Community Forums

D in Davie · 02-26-2010, 07:39 PM

Thanks Chuck. I like your idea to have the boats angled on the diagonal. It would seem to work best with kayaks that are 10-11 feet. The weight of the two kayaks would not be that big of a problem for the hitch but I wonder if there is any problem with the flexing between the hitch and the ladder that appears to be the attaching point for the top of the device.

Chuck 1935 · 02-26-2010, 11:01 PM

D in Davie, It's an optical illusion, it does not touch the ladder in any way. The one Kayak is 13ft. To keep things from bouncing around I eventually ran two pieces of tubing from under the floor of the deck to the mounting bolts of the hitch just to stabilize it, althoughI did run it for two years without anything but the one tube going into the reciever which I shimmed up to prevent the whole thing from rocking. I added the tubes because we were taking a trip and were going to hit some very uneven roads and I was being over cautious.

christoph · 02-27-2010, 03:23 AM

Hey! you can chill out now. deep breathes Thanks for the effort it is very much appreaciated.
Don't the tops of the yaks hit overpasses n stuff??

bldrbob · 02-27-2010, 07:40 AM

Looks good but in my neighbohood the branches would shorten the kayaks.My radio antenna bumps the branches.If you could make some brackets on the uprights to hold the kayaks at more of an angle it would put them lower.
BOB

Chuck 1935 · 02-27-2010, 10:16 AM

We have never had an overpass problem although there was still room to increase the angle if necessary to gain more clearance. As far as trees you could mount the Kayaks with the bow(nautical term for pointy end)toward the driver side, but I prefer to live on the exciting edge. In actuality, we go to the beach once a month, which is an hour from the house and there are no Kayak killing hazards along the way. I'll have to measure from the ground to the bow to see how tall it actually is so I can let you know.

dsbike, I like your trailer, that looks like the perfect solution for the size of those kayaks !

dsbike · 02-28-2010, 03:47 AM

Chuck, Thanks. They are 15 1/2' I can carry up to 18'. I needed something I could tow. We use a Mazda MX5 Miata when away from home with the kayaks and the RV. Use the RV to get them down the road. Then the MX5 for the short haul. Looks kinda funny with a trailer that is longer than the car. But it tows well and we can carry our other supplies in the trailer. Because we all know there is not much storage in the Miata.

Superslif · 03-01-2010, 05:43 PM

A few years back I was very interested in carrying a kayak while camping. I didn't want to lug a kayak on my SUV's roof. I saw another couple with a inflatable one. I did some research and settled on a Advanced Elements 2 person kayak. I have had it 3 seasons and couldn't be happier. kayak pics #2 #3 #4 It weights about 28bs. and fits into a duffle bag that measures about 6" x 18" x 35". We tend to camp near rivers and lakes. This 2 person model had a 350 lbs. cap. It cost me $400 including two nice aluminum ( 2 piece ) paddles. It is super stable, and very comfortable.

TurtleBack · 03-03-2010, 06:58 PM

I put my 17 footers on a Yakima car rack using saddles and holly rollers. I travel with them on the car and leave them there most of the time strapped in with locking kayak cables. (We full time.)

We also added two crossbars on the top of the coach so that we can store them on top when we go off to backpack etc., and don't want to leave them on top of the car in a very remote spot.

The reason that we don't travel with them on the top of the coach is that we'd be pushing 14 feet tall (if I added the saddles and rollers too) and I'd be concerned about bridges etc. However, looking at the previous pictures it appears that someone doesn't mine challenging low clearances!

As for getting our kayaks up onto the coach we got a "canoe/kayak roller" from an online source which I think was "ORDirect.com". If not just search for canoe/kayak roller. They come in various widths - mine is just wide enough for one kayak. Originally I planned on mounting the roller directly to the roof. However, the rear light housing at the top rear made this impractical - it would be too far from the edge. Therefore, I mount the roller with clamps across the top of the ladder when needed - not a big deal.

To get them up we attach a rope to the front handle and the person on the roof pulls up while the person on the ground holds the rear to keep the kayak from scraping the coach. Once it is high enough to reach the roller the ground crew can let go. Note: This might be easier with 17 footers as compared to your shorter Necky's.

Once on top we just strap them down and cable them just as we do when they're on the car.

If your coach isn't too high maybe the saddle and roller system will work for you. I'd be leery of driving down the road without a sturdy mount - that is just strapping them to the crossbar.

Good Luck.

christoph · 03-20-2010, 09:04 AM

dsbike, do you have a larger picture??

knucklehead_ · 03-22-2010, 08:49 PM

i plan to carry our kayaks (hers 16', his 18'-6") on top of our jeep that we tow. i can also carry one of my harley's on the platform / tow hitch assembly i built.

MuckSavage · 03-30-2010, 12:37 PM

Pretty killer XJ ya got there Knucklehead....4.5" w/33's?

knucklehead_ · 03-30-2010, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuckSavage

Pretty killer XJ ya got there Knucklehead....4.5" w/33's?

thanks. it is 5.5" on 35's, 4.88 & arb's in both axles. lots of other mods as well. pretty stout rock / trail rig.

PartyBoyWA · 04-01-2010, 11:40 AM

I have the same interest as christoph. I don't tow a dinghy so providing that as a solution isn't much help. Can we focus on solutions where the kayak is mounted on the roof? THANKS!