's easy. If you're predisposed to tweeking your back, you may want to explore other options....having said that, I've had my own back issues so there you go. Haha.

Anyway, getting the one on the outer passenger side is the easiest, I just power lift it right onto the kayak cradle....easy peasy. For the other side I just lift and slide it over the storage box and into the kayak cradle. It takes a little finesse but I've got it down now. I also have a couple of these:



I don't use these to actually get the kayaks on the roof but they're super helpful when dealing with the straps and making micro adjustments.

When you say "2 bar" do you mean the kayak carriers that are made to hold 2 kayaks? If so, I've never actually tried them. I went with 2 sets of the Yakima Jay-Lows for two reasons. 1. They're literally designed to be quickly removed from the rack without any mounting hardware or tools needed. And 2. I already had one pair so I chose to just get a second pair. While Yakima claims you can mount two kayaks with a single pair of Jay-Lows....well, I just couldn't get them secure enough for my liking. Maybe for a very short trip but not for my purposes. I'm sure the mounts that are designed for two kayaks work just fine. I just haven't tried them.

More pics if you like:

 

Cool! Nah I'm 30 and in good (enough) shape no back issues. But I just foresee there being shenanigans if I'm loading a kayak to the roof on a regular daily basis.

This is pretty sweet. Yeah I was talking about a two kayak carrier, so that's reassuring that they'll be a decent option.

Thanks for the input. Definitely will help and I'll look at those steps that things pretty slick.

 

Yup. Just put the noodles on, taped the ends down, and threw the kayaks up on top. Easy as can be.

 

i second the disdain for ratchet straps. To me, they seem like they could fail. As a sailor, i go for knots over ratchet straps.

I always use the trucker’s hitch, to tie stuff down on my truck. Such a great knot- you can apply an incredible amount of tension

 

old school whitewater boats and just folks in the southeast primarily will not even use cam straps. They will use 5mm accessory cord and either tie a bowline in the end or do just like you said with a truckers hitch.

when I was a raft guide we would tie down rafts 8 high with just 2 ropes thrown over and tightened down with a trucker hitch.

What really gets me is when you see the people who use bungee straps to attempt and secure their boat the roof of their vehicle. Here’s your sign.

 

Yeah ratchet straps are fandangled contraptions. Can't trust that new technology. Same with cell phones, can't trust em. Give me a good ol reliable homing pigeon to send my letters. And don't even get me started on computers, those things will never catch on.

 

The big problem with ratchet straps is that they damage kayaks if over tightened. The plastic kayaks are made of can warp under prolonged pressure from the strap combined with the heat of the sun.

 

Yeah I get that and completely agree...but that wasn't really the gripe in previous posts My sarcasm wasn't directed at a specific application of tie down straps, more the general tone that they can't be relied on or trusted.

I too use cam straps designed for plastic kayaks... beacuse that's what they're designed for. But ratchet straps absolutely will hold a kayak to your truck....so well in fact they'll warp the plastic doing so.

 

Wait, people dont trust ratchet straps? ive had cars that are mostly held together with ratchet straps, I once cut the roof off a chevette, loaded a golf cart into it and ratchet strapped the cart to the front seats.

 

Haha! That's what I'm talking about!

 

hear ya loud and clear.

The reality is ratchet straps are only as useful as the person using them. Majority of folks using them outside of professional use on a work truck, don’t know how to use them correctly.

Comparing my comment on the use of cam straps vs. ratchet straps to computer and cell phones doesn’t exactly add up bud.

I will not concede the fact that cam straps are better for securing most loads on everyday vehicles. Ratchet straps are overpriced and people over complicate them. A cam strap has been used for decades in the boating community for securing boats to vehicle and securing gear to boats (rafts). Cam straps have less parts, therefore have less points of failure. They rarely need maintenance, and are easily replaceable, economically speaking. They are actually harder to come by than a ratchet strap. I assume that’s because 1) NRS pretty much owns that market and it would be hard to make something similar without infringing on their product, and 2) vendors and retailers can make more money off of selling you dozenS of shitty ratchet straps over a lifetime, vs selling you a dozen cam straps over a lifetime.

I use ratchet straps all of the time to secure heavy and over sized loads. You would want to secure a motorcycle in the bed of a truck with ratchet straps over cam straps, same with a man lift on a trailer, or an ATV. Securing a kayak or canoe on on to a rack with a ratchet strap really doesn’t make sense. The mechanism itself is clumsy and just becomes another hazard in the wind.

Use the right tool for the job, and know how to use that tool. Folks on here will spend thousands of dollars on gear to drive down FS roads, but then spend 12 bucks at Walmart on some 2” camo ratchet straps to secure all that junk with.

Hand a ratchet strap to 10 different people, and I’d reckon that less than half would know how to actually use it.

Also, I don’t really get your point anyway, considering ratchet straps aren’t something new and I don’t think that is what I implied.

Edit: @ me next time

 

Jokes man...just jokes.

Edit:. And the jokes weren't intended for any particular individual.

 

Any issues mounting the rack to the bed or does it fit up fine?

 

Yakima also has a neat bed extender tee bar that goes into trailer hitch which allows you to secure two kayaks in the bed. Easy loading and offloading.

 

Installed the Yakima overhaul racks this morning. Looks great and the 68” bars still don’t stick out too far.