Hi too all…Well here’s my situation, I could use some advise…I may be making a move to Florida from Jersey in the near future…I have an explorer I move around on a modified utility trailer…I wouldn’t take it on a trip like this…Its fine for shorter trips…In Florida I’ll buy or make another trailer…To get my
boat there in one piece, Im thinking of going just with a foam block set-up…The vehicle most likely will
be a Subaru forrester…Its a long drive down I-95 I’m
wondering if others have make trips of this length safely with form blocks on crossbars…
yes, I have
Foam blocks attached to cross bars is perfectly secure IMO. I’ve done long trips that way. Put the belly straps around the bars right on either side of the boat, not out to the towers. Use bow and stern lines, and tighten the straps when you stop for fuel or for the night. I’ve noticed that the foam seems to compress slowly in the first couple hours after loading, so the straps get slightly loose on the first leg of a trip.
blocks
Foam blocks is all I ever use with my Jetta Sport Wagon and factory crossbars. I have made a lot of very long trips. The blocks have a lot of contact surface on the kayak, especially since I shaped them to contour to the boat perfectly.
The bigger question is your factory crossbar. They can be flimsy and weak. My VW crossbar is beefy, holds 160 pounds, but unfortunately sounds like a tornado on the roof at high speeds without the kayak. That’s why most factory crossbars are fairly thin and more aerodynamic.
Pete
Well said, the only thing I’d ad…
If you’re stopping overnight, wire or chain and padlock, or bring the boat in the hotel room with you.
foam blocks
Thanks, Yeah, If the vehicle I get doesn’t have cross
bars I’ll have to come up with something…Some of these Subaru’s have them, some don’t…Trying not
to spend a lot of money on a system I won’t use in
Florida…
Foam pads,
The molded ones with the round hole for the Yakima bars, are all I ever use.The only problem I have ever had was the tendency for the pads and straps to slide sideways in a strong cross wind. This was an easy permanent fix, but it would be hard to describe. Just use your imagination. The farther apart you can space the crossbars, the better. Check the tension occasionally, as the pads do tend to compact over time. I have been carrying for thousands of miles like this, after having given up on expensive saddles and such. I think my kayaks ride very well this way.
foam blocks
The only downside I’ve ever found with the foam blocks is convience. If you’re taking the boat on and off the car top often they are a pain. They work great though and protect both the car and the canoe just fine. Much better than the similiar blocks for a kayak. Canoes btw are carried up side down, kayaks are carried right side up.
Bill H.
I
I have used them a lot. You must have a strong tie down and tie it tight or they move sideways in a crosswind. The place on the boat where the rope ties must be strong. If you can somehow tie around the center it is much better. Tying only from the ends I would not do except for a short trip at slower speeds.
Home made cross bars?
Has anybody come up with home made cross bars to mount
to the vehicle side rails??..I did see a picture
of iron pipes tied to the cross rails with pipe clamps
not sure how safe that was…