Rails to mount kayak carriers

[PITPOP27]

:eyecrazy: Nope the weight was wrong - it was really late an my math wasnt so good!  It's 180!  they are 60lbs each.  They are fishing kayaks so a little heavier than the average but not that heavy! :p  Sorry, shouldn't really type that late in my very long day!

[dthurk]

I would think your camper roof would be able to handle them, even if you have an air conditioner.  IIRC, I've commonly seen 300 lbs for a camper roof when it's down.  Don't forget to take them off before popping the top. though.  What kind of boats do you have?  They sound interesting.

Actually, I've had my eye on one of the Sea Eagle inflatables, one that can mount a small trolling motor and handle up to 3 people.  Seems like one of those would do really well for us on a camping trip.  The kayaks seem to be too much of an effort with size and weight.

[wavery]

I would think your camper roof would be able to handle them, even if you have an air conditioner.  IIRC, I've commonly seen 300 lbs for a camper roof when it's down.  Don't forget to take them off before popping the top. though.  What kind of boats do you have?  They sound interesting.

Actually, I've had my eye on one of the Sea Eagle inflatables, one that can mount a small trolling motor and handle up to 3 people.  Seems like one of those would do really well for us on a camping trip.  The kayaks seem to be too much of an effort with size and weight.

We are thinking of inflatables also. Do you have any info on that one that you mentioned here?

[PITPOP27]

We don't have an air conditioner. We have 2 sea kayaks, and 1 tandem.
1 is a Malibu Kayak's Extreme
1 is a Malibu Kayak's Pro 2 Tandem
1 is a Malibu Kayak's X Factor

The Extreme and the X Factor are fishing Kayaks, which carrying all sorts of options you can put on them i.e., a bait tank, trolling motor, pole holders etc etc.  They have pictures at Malibu Kayak with several men catching Marlin on their X Factor and Extreme's.  You can stand up on them , with a little practice with your balance - I can do it and I haven't been out that much, so catching large fish is possible, you can get drug around but you can catch some biguns!
They are ride-on-top Kayak's meant for recreation use, not river use for rapids. When we are using them we are in the back bay harbor area, when my husband is using them he is out in the ocean fishing or traveling  to the California Islands.

Search Engine Malibu Kayaks and you'll get their site.  We love ours.

The tandem with the dog

and our xFactor:


We just recently got the Extreme so we don't have pictures yet:

[dthurk]

We are thinking of inflatables also. Do you have any info on that one that you mentioned here?

http://www.seaeagle.com/motormount/SE8.asp
 
I was looking at the Motor package, at the bottom of the page.  $600 doesn't seem too bad for boat and motor.  I don't think it includes a battery.  This is the middle size of 3 sizes.

[dthurk]

Two Eskimos sitting in a  kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank,  proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it  too.

[wavery]

http://www.seaeagle.com/motormount/SE8.asp
 
I was looking at the Motor package, at the bottom of the page.  $600 doesn't seem too bad for boat and motor.  I don't think it includes a battery.  This is the middle size of 3 sizes.

If there is one thing that I know a LOT about, it's inflatable dinghies. I lived on my yacht and commuted by dinghy for 14 years (all over the world). I've had all kinds of inflatable dinghies and I can give you some good advise.....don't take one of those toy inflatables any farther from shore than you can swim. I am serious about that. That SeaEagle inflatable is no more than a kids toy and I would not recommend it for ocean use. If you go see one in person, then look at a Zodiac, you will see why there is a huge price difference.

In fact, I'm glad that you posted that. It brings back memories of all of the reasons that I swore that I would never get another inflatable. I even had a $2000 Zodiac RIB (hard bottom inflatable). I still had problems with leaks.

I sure do like the looks of those Malibu Kayaks. I'm still struggling with where to store it though.

[PITPOP27]

Ours are stored outside, my husband built a rack to hold them out of 2 x 4's and the eave of our roofline holds the rack in place, quite ingenious design, he's so handy.   Then we hung outdoor blinds over them to protect from sun fading.  Later I could post pictures if you can't picture what I'm saying, but I'm on the way out the door.

[wavery]

Ours are stored outside, my husband built a rack to hold them out of 2 x 4's and the eave of our roofline holds the rack in place, quite ingenious design, he's so handy.   Then we hung outdoor blinds over them to protect from sun fading.  Later I could post pictures if you can't picture what I'm saying, but I'm on the way out the door.

