Will a kayak on top of a SUV drain gas milage?

Question

i plan to strap my kayak ontop of my Tahoe and go cross country on the interstate with it.

Does a kayak ontop really drain milage that much, i read somewhere it does??

Answer 1

it will cause a drag which would reduce gas mileage.  Although the effects would likely be quite low (less than a mile per gallon)

Higher your speed, the worst the drag is.  Just depends on how fast you are going I guess.

Answer 2

it creates drag but the kayak is pretty air dynamic so it wouldn't cause alot of  gas. maybe affect it by 1-2% . the same amount of gas used if your A/C is on so don't worry about.

Answer 3

at 75 MPH  it will drain close to 10% of you gas mileage due to wind resistance

Answer 4

It affects it alot. A coworker goes to Arkansas once a year with a canoe on top and it is a big difference. Even a roof rack can make a small change with nothing strapped on.