Afternoon,
Looking at getting a kayak rack made from 1 1/4 PVC… seller says it holds his kayaks fine. I will be putting a 12 2 inch old town Dirigo and a 10 foot lifetime on it. Anyone know if a free standing outdoors rack of this diameter is strong enough for these kayaks? Price is around $30.00. Figured can’t buy the pvc alone for that price if adequate to hold those kayaks
I would depend on the design of the rack. If made in a stacked box it should be OK. I don’t think a tree style would hold up.
Replied to your post with rack pictures
That should be fine. I don’t think you could built that rack for what he wants for it.
It is going to be wobbly and with the boats acting as sails, a strong wind will blow it over if it is free standing. If you can find a cheap way to anchor it to the side of the building ( 1 1/4” pipe straps) then you have a great rack for very little money that won’t rot.
Edit: Grab the pipe at each joint and try and twist it to see if they were glued properly. If there is movement, don’t try and disassemble it, just put a set screw in it.
For anchoring, I had a thought of 8 tent stakes, two for each corner with cordage tied to the two on either side of pvc. Might work fine.
But that will not cure the wobble. The vertical members will wobble back and forth in both directions and eventually fatigue that joint at the base and crack it and tent stakes will loosen over time unless you use screw in stakes and those are expensive, then you still have the wobble. Just strap the sucker to the side of the building with some $1.25 pipe straps and you are done…Just a thought.
Note that the seller has two pieces of rod (maybe steel re-rod) pounded into the ground and running alongside the two uprights. That’s his stiffening and anchoring system.
Those rods would have to be 3/4” to prevent that rack from swaying with the weight of two boats on top of it with one high up in the air. It looks like he also bent a loop on top of a piece that 3/8” or 1/2” rebar and pounded those into the ground to anchor it. If you just put 2 or “ maybe” 4 11/4” pipe straps for $1.25 apiece fastening it to the side of the building you are finished, no rebar to scratch the boat or poke it, no tie ties, no stakes, no sway, no uplift, permanent, you are done… What do you think?
I think I’d look for a different solution that doesn’t require putting holes in the siding of the house. I think the pipe straps would work and I wouldn’t mind if it were anchored to an old shed, but not the house.
Seller did mention not glued … as to easily come apart for transport. So given all these various members recommendations… and fact I’d be considering if possible to anchor to idler wooden yard privacy fence… should I buy this rack and anchor with pipe straps… see if enough or spend the moneys and get 3 inch PVC or just make stand out of sawhorses and or wood?
What?…What do you think a house is, some kind of pristine embellishment work of art? It is a house. You cut, drill, attach things to it all the time, albeit in a craftsmanship way. Your electrical service was attached to your house by drilling into it.
Besides, he is attaching the rack to a fence so the question is moot.
My post says “I’d look for a different solution”. You, of course, are welcome to do as you wish too. No need to get your knickers in a knot (especially if “the question is moot” anyway.
Have you priced PVC lately? To build that rack in 3” PVC along with all the necessary fittings would cost you well north of $30. If the rack is of the appropriate size for your use, $30 would be a good value, $20-$25 would be better and would save you the labor of designing a new rack and building it and the time gathering the supplies. Depending on how you are going to use it, if portability is important then leave it unglued and set all of the joints with a set screw. If portability is not an issue and will remain permanently assembled, it would be more stable if you glued all of the joints. So, see if you can bargain him down then attach it to the wooden fence and you will have a nice little rack, stable, inexpensive, will last forever and not look too bad either after you get rid of the re-bar snaking up the legs attached with tie ties. You would be far better off then a wooden rack or saw horses all the way around, not even close.
Very good points. Thank you
Assuming my knickers are in knot then basing your entire treatise on a false assumption is at best a self fulfilling prophecy and a very poor attempt at logic.
If your site nickname indicates your location is in Florida I would be a little cautious about relying on this long term. PVC degrades, discolors and develops some surface brittleness in strong sunlight and can even get soft and sag with enough continual heat. I was the factory rep for Carlon PVC products for a while and installed miles of it during my years as an electrician. The industry websites will tell you that the discoloration and surface effects don’t affect the structural integrity but of course they don’t want to suggest any shortcomings of their product. It won’t hurt anyone or anything if this rack has issues, of course. Though I would recommend that you not just anchor it, but glue the joints. A strong wind (if you are in hurricane or tornado country) could cause a sail effect and lift the top boat and the upper frame it is lashed to off the anchored base and loft it into the blue.
I was freaked out a few years ago when a friend proudly showed me his home made car top “J-racks” that he DIYed from 3/4" PVC so he could carry his 65 pound 17’ sea kayak on the roof. I offered to give him a pair of Thule stackers if he would get rid of the contraption, which could have failed disastrously under that weight and the severe wind loads at highway speeds.
FLKayak, are you sitting down?
To build that rack the way the seller built it with 3” PVC Schedule 40 Pipe, this is what you would need and how much just the piping would cost you.
8 pieces - 10’ 3” Schedule 40 Charlotte Pipe @ $37.96 apiece
16 - 3” Sanitary Ts @ $11.15 apiece
4 - 3” End Caps @ $8.65 apiece
For a grande total of: (drum roll)… $516.68 Plus Tax
I do think he will get more then enough use of it for $30 to more then justify the cost. It is not even a close call. It would take years to degrade PVC to the point its structural integrity would be compromised and we have gone over several times the need to glue the joints and fasten the rack to some structure with 11/4” Pipe Straps to stabilize it. Good value, good buy.
