Per Rex Kerr:
Maybe
something like my current idea, but with no straps in the center,
which would lift the boat higher to give clearance for the seats, and
support the boat by its deck.

Maybe somebody could comment on the use of J-Racks on a Subaru.

I know you're biased towards building your own... but that's a
*lot* of wood up there and I would expect it to take it's toll in
gas mileage when you're just driving around without anything else
up there.
--
PeteCresswell

On Jul 31, 1:14 pm, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
Per Rex Kerr:

Maybe
something like my current idea, but with no straps in the center,
which would lift the boat higher to give clearance for the seats, and
support the boat by its deck.

Maybe somebody could comment on the use of J-Racks on a Subaru.

I can comment on J-racks! They are a PITA to load boats on and off!!
Especially long heavy boats like plastic sea kayaks. Pretty much have
to lift the boat up and set it in the J-rack, cause if you try to
slide it in from the end, the damn J-racks rotate on the bar and get
all out of proper alignment!

John Kuthe...

"John Kuthe" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jul 31, 1:14 pm, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
Per Rex Kerr:

Maybe
something like my current idea, but with no straps in the center,
which would lift the boat higher to give clearance for the seats, and
support the boat by its deck.

Maybe somebody could comment on the use of J-Racks on a Subaru.

I can comment on J-racks! They are a PITA to load boats on and off!!
Especially long heavy boats like plastic sea kayaks. Pretty much have
to lift the boat up and set it in the J-rack, cause if you try to
slide it in from the end, the damn J-racks rotate on the bar and get
all out of proper alignment!

John Kuthe...


Not a problem with my Volkswagen Jetta. The CRV's a little worse, have to
open a door to step up, but basically put one end in first, then hoist the
other. Some swearing is (sometimes) involved. My kayak's a 55 lb 14.5 foot
Perception. The J racks do dent the bottom of the kayak, but it hasn't led
to permanent damage thus far.

--
www.mattclara.com

The J racks do dent the bottom of the kayak, but it hasn't led
to permanent damage thus far.

I thought that the whole point of those J racks was that it was
supposed to prevent that!

On Aug 1, 12:37 pm, Rex Kerr wrote:
The J racks do dent the bottom of the kayak, but it hasn't led
to permanent damage thus far.

I thought that the whole point of those J racks was that it was
supposed to prevent that!

I have little respect for Yakima ever since they went from their
original kayak stackers (straight bars, $40 a pair) to those
ridiculous overpriced ($70 a pair) U-shaped things for people that do
not know how to tie a trucker's hitch and loop it over the top of a
straight bar to hold stacked kayaks when tying them down.

John Kuthe...

On Aug 1, 2:27 pm, John Kuthe wrote:
I have little respect for Yakima ever since they went from their
original kayak stackers (straight bars, $40 a pair) to those
ridiculous overpriced ($70 a pair) U-shaped things for people that do
not know how to tie a trucker's hitch and loop it over the top of a
straight bar to hold stacked kayaks when tying them down.

John, it's safe to back into the REI. Yakima abandoned the U-shaped
things about 6 years ago. The stackers are vertical bars now. Bad news
is they now cost $100 :-(

I'm afraid I got lost in your comment about trucker's hitches and
loops.

Steve

Funny thing about a trucker's hitch... When I bought my kayak last
weekend I was tying it on top of my car and couldn't for the life of
me seem to figure out which way that last loop went. I've done so
many of those in my life (my dad drives a truck and taught me as a
child) that I was quite embarassed when the guy who I bought it from
came over to help. Thing is... next time I tried, it worked the first
time. Brain fart I guess.

On Aug 1, 3:04 pm, " wrote:
On Aug 1, 2:27 pm, John Kuthe wrote:

I have little respect for Yakima ever since they went from their
original kayak stackers (straight bars, $40 a pair) to those
ridiculous overpriced ($70 a pair) U-shaped things for people that do
not know how to tie a trucker's hitch and loop it over the top of a
straight bar to hold stacked kayaks when tying them down.

John, it's safe to back into the REI. Yakima abandoned the U-shaped
things about 6 years ago. The stackers are vertical bars now. Bad news
is they now cost $100 :-(

I have a pair of the original $40 a par Yakima stackers, and I guard
them very jealously. They rock, do everything a pair of stackers
should do.

I'm gonna have to replace my crossbars pretty soon. Water got in, and
they are rusting at the ends. Gonna have to cut 'em and pull 'em
through the little cast aluminum thingies that hold them to the
towers! Hee hee! I'd say 13 years is a pretty good lifespan. Maybe
I'll move up to the 88 inchers! My 66" bars have almost always been
long enough, but... ;-)

John Kuthe...

John Kuthe wrote:
On Aug 1, 12:37 pm, Rex Kerr wrote:
The J racks do dent the bottom of the kayak, but it hasn't led
to permanent damage thus far.
I thought that the whole point of those J racks was that it was
supposed to prevent that!

I have little respect for Yakima ever since they went from their
original kayak stackers (straight bars, $40 a pair) to those
ridiculous overpriced ($70 a pair) U-shaped things for people that do
not know how to tie a trucker's hitch and loop it over the top of a
straight bar to hold stacked kayaks when tying them down.

Actually they stopped making the U's and went to straight bars (there's
a joke there somewhere) some time ago.

Steve - still using U shaped stackers and a trucker's hitch.

"Rex Kerr" wrote in message
oups.com...
The J racks do dent the bottom of the kayak, but it hasn't led
to permanent damage thus far.

I thought that the whole point of those J racks was that it was
supposed to prevent that!