Transporting Two Kayaks - no truck, no trailor, options?

[Seasalt]

Anyone carry two kayaks on your car? I have a Thule bars that attaches to the factory railing. I'm concerned about the manufacture weight limit for the bars at highway speed for two kayaks. I'm thinking two moderately heavy kayaks around 70 to 80lbs each...

I did a search on the forum but couldn't find specific threads. Thanks for your advice and comments.

Looks like the Thule bar weight limit is 150lbs and factory railing is 150lbs.

[toadfinger]

I do- on an old Subaru Forester using Yakima round bars paired with Yakima BoatLoader Canoe and Kayak Side Loading System. This allows you to extend the boatloader extensible inserts to adjust to the width of 2 kayaks. Also, you can tilt the kayak up on one of the extensions when loading/unloading your yaks, avoiding having to bear the full weight of the kayak.

[Seasalt]

thank you toadfinger (interesting name BTW).

Are your kayaks heavy like over 140lbs in total?

[Huntrava]

Yeah, it's possible. Can't recommend it as a matter of routine. The weight ratings on factory bars are set for liability/legal reasons and don't really have much bearing on how much can actually be loaded.

Here's my old Jeep loaded with a couple yaks we took from VA to NJ. These ones weigh a fair bit less, but I've also carried multiple Hobies the same way.



Its a PITA to load and unload one kayak on the roof, let alone two. You'll really need a second person to do a decent job. Use plenty of camstraps and run them through hard points on the kayak and the vehicle. Lash the yaks together with a couple cams, then lash the yaks to the vehicle with a couple more. Bow and stern straps aren't optional in this case. Drive a couple miles, then stop and tighten down the straps again before you get underway. Don't be an asshole on the road (that is, drive in the right lane, go the speed limit) and remember you're top heavy on turns. Besides looking like the Beverly Hillbillies you'll be fine.

[EMSer]

The feasibility will depend upon the length of your bars and the style of your carriers. I also have Thule cross bars mounted on factory rails. On a recent trip to Florida, I hauled 2 boats (not something I routine do) and had no issues. I have extra wide bars for my car and made sure that neither of them were on their side to minimize the sail effect. The most important component was the use of solid bow lines to mitigate upward draft. Cross bar weight ratings are for loads pressing downward. Introduce the effects of upward wind streams coming off the hood and you are asking a lot of a system designed to bear weight coming from the opposite direction. Legally, you can install bars as wide as your sideview mirrors.

Good luck

IMG_1179.jpg

[Seasalt]

Yeah, it's possible. Can't recommend it as a matter of routine. The weight ratings on factory bars are set for liability/legal reasons and don't really have much bearing on how much can actually be loaded.

Here's my old Jeep loaded with a couple yaks we took from VA to NJ. These ones weigh a fair bit less, but I've also carried multiple Hobies the same way.



Its a PITA to load and unload one kayak on the roof, let alone two. You'll really need a second person to do a decent job. Use plenty of camstraps and run them through hard points on the kayak and the vehicle. Lash the yaks together with a couple cams, then lash the yaks to the vehicle with a couple more. Bow and stern straps aren't optional in this case. Drive a couple miles, then stop and tighten down the straps again before you get underway. Don't be an asshole on the road (that is, drive in the right lane, go the speed limit) and remember you're top heavy on turns. Besides looking like the Beverly Hillbillies you'll be fine.

Nice Cherokee... I used to have one and I miss it a lot. Yes, I understand its a PITA to load and unload kayaks. When I fish alone, I have a Hullavator. If I take a second kayak, someone is going to help me load it.

How did you get your image so big and nice on the post?

My Cherokee at Assasateague...
AI+(42).jpg

[Seasalt]

The feasibility will depend upon the length of your bars and the style of your carriers. I also have Thule cross bars mounted on factory rails. On a recent trip to Florida, I hauled 2 boats (not something I routine do) and had no issues. I have extra wide bars for my car and made sure that neither of them were on their side to minimize the sail effect. The most important component was the use of solid bow lines to mitigate upward draft. Cross bar weight ratings are for loads pressing downward. Introduce the effects of upward wind streams coming off the hood and you are asking a lot of a system designed to bear weight coming from the opposite direction. Legally, you can install bars as wide as your sideview mirrors.

Good luck

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Yes. Right now I have a 58inch bars, but I'm trying to see if I should get the 75 incher and cut it down.

I really like your double bow tie downs. I will try that on mine as well.

