Roof transport

[Raven]

well TDF,
after seeing that price
it made my head spin a full revolution LOL

When my brother and i were working in MIAMI
doing some construction ...revamping a lawyers office
down there....We had no truck

just a pontiac firebird
so we took a piece of 2x6 and then took a cardboard template
of the SLOPE of the roof -> on each side of the cars roof
and transferred the line to the 2x6 fairly accurately

after cutting it as close as possible to match the roof's shape
we next SCRIBED the roof on to that same piece making it
A PERFECT FIT

we connected the front and back pieces with some pt lumber that sat
on the roof snug after it and the cross pieces had soft material glued
to the "wood meets car surfaces" so the RACK sat on the vehicle like
you'd sit in a saddle on a horse.... in other words custom made to fit...

laugh if ya want, but we carried full loads of studs and sheetrock on that thing
more than i've ever loaded in a pickup and it weighed over 1000 lbs easy.
man did we ever get some LOOKS...
you could make one to carry a 150 lb KAYAK .... is all i'm saying

[hq2]

I just use a trailer roller for mine with a strap through it mounted on a foam pad; can get one for about $50 including shipping off the internet. You can just roll the 'yak on from the back, tilt it up and plop it on another foam pad up front. Think you could do it with two 'yaks if you wanted; the rollers are narrow enough that you can slide them apart on the strap on your roof to get the spacing right.

[Paul D]

I made the switch from carrying my 14' SOT to a trailer when I bought a new car. The big cost is the trailer hitch on your vehicle if you don't have one. If you do, there's not much separating the cost of a rack system vs. a trailer. I bought a Malone trailer. You have other options and can make one yourself if your handy. You might be able to get the cost at the same level as a rack. The trailer is easier and more convenient, less wear and tear on your vehicle (no matter how careful you are your going to ding your vehicle at some point.) It's so nice to unload and load your boat only having to lift it a few feet off the ground. Two SOT kayaks is alot to carry and lift on a car. Only cons I've found regarding the trailer is there are a few locations that are not trailer friendly, most are though. And a trailer is a trailer, you have to be able to park it and back it. Takes a little practice. So you might want to reconsider. Tight lines.