Attaching multiple Kayaks to a car? Any experience with this??

Question

I had to trade my Jeep Grand Cherokee in this year because of the rediculous $$ of my payment & gas. I leased a 2008 Jetta & purchased the roof rack attachments from the dealer (they run from door to door, no side pieces)

I have 2 kayaks - one fits into the J rack which can be installed on one side with plenty of room to place the other one flat on blocks (It is a Native Ultimate 12 has a "tunnel hull" & wont fit in the J rack - http://kayakfishingstuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Ultimate12-08&Category_Code=nativekayaks)

Not having the rack connections that run from hood to trunk, how am I going to ensure these kayaks aren't going to rip off the top of my car? The engine is covered underneath w/ 2 places to insert a hook to tie down the front end, but under the trunk there is no place to tie the back down.

Does anyone have these type of racks that can suggest a way to secure these? Should I find an attachment that runs from front to back? Thanks

Answer 1

Whoa! Kayaks and Canoes are easy to load on any car roof.  For 20 years personnel at Mohawk in Florida sent buyers home with their boat secure atop their car. A car rack has to be secure to car. The bow/nose rope of each boat is fastened to the front bumper. The aft or back rope is secured to the rear bumper. Ropes over the boats secure the boats to the rack. If there is no rack or roof connection, you can run a rope through the windows and over the load. Use non-stretch ropes. Do not use rubber cords! Pad the space between boats with discarded rug. Learn the knots that can be tightened. After a mile or so of travel pull over and check for slack. A friend has carried ten boats at one time. He was also arrested for speeding!

Answer 2

I know your struggle well - I put two 17' sea kayaks, and sometimes a 17' sea kayak and an 18'6" canoe on top of my Scion XB with a Yakima rack.   A bow line strap is all I can secure too, and to do that I open the hood, run a strap around the frame inside, and close the hood on it.  The strap can slide around the hood easily, and I can get a secure line there, which will hopefully keep the boats from flying around if the rack were to release.

The best attachment system is a strap that you attach to the frame bolts (see link below, and look at the alternate pictures).  It stays on the car 24/7.  You can do attach these to the frame under the hood, and you may be able to secure them inside the back hatch / trunk - look for bolts that can be removed and replaced with this strap loop attached to them.  

Good luck!

Edit:  G_steed - the issue here that the asker is having, the same issue I have - is a molded fiberglass or plastic bumper with NOTHING to tie the ropes  / straps to.  I have fiberglass ground effects all the way around the car.  A rope tied to something behind them (the frame) would damage the car and cause hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of damage.    Many small cars have this problem.

When I drove a Nissan 4x4, with a big chrome bumper, obviously bow and stern lines weren't a challenge.