The "noodle" idea is GREAT. I was wanting a way to "cushion" the top of the
Suburban while loading our Perception Sundance II tandem onto the Thule
racks. We can get it on top easy enough, BUT the insurance would be WELL
worth the purchase of a noodle or two! Thanks!


"bkr" wrote in message
...
George Pagliarulo wrote:

It's freezing here in NH and I'm looking towards Spring. I need some
suggestions for getting a couple of kayaks on the roofrack of my '04
4Runner. On my old vehicle (Explorer) I had a Thule rack with saddles
and roller coasters to carry two kayaks. The roller coasters were
great because I could put the bow of the kayak on the rollers and then
just lift the stern and roll the boat onto the rack. That's not going
to work with the 4Runner because the rear rack cross member is too far
forward and a rear spoiler interferes with the rollers. Anyway, I
like the look of the 4runner factory rack and would hate to have to
replace it with the Thule bars. It is strong enough to carry the two
kayaks with no problem.
I was thinking that maybe I could rest the bow in the "V" created by
the open front door and the body and then lift the stern but that
doesn't look like it will work either.
So, how do people get their kayaks up on their SUVs? Just lifiting
it up on the rack from the side is not an option. Any ideas?
First suggestion, remove the spoiler...it doesn't really do anything
anyway unless you're at high speed (100 mph) in a sports car.

Second, consider using one of the foam pool noodles wrapped around a
broom stick as a roller. Just slap that on the roof behind the rear
crossbar rest the bow of the boat on it and roll it forward. When the
bow reaches the rear crossbar, you can just slide it the rest of the
way. Pad the crossbar with a similar foam pad and push the boat across
it to the front crossbar. Take the pool noodle off when you aren't
actually using it as a roller and store it in the back or under the
seats or something.

bkr