...that some people seems to take personally to some extent. It isn't intended so.
But they had a niche and they blew it, in my opinion: They had the only RANGE of AWD cars that was low to the ground while still having more than adequate ground clearance, and they had a lower center of gravity, making them a bit more enjoyable to drive. They had one of the best rack systems in the business. They were exceedingly easy to cartop for any car, much less an AWD vehicle.
They chose to enter the mainstream and leave the niche that made them unique. Now they're competing with Toyota, Nissan and Honda on their terms.
don’t think it’s going to work No, the bike carriers are attached by two straps and two flimsy hooks. And the design is for static weights not sliding weights.
I load from the rear, small car The problem with side loading isn’t strength. It’s balancing a 60lb weight unevenly distributed over 16’ length. It oscilates: bow-up-stern-down, bow-down-stern-up, in 5 second periods!
So here’s how I deal with the issues the OP is having:
trunk got a beating: I have a “Bumper Bully” mat, originally designed to protect the bumper of the car when park on stretts. I flip the “bully” up on the trunk. It’s made of rubber, thick enough to protect the paint of the trunk.
(1 thing that “beats up” the trunk is openninng it while the kayak is still on the roof! The top edge of the trunk is going to hit the bottom of the boat!!! Put a towel on the top edge of the trunk to protect the paint. )
Rear window: I put a towel over the rear window and the edge of the roof.
I also throw a couple of gabage bags on top of all the protective stuff to make it slide easy.
In my old car, the trunk lid was too weak that it eventually got pushed inward. The new car (BMW) is more solidly build so no problem after 2 years.
With each new car, there’s a bit of trial and error process to get everything to work out.
Water slide mat We use Thule’s water slide mat as well. It’s a great little invention, has rubber on one side to grip and softer side to slide. The picture shows it over edge hanging off a roof rack but can be used almost anywhere free-standing. We use ours over the edge of pickup tail gate.
Problem is length of kayak First, the much-hated (by me) Paddle Boy will not go past the rear hatch (in addition to its other vices).
I do have another cart, the C-Tug, which can be placed close to the center. But that doesn’t solve anything if you load from the rear, in fact it’s worse than placing the cart at the stern because when you lift the bow onto the trunk the stern hits the ground. My kayak is 15.5’.
Good idea . . . sort of The rack that you illustrate will definitely not support the weight of a kayak.
However, here’s one of my biggest headaches with a multisport vacation that includes biking and kayaking: constantly removing and reinstalling the bike rack and the bike to accommodate the kayak. Makes me nuts, really.
So if someone invented a contraption that could stay on the trunk, carry a bike, and serve as a kayak loader I’d be the first to buy it. If the bike could remain on the car while loading the kayak that would be heaven.
Another one of my pet inventions is a rear trunk for a bike, with velcro straps, a waterproof bottom, and water resistant sides and top, that could go in the cockpit of a kayak. That would solve another headache of constantly transferring stuff from bike to kayak to bike.
Unglaublich So, Sie sind dazu fähig, mindestens eine moderne Sprache perfekt zu schreiben. Wie schön. In dem Fall, bitte ich Sie, auf deutsch zu schreiben, wenn Sie mich ansprechen wollen.
Ich habe Sie vorher für ungebildet gehalten. Jetzt verstehe ich, daß sie nur damals eine etwas ältere Form von Plattdeutsch schrieben, das ich nicht sofort erkannte. Ich bringe Ihnen meine tief empfundene Entschuldigungen dafür vor.
Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Kooperation mit diser Angelegenheit und freue mich auf unsere zukünftige Zusammenarbeit.