Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

All,

I'm thinking of buying a Kia Sedona Mini-Van and Thule sells add-on
feet/bars for the factory rack. I've read some negative comments about
factory racks. Do you think that this setup would do fine for transporting
1 kayak? 2 kayaks?

Thanks

Chris

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

"Chris" wrote in
:

All,

I'm thinking of buying a Kia Sedona Mini-Van and Thule sells add-on
feet/bars for the factory rack. I've read some negative comments about
factory racks. Do you think that this setup would do fine for
transporting 1 kayak? 2 kayaks?

Kind of depends on the kayaks. Transporting a couple of modern whitewater
boats is going to be easier that transporting something like a Seaward
Passat G3 (22' long, 90 pounds).

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

Chris wrote:

All,

I'm thinking of buying a Kia Sedona Mini-Van and Thule sells add-on
feet/bars for the factory rack. I've read some negative comments about
factory racks. Do you think that this setup would do fine for transporting
1 kayak? 2 kayaks?

Factory roof rack mounts vary in their structural integrity, I'm sure. I draw
this conclusion from pulling the headliner out of a 1990 Chevy 1/2 ton Suburban
/w/ a factory rack, only to find the factory rack mounted in nothing but the
roof sheet metal! Not in any stronger braced points, just the relatively thin
roof sheet metal. I was quite surprised, especially after hearing about all the
chatter about "aftermarket rack manufacturers have measurments telling them
where to drill in the roof of various vehicles to mount a rack in a reinforced
part of the roof"! I don't believe that 100% anymore, cause I witnessed the
1990 Suburban not *having* any additionally reinforced places that it's own
factory rack was mounted in!!!

John Kuthe...

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

John Kuthe wrote in message ...
Chris wrote:

All,

I'm thinking of buying a Kia Sedona Mini-Van and Thule sells add-on
feet/bars for the factory rack. I've read some negative comments about
factory racks. Do you think that this setup would do fine for transporting
1 kayak? 2 kayaks?

Factory roof rack mounts vary in their structural integrity, I'm sure. I draw
this conclusion from pulling the headliner out of a 1990 Chevy 1/2 ton Suburban
/w/ a factory rack, only to find the factory rack mounted in nothing but the
roof sheet metal! Not in any stronger braced points, just the relatively thin
roof sheet metal. I was quite surprised, especially after hearing about all the
chatter about "aftermarket rack manufacturers have measurments telling them
where to drill in the roof of various vehicles to mount a rack in a reinforced
part of the roof"! I don't believe that 100% anymore, cause I witnessed the
1990 Suburban not *having* any additionally reinforced places that it's own
factory rack was mounted in!!!

John Kuthe...

My sister owned a Kia Sportage.
3 front ends later I think I would give the Kia line up some scrutiny.
If you have not bought the car yet you may want to get hold of a good
mechanic friend and ask what they think of Kia.
Perhaps they have come a long way in 3 years. Suzuki has improved and
they used to be (( Rough )),
Thuly racks are good as are Yakama. I would trust them. My 1990 VW
Golf carries 3 sea kayaks and normally I dont have straps to the bow.
I put a light rope on the stern as a break line .
Good luck.
Alex

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

"Alex McGruer" wrote in message
om...

Thuly racks are good as are Yakama. I would trust them. My 1990 VW
Golf carries 3 sea kayaks and normally I dont have straps to the bow.
I put a light rope on the stern as a break line .


How do you get three up there? The wife and I each have an Ocean Kayak
(Scupper Pro and a Drifter.) With them both on top of the minivan, they
cover the distance side to side. We want to get a third kayak for the kids
or guests but haven't figured out how we'd be able to transport it.


suds

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

suds wrote:

: "Alex McGruer" wrote in message
: om...

: Thuly racks are good as are Yakama. I would trust them. My 1990 VW
: Golf carries 3 sea kayaks and normally I dont have straps to the bow.
: I put a light rope on the stern as a break line .


: How do you get three up there? The wife and I each have an Ocean Kayak
: (Scupper Pro and a Drifter.) With them both on top of the minivan, they
: cover the distance side to side. We want to get a third kayak for the kids
: or guests but haven't figured out how we'd be able to transport it.

We used to have a GMC safari mini-van and we could carry 5 kayaks or 2 kayaks
and a canoe (or 2 canoes) on it with 58 inch Thule bars (current van has
raingutters so we don't use factory rack anymore).

Don't exceed the weight the factory rack says it can hold.

Oh, we used kayak stackers, and they fold down so you can mount canoes over
it when you need to.

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

"Chicago Paddling-Fishing" wrote in message
...


Oh, we used kayak stackers, and they fold down so you can mount canoes
over
it when you need to.



And this "kayak stacker" is something available thru Thule?


suds

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

"suds" wrote in news:mhLdc.8132$Nr3.2426
@twister.socal.rr.com:


"Chicago Paddling-Fishing" wrote in message
...


Oh, we used kayak stackers, and they fold down so you can mount canoes
over it when you need to.



And this "kayak stacker" is something available thru Thule?

There are a few companies that make what could generally be called a kayak
stacker. Essentially, it's a set of vertical or near vertical bars that
attach to your rack that allows the kayak to be mounted on it's side. A
google search on kayak stacker will show several places to buy them. The
Malone J Cradle is also fairly popular, more for sea kayaks.

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

"suds" wrote in message ...
"Alex McGruer" wrote in message
om...

Thuly racks are good as are Yakama. I would trust them. My 1990 VW
Golf carries 3 sea kayaks and normally I dont have straps to the bow.
I put a light rope on the stern as a break line .


How do you get three up there? The wife and I each have an Ocean Kayak
(Scupper Pro and a Drifter.) With them both on top of the minivan, they
cover the distance side to side. We want to get a third kayak for the kids
or guests but haven't figured out how we'd be able to transport it.


suds

I read some of the other posts. They have the idea. I use J saddles.
Some Gereman company made them and they were distributed through
Maine. I picked them up at Salt Water Paddle Sports in St. John's
Newfoundland. They were 150 or so each pair about $100.00 US .
I put my Capella on one side, my Sealution in the middle and on the
other side my NDK Explorer. The rationelle for that is that if I am
out with a newbie the Capella ( Plastic ) and the Sealution will be
going. If I am alone the NDK is all that comes off.
The VW racks are gutter mounted on that car and the dealer told me I
could put a fork lift under the rack and lift the car. After a nasty
accident two weeks ago I believe him.
Hope this helps.
Canadian Tire sels a stacked for about $50.00 I have one but the J
saddles are the cars meow.

Kayak on Factory Roof Rack
 

suds wrote:

: "Chicago Paddling-Fishing" wrote in message
: ...

:
: Oh, we used kayak stackers, and they fold down so you can mount canoes
: over
: it when you need to.
:


: And this "kayak stacker" is something available thru Thule?

Yes, I believe the kayak stackers are about $90 or so, at least when we
bought them. We do have a set of kayak saddles too, but use them a little
less than we do the stackers. Go visit your local store (REI or ???) and
see what they have. Most have a small rack in the store, ask if you can
open a box and see what they look like and how they work.

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)