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BigErnie

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Registered: 03-2005
Location: Noosa Heads
Posts: 59
Karma: 7 (+8/-1)
Roof racks for two kayaks?

Hi all

The Dagger Edisto arrives today for Judy. My Prowler is 2 weeks away.

I stupidly bought Rola Sports roof racks for my Magna wagon a coupla months ago.They are rivetted on to the roof (I said I was stupid) They've go 760mm of useable width.

Now I've gotta get the two yaks on top. The Edisto is 620 wide and the Prowler is 720 wide.
Obviousle they have to stand on their sides which will make them difficult to load from the ground (or even from where they'll be hanging in the roof of my garage)

I've looked at the Thule system but I can't start again coz of the holes in the roof of the wagon . I've looked at the wider Rola roof bar that would take the Yak holders....like about 600 dolaris all up and throw the old (new) Rola bars away! (Did I mention I was stupid)

 Any creative ideas guys?

---
Cheers Jim
.........................................................
Perception Swing; Dagger Edisto.
.........................................................
Galeophobia;Kopophobia;Ablutophobia;Sciophobia;Oneirogmophobia
10/Mar/2005, 8:44 am Send Email to BigErnie   Send PM to BigErnie
 
The Mariner
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Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 678
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Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Hi Jim,

Perception have a couple of products that would help you out.

The have 'fold-a-poles' which fit to conventional square-section or aero profile roof racks. As the name says, they fold down flat-ish agaist the car roof when not needed then fold upright when you do. Each one has a loop at the end for a tiedown strap so you just load your kayak onto the racks, turn it on edge up against both poles & run a tiedown through the loop in the end of the pole over the uppermost edge of the kayak & around the roof rack bar.

I have Rola Sports racks on my Falcon & I think Billy also uses them with fold-a-poles on his car. If I get time tonight I'll take a pic or 2 & post them.

If you need help getting the kayaks up onto the racks, Perception also have a fold-out bar extender based on the same sort of idea as the fold-a-pole which suits longer kayaks like the Proplwe & the Edisto.

It clamps to the roof rack bar & swings outward rather than upward. You fold it out, lift one end of the kayak onto the extender, go to the other end of the kayak & lift it onto the roof rack bar then go back to the first end & shove it off the extender onto the roof rack bar then fold the extender bar back in against the roof rack bar.

The good news is a pair of fold-a-poles & a pair of bar extenders will cost less than 2 pair of Hull-a-Port cradles.

You do need to take extra care in the strapping-down of the kayaks when using fold-a-poles to make sure the bottom edge of the kayaks don't slip outwards and loosen the tiedowns. An extra tiedown around both boats (or thru a scupper hole & around the base of 1 of the poles) will do it.

---
Regards,

Phil.

Forum Administrator.

Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories.
10/Mar/2005, 9:43 am Send Email to The Mariner   Send PM to The Mariner
 
BigErnie

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Registered: 03-2005
Location: Noosa Heads
Posts: 59
Karma: 7 (+8/-1)
Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Thank you Phil. I hadn't heard of these. It would be great to see a photo. Here I'll send you some karma.

---
Cheers Jim
.........................................................
Perception Swing; Dagger Edisto.
.........................................................
Galeophobia;Kopophobia;Ablutophobia;Sciophobia;Oneirogmophobia
10/Mar/2005, 11:33 am Send Email to BigErnie   Send PM to BigErnie
 
The Mariner
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Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Thanks emoticon

When I post pics do I get more ?

---
Regards,

Phil.

Forum Administrator.

Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories.
10/Mar/2005, 2:44 pm Send Email to The Mariner   Send PM to The Mariner
 
spoonfed

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Registered: 02-2005
Location: Mornington, Vic
Posts: 38
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Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

depends how far you're going.

I push my scrambler XT across to one side, and load another smaller SOT on top @ a 45 degree angle. Don't move an inch on a 20 min drive.

This is on a VT Commodore wagon's stock racks.

