I need to find a way to transport my kayaks. There’s 4 of us and a Dodge Ram Quad cab. I saw that Thule has a stacker, but it says it’s for 4 whitewater kayaks. Mine aren’t. Has anyone used a ladder rack? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I’m new at the sport.
rack
I use a TracRac (the sliding one) with some homemade stackers. The stackers are crude, but effective - basically just some padded wooden uprights and some angle iron, with some foam on the rack crossbars to protect the boats.
Rack a Ram
I have a Dodge Dakota extended cab with a canopy.
Thule actually has no fit kit for the Dakota so I slightly modified a Ram fit kit. Using one set of Thule stackers, I hauled 5 brit boats (yeah, 60 pounders) from Michigan to Florida.
I ran bow and stern lines, of course, and checked my load often.
I have had seven brit boats on that same rack just to travel across town for a lesson more than once.
My Dakota has one Thule bar across the cab, over the front of the doors. A second bar mounted across the front of the canopy. A third bar mounted across the middle of the canopy. And a fourth bar across the back of the canopy. When the wife and go to the coast we bring two NDK sea kayaks, three ww boats, and at least two bikes, all on the roof rack, sometimes with two more bikes inside the canopy.
My mantra; Driver, secure your load.
I drive a Cummins Dodge
and have a custom aluminum rack that surrounds the canopy. Sea boats go up top, surf boats along the side(s). Super strong, no rust, is almost 400k old and looks new. AND about the same cost as the fluffy stuff. My rack 11 years ago was about $500.00. Aircraft certified tig welder built it in a few hours. I can’t imagine using anything else.
Trailer?
Have you considered getting a trailer?
Rob
Were are you
from you have no profile. If you in the NH area I might be able to help you out,
Shawn
I Have Actually Stacked 4 Long Boats
with a stacker. The trick is that plastic can’t be on the bottom or it can oilcanned. If your bars a wide enough, somtimes you can fit four across on their sides.
If you stack 'em, make sure you got good stern and bow tie downs on all four boats. Things will move around when they are stacked.
sing
THANKS
Wow, lots of great suggestions, not sure what I’ll end up going with, but thanks for all the help!
I stacked 2 otters
and a carolina on top of an xterra with this
sounds like
my dream rack similar to many of my compadres. At the time of installation I was a Thule dealer and apparently it advertised the product fairly well.
I always thought
kayak magazines should have a readers shuttle rig section to show the different rack systems paddlers have come up with over the years.
My all time favorite rack system was one I saw at Fayette Station on the New River in W.V. This guy had a late '70s bondoed up Corvette with the T-Tops off and two ww boats tied upside down right to the roof of the Vette. Bearded barefoot guy with cut off jeans and no shirt, wanted to get a look and my buddies brand new Dagger model, the Crossfire! It was a classic boating moment.
4 kayaks
when I have to transport 4 kayaks on top. I have a set of bars with two sets of Malone J cradles in the center and a set or Yakamia saddles on each side. I think they are on 58 inch bars (I’d have to check that)
Best Wishes
Roy
I
didn’t think of configuring one like that. For now I’m using a small utility trailer, but I have a feeling I’ll build some kind of contraption to throw on my roof.