I have a 99 standard cab Toyota Tacoma. I recently purchased a 14 ft kayak. My question is: Would a regular 2 bar Yakima rack (mounted with 4 Q towers)to the roof, hold a kayak that size in place? Of course it would probably include the “stacker option” or whatever needed. If that wouldn’t work, what are some other options? Thanks for any help!
Check the instructions
for weight capacity. Mine is rated for 100# max. I use Yakima bars and Mako saddles on my Jetta for my Pungo 120 Duralite. The saddles have a tie strap to secure the kayak to the bars. This is fine for local trips. For longer trips on 65mph roads I tie down stern and bow to the car. This secures the rack as well as the yak.
Almost forgot
the total length on my roof from front windshield to back window is 30 inches. I can see this working out quite well for a smaller yak…but for a 14 ft. yak? What do you guys think? Thanks again. I do like the idea of the tie downs on each end…and yes I will be taking this on the freeway frequently
I don’t believe what you describe
would work…
The distance between the front and rear bars on a standard cab would be somewhere between 1 and 2 feet. I have a 2001 Tacoma doublecab with the Yakima bars spaced about 40 inches apart and wouldn’t want them any closer together for a number of reasons.
What I would use if I had your setup would be a bar on the front (clamped to the raingutter/dooredge) and a rear support like what’s shown in the links below…
http://www.rackwarehouse.com/t997.html
http://www.rackwarehouse.com/f1.html
Or you may want to forgo the front rack and go with this one…
http://www.rackwarehouse.com/mtr.html
If I had to do it all over again, I would probably go with the Mirage type rack. A guy I paddle with made a nice rack that fits similar to the Mirage out of some diamond tread steel and 1 inch metal tubing.
I hope this helps!
Thanks for the help guys…much appreci
Hey Tripp
Where on earth have you been hiding?
I havn’t seen a post from you in ages
Did you ever finish that yak you were building, and if you did how about posting a picture or two?
Cheers,
JackL
Hello JackL!!
I’m still around, just lurking in the background. I’m still paddling, but I’m interested in getting into backpacking and working on accumulating some gear, which should work well because any lightweight stuff I buy (and presently own) will work well for paddling too.
Over the summer, I built a Night Heron, which is semi-greenland style kayak designed by Nick Schade. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot about not only kayak design, but how very slight changes in the hull shape affect handling.
You can see some pictures of the completed yak at:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tstheiii/album?.dir=26fa&.src=ph
I also posted some pics there of a hatch holddown system I’m working on. This is one of the albums I had posted pictures to when I have a question on a bulletin board or when someone wants to see how I built something.
I also have documented the building process in an album here: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tstheiii/album?.dir=c8cb&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tstheiii/my_photos
Please excuse the views of the inside of my workshop. It is mainly used as storage with me building a kayak squeezed in!
I am hoping to paddle in one of the kayak races in NC next year. I had seriously considered participating in the Lumber River 40 miler (I think that’s what its called!) but the family had other plans.
Its good to hear from you!
Tripp
I have a club cab …
Dakota. It has a fiberglass cap on it. I carry 14’ to 19’ boats on it set up as follows. Yakima with Q towers on the front (about 3" from windshied in for Dakota), Yakima 1A towers on bolt on rain gutters attached to the cap. The rear rack is mounted about 8" from the end of the cap. I use saddles on the front and rollers on the rear. Any shorter than a 14’ foot boat might be a problem becase the spacing is too great. I would think Qs on the front and either a homemade or commercial rack in the back of the pickup would work fine.
~wetzool
Beautiful job !
Congrats.
It is so nice looking that I don’t think I would want to put it in the water.
On the backpacking: We are about ten miles, (a couple as the crow flies) from Carvers Gap on Roan Mountain which has two of the most scenic and highest parts of the Appalachian Trail.
We are almost finished building a three bed room bunk house (with shower and other amenities) so you would be more than welcome to kick off any day hikes from here or stop in and use it on a overnighter.
On the racing: the Bogey and Bacall is coming up in Feb in Key Largo and there is usually a contingent of NC folks who go down, and we won’t descriminate against our brethern from SC.
Cheers,
JackL