---
Tim

Mornington, VIC

Orange Scrambler XT (now with ghetto rigging :D )
10/Mar/2005, 3:01 pm Send Email to spoonfed   Send PM to spoonfed
 
BigErnie

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Registered: 03-2005
Location: Noosa Heads
Posts: 59
Karma: 7 (+8/-1)
Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Thanks Tim. Worth a try if I decide not to spend any more dolaris.

---
Cheers Jim
.........................................................
Perception Swing; Dagger Edisto.
.........................................................
Galeophobia;Kopophobia;Ablutophobia;Sciophobia;Oneirogmophobia
10/Mar/2005, 5:17 pm Send Email to BigErnie   Send PM to BigErnie
 
The Mariner
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Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Here's some pics Tim. Sorry, I don't have a bar extender fitted to my car but I hope you can get an idea of how it works from the pics of the fold-a-poles.

Folded down:

 Image

Folded up:

 Image

 Image

 Image

 Image

---
Regards,

Phil.

Forum Administrator.

Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories.
10/Mar/2005, 6:24 pm Send Email to The Mariner   Send PM to The Mariner
 
Yak Man

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Registered: 12-2004
Location: Northern Beaches /Sydney
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Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Just rememder guys that a kayak sitting on the roof of a car(highway travel) is subjected to at least 110km of wind not to mention a head wind or the effects of an uplift.

If you are not sure what 110km's of wind is about just wind down your window and stick your head out. emoticon

A kayak flying from the roof of a car would be a lethal missile emoticon

With the above in mind I feel that all racks for kayaks that are being used for highway trips should be of trade quality.
Just my opinion.

Last edited by Yak Man, 10/Mar/2005, 6:40 pm


---
Regards, Phil (O.K. Prowler).
**************************
Dawn Prawn Kayak Fishing Club.
Mona Vale Beach.
**************************
10/Mar/2005, 6:38 pm Send Email to Yak Man   Send PM to Yak Man
 
BigErnie

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Registered: 03-2005
Location: Noosa Heads
Posts: 59
Karma: 7 (+8/-1)
Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Good point about safety Yakman.

Thank you for the pics Mariner...thats exactly what I needed to see. Must be hard to get the yak up onto the roof side-on to attach to the centre-based fold-a-poles....if y'don't have extender-bars. No, I see, push the yak normal way up while the fold-a-pole is down. But what about the second one?
  
 I'm a bit puzzled about how one set of extender-bars could service two kayaks ...no wait...d'you push the first yak over past the centre bar when its flat, to the opposite side of the roof, then raise the centre bar to position the first yak?

Sounds like Judy's right we'll have to carry a set of steps in the wagon so she can reach up with ease.

I better ring Billy-Bob to see if I can get prices.

---
Cheers Jim
.........................................................
Perception Swing; Dagger Edisto.
.........................................................
Galeophobia;Kopophobia;Ablutophobia;Sciophobia;Oneirogmophobia
11/Mar/2005, 7:37 am Send Email to BigErnie   Send PM to BigErnie
 
The Mariner
Owner/Administrator
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Registered: 12-2004
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 678
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Re: Roof racks for two kayaks?

Hi Jim,

To load the kayaks without the extender bar you need to have handles fitted on the sides of the kayak at the balance point. Lay the kayak next to your car, then grab the handles & lift the kayak up to roof height. While lifting you end up automatically turning the kayak on edge so you then just offer it over onto the racks & push it against the already upright poles.

The fold-a-pole sticks up above the roof rack bar even when folded down so pushing a kayak over the top of them is a pain.

I'm not sure if Prowlers come with side handles but they aren't expensive to have added. With the Edisto just grab the sides of the ****pit opening.

With the extenders you use 1 on each side of the front roof rack bar. 1 extender services 1 kayak. Fold the fold-a-poles up & lay the kayak on the ground next to your car, then lift the bow onto the extender. Go to the stern of the kayak, lift it then once it's horizontal turn it onto it's edge push the stern up against the rearmost pole. Now come to the bow & push it off the extender & against the front pole, then fold the extender back away.

I 'm pretty sure BillyBob uses fold-a-poles too so he can show you them on his car.

---
Regards,

Phil.

Forum Administrator.

Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories.
11/Mar/2005, 8:12 am Send Email to The Mariner   Send PM to The Mariner
 
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