That may not work well for me . I live  (manage) in an apt building. I'm pushing it by parking my PU in the garage. I've already had tenants come and ask me if they could put an RV in the garage. I say, "Sure, if it's not unsightly and if you can get it in the 6'2" gate and it will fit in your parking space without interfering with others". That pretty well narrows it down to a new looking PU trailer and not much else. Leaving the kayak on top of the PU is an option but that sorta fits into the "Unsightly" category .

I have an entire 50' long wall of storage lockers in the garage (next to my PU parking space). Each locker is 6' x 3' x 3'. I could probably empty the first 3 and by taking out the dividing walls(making one 18' long locker) and put it in there.

[dthurk]

If there is one thing that I know a LOT about, it's inflatable dinghies. I lived on my yacht and commuted by dinghy for 14 years (all over the world). I've had all kinds of inflatable dinghies and I can give you some good advise.....don't take one of those toy inflatables any farther from shore than you can swim. I am serious about that. That SeaEagle inflatable is no more than a kids toy and I would not recommend it for ocean use. If you go see one in person, then look at a Zodiac, you will see why there is a huge price difference.

In fact, I'm glad that you posted that. It brings back memories of all of the reasons that I swore that I would never get another inflatable. I even had a $2000 Zodiac RIB (hard bottom inflatable). I still had problems with leaks.

I sure do like the looks of those Malibu Kayaks. I'm still struggling with where to store it though.

I'd certainly want to see one before I bought it.  I'd want to feel the weight of the inflatable tubes and the bottom.  I'd want to look at the construction.  They're listed in the Cabela's catalogue.  If I ever get to a store...

[srfnkth]

Look for the foam Kayak pads available in a kit with tie downs $30-50. The pads are soft and cradle the boat nicely.  I use them on the roof of my Pontiac Vibe. My boat is 17'6" and my car is 14'. I have driven hundreds of miles with the boats on top without any problems. I will use the pads on the coleman PU I am buying in the morning.

Srfnkth

[wavery]

Look for the foam Kayak pads available in a kit with tie downs $30-50. The pads are soft and cradle the boat nicely.  I use them on the roof of my Pontiac Vibe. My boat is 17'6" and my car is 14'. I have driven hundreds of miles with the boats on top without any problems. I will use the pads on the coleman PU I am buying in the morning.

Srfnkth

I am going to pick up my new kayak in the morning (it's only 12'9" long). I'm going to bring it home on top of my wife's Toyota Camry (I don't want to scratch up my car :p) . For now, I'm going to try to get away with packing blankets on the roof of the car. I have plenty of them so that i can adjust the spacing.

When I carry it on top of the PU, I may well consider the foam pads. I was thinking of building a rack out of PVC and mounting it on the rear bumper and trailer tongue, to keep the weight off of the PU top. However, after much reflection, I think that the foam pads may be the best way to go. The kayak only weighs 57 lbs. That's about 30 lbs or so on each end. I don't think that will be a problem.

[srfnkth]

I am going to pick up my new kayak in the morning (it's only 12'9" long). I'm going to bring it home on top of my wife's Toyota Camry (I don't want to scratch up my car :p) . For now, I'm going to try to get away with packing blankets on the roof of the car. I have plenty of them so that i can adjust the spacing.

When I carry it on top of the PU, I may well consider the foam pads. I was thinking of building a rack out of PVC and mounting it on the rear bumper and trailer tongue, to keep the weight off of the PU top. However, after much reflection, I think that the foam pads may be the best way to go. The kayak only weighs 57 lbs. That's about 30 lbs or so on each end. I don't think that will be a problem.

My foam pads have cut outs that fit around the factory rack bars on the car. Try and put your pads under the bulkheads inside your kayak if it has them. Those are the strongest points of your kayak and reduce the bowing effect if space is to far apart on a warm/sunny day. My wifes 2 person kayak is bad about heat flex...

[wavery]

My foam pads have cut outs that fit around the factory rack bars on the car. Try and put your pads under the bulkheads inside your kayak if it has them. Those are the strongest points of your kayak and reduce the bowing effect if space is to far apart on a warm/sunny day. My wifes 2 person kayak is bad about heat flex...

Thanks. My kayak is a molded construction, plastic boat. However, I did find 4 closed cell foam blocks that I forgot I had. They should work perfectly for the job. We'll see in just a few hours .

[dthurk]

If you do get bowing in a plastic boat, simply let it sit in the sun for a while.  It will return to it's original shape.