Looks like there are two options:
1. With longer bars, I will plan to carry the two kayaks upside down with hull straps, double bow lines and stern tie down
2. With shorter bars, I will carry one kayak upside down, the other with Thule J cradle - hull straps, double bow lines and stern tie down.

My preference is option 1.

[J.A. Veil]

My guide in Tampa leaves two kayaks on his roof racks all the time. When he has three clients for a trip, he adds a third kayak on edge between the other two. He has an old Dodge Caravan with wide racks.

[EMSer]

The bars pictured are also 58". It is tight but doable. It all depends on the width of your hulls. There is a Thresher 155 and Tarpon 120 on my roof in that pic.

Yes. Right now I have a 58inch bars, but I'm trying to see if I should get the 75 incher and cut it down.

I really like your double bow tie downs. I will try that on mine as well.

Looks like there are two options:
1. With longer bars, I will plan to carry the two kayaks upside down with hull straps, double bow lines and stern tie down
2. With shorter bars, I will carry one kayak upside down, the other with Thule J cradle - hull straps, double bow lines and stern tie down.

My preference is option 1.

[summersoff]

Absolutely horrible, but I used to carry two yaks, a 16' and a 14' on my Subaru factory racks and my Jeep racks all the time. One in a J cradle, the other deck down. I did it from chincoteague to Kipto pretty regularly. I don't condone it, but I did it in my youth until,, I don't know, last year when I started reading kayaking threads,,,,, I also a own survival suit and ePirb now. ; )

[jsnyd86]

Transporting Two Kayaks - no truck, no trailor, options?

I wish I had all my pics, but I've hauled two kayaks down to Florida and also up to Lake Erie to fish my hometown waters once or twice.
I put the old rectangular Thule bars and roof racks on my forester. I've have hauled a combination of different yaks but the heaviest being probably a Cuda 14 and Revo13. Neither of those are particularly huge but the Cuda is a good size kayak. Especially once you start storing rods inside the hull. One in a J style rack and the other cradled on its belly. Depending on the hull shape and if I'm loading solo, I'll lay it deck down or belly down, whichever works best. For super long trips I doubled the tie down straps, but that's about it. The bars on the forester are pretty far apart so I never messed with a bow strap, might be worth checking out though just to take some stress of the cross bars.



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[Seasalt]

I wish I had all my pics, but I've hauled two kayaks down to Florida and also up to Lake Erie to fish my hometown waters once or twice.
I put the old rectangular Thule bars and roof racks on my forester. I've have hauled a combination of different yaks but the heaviest being probably a Cuda 14 and Revo13. Neither of those are particularly huge but the Cuda is a good size kayak. Especially once you start storing rods inside the hull. One in a J style rack and the other cradled on its belly. Depending on the hull shape and if I'm loading solo, I'll lay it deck down or belly down, whichever works best. For super long trips I doubled the tie down straps, but that's about it. The bars on the forester are pretty far apart so I never messed with a bow strap, might be worth checking out though just to take some stress of the cross bars.

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Thank you. Looks like it can be done with safety precaution. Look like Cuda 14 and Revo 13 combines to about 150lbs.

I'm going to see if my 58inch bars can handle the two kayaks with one of them being on a J cradle. I'll post a picture of as an update.

My worst nightmare kayaking is a kayak falling off my roof rack or hooking into a dolphin...

[Rockchaser]

I used to hauled 2 kayaks on my factory Jeep roof rack quite often. Is till hauled 2 Outbacks this way every once in a while. I did upgrade the roof rack to 1999 Cherokee parts since it had a wider base that connects to the rails.

jeep 2 kayaks.jpg

[toadfinger]

Seasalt,
I carry two standard (70-80 lb each) SOT kayaks such as Hobies, Wilderness Ride 135, OK Prowlers on the Yakima round bars with complete confidence. I load them deck side down, strap each individually to the forward and rear bars and run a security cable through a scubber and loop around the bar. The upside down loading seems to be pretty aerodynamic- I hardly notice any difference in my gas mileage with the kayaks on.

Yeah, the name- came to me while I was having a stare down with a toad fish. That finger has had more than its share of trouble.

[Slackdaddy]

We have many times on my wifes 2008 Durango.
Here is what I did.
I bought 2 pcs of 3/4" EMT conduit, 4 pack of 3/4" rubber feet, and 4 hose clamps.
I cut the conduit so it sticks out about 6" on each side, used the hose clamps to "strap it too" the existing cross bars, then put the rubber bumpers on it.
Total spent was about $14.00
I have hauled 2 LOADED down Jackson kayaks on many long trips.
I have left the EMT poles on the car (her daily driver) for 2 years now.

Slack