How to transport Kayaks

Thule Exsporter 500, Jackson Cuda 12.

 

WOW!!! I REALLY LOVE that frame design!!! I don't have a Kayak yet, but eventually plan on getting one someday (i.e. I've always been interested in Kayaks). Anyways, very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing!!!

 

And I thought mine stuck out far!!!

 

Not a third gem but I use kb voodoos bed rack with j mounts attached to it.

 

Well i didnt use a stern strap and luckily didnt loose the canoe. I used my old cushions to keep the stern off the roof of the truck though. 6 hrs on the road with no problems

 

used to do it the sketchy way..........


but I much prefer to do it like this now.

 

The j mounts are bolted directly to the voodoo rack? Have a closeup pic? Thanks

 

Unfortunately the mounts I bought don't bolt directly to the rack. The rails on the voodoo rack are to wide for the j mounts to sit flush. They're made more to fit Thule bars/ thinner cross members like you see in a lot of factory roof racks.

I cut some unistrut the width of the rack and bolted the j mounts to them, then bolted the whole assembly to the voodoo rack.

Phones not uploading my picture but I'll have one tomorrow for you.

 

$20 Foam blocks

 

Kayak transport.

 

This is what im planning on until i can get a hard shell.

Question for yall. What kind of fuel mpg loss do you get with them loaded? Im planning a trip to so cal from okc this summer. Wondering how much extra fuel ill need?

 

That's not my truck (customers truck), but I can imagine mileage drops off a bit.

 

I haul mine flat on my roof rack and see little to no difference in mpg. I have hauled them on their edge like that before and did see a drop in mileage as well as more fighting cross winds. In my opinion they just haul 100% better sitting the way they should sit in the water. I put a boot on the cockpit when hauling mine to stream line the top side a little more. My 13.5' lives on my truck in the summer months, hit the river 3-5 times a week.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-roof-rack-for-kayaks.334928/

 

I wouldnt assume they would cut thru the air 2 well on their side. Laid down flat seems like the way togo?

 

That is the best way I have found. Depending on your hull shape either upside down or right side up. What ever gives the best profile. For instance I haul my canoe, and my fishing kayak upside down. My pleasure yak I haul right side up. Have a set of the foam V blocks that I lay on the roof rack rails and strap over the kayak with ratchet straps.

 

Thanks for the link those racks look very nice. I think its now on my to do list.

 

I am undecided on what type system to use. I love the easy on off with the bed extender but it only takes one distracted driver to ruin my yak and that is my big concern. On my previous truck I used a Yakima rack with round cross bars. I was able to slide a 5ft piece of plumbers pipe inside the open end of the cross bar to act as an extender off the side of the cross bar. I would slide the pipes inside the cross bars and pull one extender out and lean the yak up on it and then lift the other end of the yak up pull out the 2nd extender and rest the yak on it so the boat was being supported by both extenders off the side of the rack. I could then slide the boat over onto the yakima rack tie it up and then remove the pipe from the cross bar for travelling. My new Tacoma is a little higher than the previous truck and I'm a little older so I'm not sure if I'll go back that system.

 

This is how I have always done it. Tie a rope across the back of the bed, taught, and clip in boat handles with carabiners. Use another rope tied to the D-rings and use a trucker's hitch to secure it. Pretty secure though with a 5' overhang I do worry about someone rear-ending me. I am going to add trailer lights to the end of the kayak (to be seen, and to be legal - required at night in Texas for >4ft overhang)

 

I have a few questions about this setup since it's the same thing I'm looking to do on the same configuration truck (Double Cab with sunroof):

How is the noise, unloaded, since you leave them on?

I also have the sunroof, any interference?

If you could repurchase that setup, would you still go with the 60" bar?

How are you loading the Kayaks? I am split between the Yakima Jaylow and the Big stack, I have 2 full sized (10ft'ish) kayaks and a kids kayak - ultimately I'd like to be able to carry 4 across. Big Stack claims 4 boats can be loaded, or I could get 2 Jaylows.

Less important, how is the noise factor with 2 kayaks loaded on the highway?

Lastly question, possibly most important because it bothers me the most - are you comfortable with the clips against the paint on the truck, and going underneath the molding? I'm not crazy about either and originally wanted a setup that bolts into the channels - but the stock rack seems less durable than this and any Prinsu style would block the sunroof.