just bought an ocean malabu 2 xl that I will transport with an 06 tacoma 4 door that has the factory roof rack. for now, I’m planning to use the foam pads & tie downs. any advise? is it best to have the kayak turned up or down? I got it home with the kayak turned down & using pool noodles for the pads. appreciate any help.
g
Upside down usually works well
Put it on there and see if it looks okay.
You may not need the noodles. The factory rack should have any edges that would hurt the kayak.
Use nylon straps to tighten it down and resist the urge to use ratchet straps. Newbies often overtighten them.
My $0.02
jim
Use pads
Blocks or noodles.
I have a Thule on one side and a malone on the other side of my rack.
IF I slip the WS Ride in between them on the bar,And its Hot outside; just the weight of the ride is enough to dent the bottom of the hull where it rides on the bar.
Pool noodles must help me by dispersing the weight better.
Just try it out and see what works best for you.
Remintn
I travel my kayaks cockpit up on the .
roof or in the back of my F-150. I think it causes less drag that way, but I’m no scientist and I’m sure others have opinions just as relevant. I bungee the hatch covers. The blue nylon straps that come with the Thule’s work great, especially with the rubber cover over the buckle. If the factory racks are too close together (Like on my Honda CRV), you might want to consider a front and rear tiedown for long or highway trips.
transport options
As long as it doesn’t come off, you should be good. Some factory racks are for show more than use, check and make sure yours have a metal core, and always use front and rear tie downs as well as straps across the racks. John
thank you
Thanks everybody, hope you didn’t mind (& don’t mind the next one) the dumb question.
g
That’s not a dumb question
Besides damage to your boat or truck, a poorly-carried boat could injure someone driving behind you. It’s always worth asking about these kinds of things.
transport
Carry kayaks right side up and canoes upside down. Kayaks have stronger bottoms and canoes have stronger gunwales. Also with a cover a kayak won’t fill in the rain and a canoe filled with rain can crush many cars.
Bill H.
Kayaks deck side down
carry very well, if properly supported. I use foam crossbar pads, preferably under the bulkheads, (plenty strong, there.) Besides being rain proof, I have constant eye contact with the kayaks, and those vulnerable VCP hatch covers are protected from the sun, as I carry them in the car.