Excellent points. Yes, I’m looking at Thule rack and 53 inch crossbar for my CX-5. Also, I agree about the antenna fin. That’s going to be annoying, if not a serious issue. That would be a PIA if I can’t open the hatch with 11-foot kayaks on top. We’ll see. I have to assume that you have more problems with your long boats. I might like a hitch. Does U-Haul really do installations of those? I’m trying to avoid needing J-cradles up top. With regard to parallel parking, I’m assuming the backup camera will be useful. In your picture, your kayaks seem tilted to the rear. Why is that? Are the crossbars not level? Also, I’d like to avoid having to tie down the front and rear of the kayaks. I did that at first with my Tribute, and then just decided to blow it off. Maybe you need to do that becuase of your long kayaks?
You should ALWAYS use bow and stern lines when traveling with boats on your roof. Always. Period. A failed cam strap or rack component could cause not just damage to the boat but also to any vehicle following you and even maiming or fatal injuries when your kayak flies off the car.
Having bow and stern lines also allows the driver to monitor whether boats on the rack may have shifted. Straps can loosen as you drive, especially in rainy weather when the straps get wet. Having the bow lines right in front of you means that you can see if the boats are aligned. To secure the bow lines, I have nylon webbing loops attached to a chuck of heavy rubber tubing that lock under the side edges of the car hood so I can attach nylon lines between the kayak bows and the loops.
Yes, certain large U-Haul dealers sell and install tow hitches – I have had them installed them on several of my cars and trucks Usually costs about $300 to $350 for a Class 2 light duty hitch like I have, a little more for a Class 3 (got one of those for my larger Volvo when we had a camping trailer that was 4200 pounds).
The 18’ skin on frame green kayak on the Mazda is an Greenland replica with a deep bow and low profile stern deck, which is why they dip like they do – my rear Thule rack is only slightly lower than the front one, probably just an inch or two. Most kayaks are somewhat taller in the bow section than the stern, but this is exaggerated in Greenland style boats. The lime green Venture Easky LV behind it is also a Greenland style hull. Hence the swooping shape.
I prefer to carry my kayaks on long highway trips upside down for several reasons. One is that they can’t fill up with water in heavy rains, also they are more aerodynamic that way and less likely to catch wind – the CX-5 is a lightweight car and you do feel crosswinds in when carrying large boats upright. Also, because the cockpit coamings on just about all of my boats fit snugly between the two Thule bars, they locked in place fore and aft and are far less likely to be able to shift in quick stop situations. Also, if you are hauling plastic rotomold boats in hot weather, the hulls soften with the heat and sitting on the rack can cause dents and oilcanning. The decks are more resistant to that and even if they do get slightly deformed, it will not affect the performance. I have seen some really badly deformed rotomold boats that spent too many hours during the summer heat hull-down on a roof rack.
When I load my boats, usually from the rear of the car, I do it hull down but then stand on a short folding step stool and reach up and flip them over once they are on the rack.