kayak carriers

[new2yaks11]

I am wondering what everyone uses to transport their kayaks atop their vehicles? I am using THULE system that came with straight bars. I cannot get them to stay tight on top of my vehicles slightly rounded racks. It is a royal PITA!!! Wondering if anyone uses the "J" style hook carriers? Or can someone recommend something more reliable?

[Foursteps24]

I have a Sedan (Maxima) and this is what I use below. I finally got tired of the foam blocks.

http://www.orsracksdirect.com/inno-i...ck-system.html

[tufnik]

I use the Thule system too. With the aero bars, not round ones.

For the support, I've been using these for years. Fairly cheap and does the job well.
http://www.thule.com/en-US/US/Produc...s/881-Top-Deck

[Shady]

Maybe you could use a little locktite to keep them tight? I would use the blue (temporary) not the red (permanent).

[tufnik]

Guess I misunderstood your problem.

I use these. Should work for round car rails.
http://www.thule.com/en-US/US/Produc...apid-Crossroad

[new2yaks11]

My problem is I have the THULE square bars but my rack on my ENVOY won't accept them. My other problem is the THULE supports that are made to fish the square tubing won't stay upright since my factory bars are slightly curved on top as well as not being able to tighten the thumb screws enough to keep supports in place.

I wind up after each time placing my kayak on top of my vehicle I have to re-adjust the supports. Just pain in the butt when it's raining or windy, cold, etc. Would prefer to have a system where I can just transport kayak and forget about it. I'd imagine there are others out there who might have encountered my same issue.

[Sun]

I am wondering what everyone uses to transport their kayaks atop their vehicles? I am using THULE system that came with straight bars. I cannot get them to stay tight on top of my vehicles slightly rounded racks. It is a royal PITA!!! Wondering if anyone uses the "J" style hook carriers? Or can someone recommend something more reliable?

When you say slightly rounded, do you mean that it's rectangular with a slight curve on the long sides? [EDIT] I just saw that you said you have square bars...I guess this doesn't help you either.[/EDIT] I think I've seen those, and that's a little like what my Thule Aeroblades are like. I was curious too about how the kayak holders woul stay upright with the rounded top. Also, I didn't want to add all the wind resistance of any saddles or J cradles when I don't have a kayak loaded 99% of the time.

Before I got my rack, I was using foam blocks from REI, and they had kind of an oval hole at the bottom. I figured they might slight onto my aeroblades and be pretty secure, so I didn't bother getting any saddles or cradles. I now slide the foam blocks onto my rack, place the kayak on top and tie everything down. It's worked great the 2 times I've been out with this setup.

Here are some pictures I took of my loaded car at the February M&G.

[mmanolis2001]

My problem is I have the THULE square bars but my rack on my ENVOY won't accept them. My other problem is the THULE supports that are made to fish the square tubing won't stay upright since my factory bars are slightly curved on top as well as not being able to tighten the thumb screws enough to keep supports in place.

I wind up after each time placing my kayak on top of my vehicle I have to re-adjust the supports. Just pain in the butt when it's raining or windy, cold, etc. Would prefer to have a system where I can just transport kayak and forget about it. I'd imagine there are others out there who might have encountered my same issue.

I have a 2007 trailblazer which is basically the same as an Envoy with a Thule setup. Are you attaching the kayak supports to the factory roof rack bars?

My Trailblazer came with thin flat cross member that flexed to much to use with the supports. I ended up ditching the whole factory rack and went with Thule uprights and cross bars. They make uprights to fit into the factory rack channel and these accept the square crossbars. It was pricey but it’s much better than the factory bars. Its rock solid and easy to remove.

[Shady]

I use these on my factory Ford Escape bars:

http://www.rei.com/product/737629/th...:referralID=NA

They are pretty picey, luckily when I got my Outback used last year, the seller sold them to me along with the kayak for an extra $50. They work great for me.

[J.A. Veil]

I picked up a set just like those shown in the two previous posts (Thule Glide and Set). They clamp onto the standard cross bars on my Honda Odyssey and make a very stable support. They come on and off easily so they can be transferred to another vehicle. I removed them from my van and installed them on Southerly's vehicle last summer prior to a day trip. The entire process took about 10 minutes without any tools. The kit comes with high quality ratcheting straps for side-to-side and front and back tie downs.

I searched the internet before buying and got them for about 2/3 of the price Ryan shows.

[loupa5]

I have a 2007 trailblazer which is basically the same as an Envoy with a Thule setup. Are you attaching the kayak supports to the factory roof rack bars?

My Trailblazer came with thin flat cross member that flexed to much to use with the supports. I ended up ditching the whole factory rack and went with Thule uprights and cross bars. They make uprights to fit into the factory rack channel and these accept the square crossbars. It was pricey but it’s much better than the factory bars. Its rock solid and easy to remove.

Where did you purchase that rack. I looked on the Thule site and I cannot find it. It has something similar, however instead sitting securely in the rail
(track), like yours. It has a strap and the strap is then tighten around the rail.

Maybe it's the vehicle type. I'm in a Tahoe.

[ronaultmtd]

I use the Q tower and round crossbars base racks from Yakima with Land Shark kayak saddles on my 2001 Ford Focus sedan- rock solid, very secure easy to setup and take off- the assembly instructions were easy to follow and all parts are top quality- I bought them from the www.Rackattack.com.

Oh yeah, the Land Sharks saddles were extra- and they fit the contours of my Hobie Outback very nicely-

[tufnik]

Ryan,

Your carrier looks like Mike's carrier (on his Trailblazer).

I use the pivoting supports (w/ springs) for the front. Same ones in the pic. The problem I have is that my Outback (facing forward) is heavy and the hull bottom rests on the crossbar. The supports do not lift the yak up. The supports essentially provide lateral support only. Does your Outback rest on the supports without touching the cross bar?

For the rear, I use fixed plastic saddles. These work fine, but maybe I should use the ones you have (as shown in the pic they look like curved cradles with a groove in the middle of the surface that contacts the yak). Does the yak slide on these?

The Outback has such curvy hull profile that it's not straight forward on how to get the best support from different cradles/saddles.

[mmanolis2001]

Where did you purchase that rack. I looked on the Thule site and I cannot find it. It has something similar, however instead sitting securely in the rail
(track), like yours. It has a strap and the strap is then tighten around the rail.

Maybe it's the vehicle type. I'm in a Tahoe.

I bought the setup at eastern mountain sports 3 years ago. I just looked on the Thule site and i could not find this exact setup. I don't know if they still produce this type of rack. Did you use the Base rack fitting guide section of the site? I'm not sure how the Tahoe's factory rack is setup. Do you have a track in the base of the factory rack rails?

[Shady]

Ryan,

Your carrier looks like Mike's carrier (on his Trailblazer).

I use the pivoting supports (w/ springs) for the front. Same ones in the pic. The problem I have is that my Outback (facing forward) is heavy and the hull bottom rests on the crossbar. The supports do not lift the yak up. The supports essentially provide lateral support only. Does your Outback rest on the supports without touching the cross bar?

For the rear, I use fixed plastic saddles. These work fine, but maybe I should use the ones you have (as shown in the pic they look like curved cradles with a groove in the middle of the surface that contacts the yak). Does the yak slide on these?

The Outback has such curvy hull profile that it's not straight forward on how to get the best support from different cradles/saddles.

Yep, I have the same setup as Mike, but I just have it on my Ford Escape factory cross bars. You should use the glides for the rear of your kayak and the saddles for the front of the kayak. I think you just need to set the glides and saddles closer together so your kayak is not resting on the crossbar.