Roof loading options

[jsquare]

Hey guys,

Looking for advice on roof carrying options for my Trident 13. I have an older four door sedan and am trying to avoid getting a yakima/thule style roof rack system for a car that I might not be driving long term.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone knows about or has tried a system like the one (hopefully) pictured. One set of straps runs through the doors and another runs around the kayak, whick is cushioned on the foam cylinders.

I've seen the foam block style ones but have trouble putting complete faith in that style. Just doesn't look super sturdy.

Any advice (or direction to previous threads) would be appreciated.

Thanks, John



Ha image post worked

[Rockchaser]

I have seen plenty of people use the big foam blocks. I have not use them personaly but they seem to work. Hell, I have a friend that just set his yak on the roof and ties it down. He is a little crazy well, a lot crazy but it works.

[ronaultmtd]

I used foam blocks for a while and finally bought the Yakima roof system with Land Shark saddles for my Ford Focus- it is a much better option- but the blocks worked-

[Sun]

I've taken my kayak out about 4 or 5 times now, and have been using the foam blocks. I also used them to attend the last meet and greet, where I drove up to 70 mph for 180 miles one way.

It has been working out okay. There has only been one time when it was a little dangerous where I didn't strap the boat down tight enough. I had to stop over on the side of the road to reposition the kayak and strap it down tighter. I would imagine that you would have similar issues with the item you are considering. It works a lot better than you might think.

It was also difficult to get my kayak up and down with the foam blocks by myself. So I made a kayak loader similar to the one tufnik made. Works great, and I don't worry about dropping the yak, scratching the car, or breaking my back.

All that said, this is just temporary until I can convince my wife to let me drop a couple hundred bucks on a roof rack system.

[Grilled]

initially i was using the foam blocks. they worked pretty well.

[DOGFISH]

The foam blocks work. However, with that said, you eventually, if continuing to load to a roof, will get a set of Thule or Yakima racks. Most will modify to another vehicle. The racks will make it much easier to load the kayak by yourself. When I first started kayaking, I blew my shoulder out loading my kayak to the roof with blocks. Do yourself a favor, get a good set of rooftop racks. I now use a single kayak trailer. It also doubles as my dolly. There are all different options.

Of course, this is just one opinion.

[jsquare]

Thanks all.
I guess I was under the impression that the mounting systems for the roof racks were pretty car-model specific. Right now I do my best He-Man impression and single-handedly shoulder that bad boy (i'm young and stupid-no injuries yet) and sling it on the roof of a borrowed Jeep Cherokee. I'd love to be able to use my own car through. For now I think it's the temporary roof rack system for me, with my sights set on a real roof rack in the future.

[hooked again]

For a cheap temporary/emergency rack I copied one from the net. 2 pool noodles with PVC inserted the length of each noodle. Run a tie down strap through each pvc. Always do a front an rear tie down with any rack. I drove from VA Beach to Baltimore - 70 mph no problem.

You can find good thule and yakima stuff on craiglist or ebay. Just keep looking - especially in off season.

[bigfluke45]

jsquare,
I have a frontier sport rack (two cross bars) that I used on a Hyundai accent I used to have. I have a new car now and the rack is just sitting in my garage. There is a little rust on some of the screws and at the ends some of the plastic around the bars is cracking, but structurally it was still working fine for me. I still have the manual and it lists a bunch of cars it will fit on. If you let me know what kind of car you have and it fits, its all yours if you want it.

[jsquare]

Bigfluke45, Thank you very much for the offer but I just ordered the model pictured above. Figured I'd give it a shot.

I considered the pool noodle idea. I liked the simplicity and creativity but in the end I still found myself adding the soft rack to my online cart during my last kayak rigging spending spree.

Those little plastic cards that let you buy things online are bad, bad, bad.

[jsquare]

One more question. Anyone have experience cartopping in a sedan-style car? anything special I need to do differently to strap a yak to the roof of an old oldsmobile compared to a more conventional cartopping vehicle?

Thanks, John

[MetroMan]

jsquare,

I have a saturn. When I got my first kayak, I laid a bath mat on the roof and strapped that biatch down. Then I got fancy with my next yak and got an inflatable roof rack system. Used it like once and sent it back...hated it. Then I went with foam blocks. They worked really well. Set the blocks on the roof, then plop the yak on there and strap that biatch down.

I got a good deal on a roof rack system that required no drilling. It clamps down on the frame in the door jamb area. So now I have a rack with the cross bars. I strap that biatch down to the crossbars now.


All solutions work as long as you....strap that biatch down!

[MetroMan]

By the way...I've fooled with straps running thru the car before. Had to get away from that because the geniuses of the early 90s thought it was a great idea to have automatic shoulder belts in the front. They slide back & forth everytime the door is opened or closed.

Another negative of the straps thru the door is driving in the rain. The water seeps thru the strap and drips at the lowest point...which is inside the car.

[ronaultmtd]

Metro hit the nail on the head- rain dripping on you and getting you very wet is enough to get you on the Internet ordering the Yakima or Thule tower system- that is exactly my situation- aggravating enough to pull the trigger on the credit card- that and the added security of the mount system- one time purchase that keeps on giving- the Land Shark saddles were next, although using the foam blocks on the Yakima roof mounts was very secure, I figured, gone this far, might as well finish the job right- never regretted that decision- added benefit is caring long rods is a piece of cake on the roof mounts next to the yak.

Then make you a pair of the Texas suction cup PVC loaders and you are set-

[MetroMan]

This is what I got. http://www.orsracksdirect.com/inno-r...-complete.html

Sometimes they have decent sales. I got mine for 20% off, free shipping.