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Options for carrying a canoe/kayak

Mousehunter

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I used to kayak a lot. Trying to kayak more again. I have had many different systems on 4 vehicles so far. Failed to rack my wife’s van and have yet to rack the Jeep.

Camper shell mounted racks were my 2 favorite. I used rail riders and later landing pads by Yakama. Super in every way. The shell was accusticly isolated from the cab so no extra noise, spread was enough that the boats were stable. Door mounts on Chevy were louder than hell as they turned the roof to a drum head. Later door mounts with aero bars were more acceptable on New ford and Golf (tried round on Ford and still too loud). That said neither were really stable. Stability was created with a GoodBoy carrier. It is a 2” square bar 8’ long that bolts across the roof rack. The boat cradles are on the ends of it. Keeps 18’ boats rock stable

That said, have popped the bar off my Ford doors 2x now. Really do not fully trust those clamps. Have also watched my boat flying when a gutter mount failed (on a steel gutter). Not sure if I trust fiberglass gutters. We did run with 8 boats on top then, so 400lbs was more than the 120lbs I would do now. Wish the Top was better rated, my Leers were beasts.

Anyway, tag for interest. So far liking the bolted on basket the best, but wish it could hold more weight-wife is pretty set against a full cage yet

——
Just a heads up. Kayaks are essentially shaped like a pair of wedges. When you tighten your straps, they will also attempt to pull the bars appart. I witnessed a owner ruin the roof of a Land Cruiser this way-leverage crushed his roof in. Suspect the same leverage caused the gutter mount to fail on a different vehicle that same trip. So don’t tighten so much that you ruin your roof and slways run front safety straps Had a friend blow out their rear glass when her front rack failed and the boat flipped while going down the highway (it also ripped off the back rack but the spin managed to get the rear of the boat to hit the glass as it happened. FWIW not her only glass or boat loss...
 
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Jmay225

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We dont use a rack at all on my GFs JK and it works perfect. Foam blocks (made for this purpose) directly on the hardtop and tied off.

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I too was thinking about this set-up to save money on racks despite other people warning against it. Seems safe as long as you strap the front and back as well. Have you ever had any issues? I was hoping you could tell me what type of straps you use (ratchet or pull buckle). Also how do you tie down? Thanks!!
 

HeavyMetal

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I too was thinking about this set-up to save money on racks despite other people warning against it. Seems safe as long as you strap the front and back as well. Have you ever had any issues? I was hoping you could tell me what type of straps you use (ratchet or pull buckle). Also how do you tie down? Thanks!!
ratchet straps are what i used for the front and back. the strap that loops over the top of them through the inside of the jeep is a pull-tight buckle type. as long as you use common sense about it, its fine, never had an issue. There is really nowhere for them to physically go when theyre captured in all directions...they cant go off the front or back because they're ratcheted, and they cant slide off the side because the loop over strap.
 

Jmay225

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ratchet straps are what i used for the front and back. the strap that loops over the top of them through the inside of the jeep is a pull-tight buckle type. as long as you use common sense about it, its fine, never had an issue. There is really nowhere for them to physically go when theyre captured in all directions...they cant go off the front or back because they're ratcheted, and they cant slide off the side because the loop over strap.
For the strap that goes over top and inside the jeep, do you do a loop around the yak itself before going in jeep or simply over the top and inside of jeep? Not sure if a loop around the yak only first would improve stability or not. Also, does strap go around grab bars or just hard top?
 

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Circlep

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I have a two door JL so I trailer ours when we are fishing the rivers in Arkansas.
100_0514.JPG
 

JCatherine

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Heading down to FL at the end of March, and was thinking I may just pick up a pair of the foam blocks and set directly on the hard top. That will work for now, but will be a pain after a 20-30 mile day, and is not a long term solution.

Thule's gutter mount is rated to hold cross bars, cradles, and two 18' P&H yaks. That being said, risking $5k in fiberglass crashing down, on top of whatever a hardtop replacement would cost would be, leaves me worried about a strong crosswind at highway speeds.

The rack n roll seems nice, but I am in Chicago... I either wont find a spot big enough for a JLUR+ trailer, or the trailer may be gone when I get back.

Backbone may be a legitimate contender.

In any case, I would be interested in how everyone approaches this.

Shot from our 7 day island hopping trip in the Apostles last year.
AI17.jpg

Jeep Wrangler JL Options for carrying a canoe/kayak {filename}

Just had to reply... love this area. Hope you made it to devils

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jmcdtucson

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For what it's worth, I always use a trucker's hitch knot for the front and rear tiedowns. Tie a metal hook on one end with bowline or something, then trucker's hitch on the other end to cinch it down. Best knot ever. Never need ratchets again, just rope, and if you leave the one loop in, it takes seconds to tie.
 

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Boatbuilder88

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Any canoeists or kayakers here?

How are you planning on transporting your canoe or kayak on your JL?

My JLUR will be my first Wrangler and I'm just starting my research on how to carry my 12' kayak and 16' canoe.

I bought a hardtop and can probably strap it down for now but I'm hoping to find a more permanent solution.

Obligatory pic of some kayaking in the Canadian Rockies.

Jeep Wrangler JL Options for carrying a canoe/kayak {filename}
How wide is your canoe? If you are comfortable carrying your kayak on its side, your options open up.

I currently use an extra-wide Thule bar system which extends about 5" beyond the top of my minivan. I can carry:

(1) my canoe (on Thule canoe carrier) plus two kayaks (on Malone Stax Pro 2 rack)
or
(2) four kayaks (on Malone Stax Pro 2 and two J-racks)​

I will be buying a 2-door JL. If we decide to transport our canoe/kayaks with the JL, I may look into dedicated trailers. I'm not comfortable subjecting the freedom panels to any aerodynamic lifting forces and racking up the back portion of the 2-door hardtop does not allow for much load bar spread.

Attached is a pic of my load bars with my canoe on top. I can shift the outboard gunnels further out on the load bars and still carry another two kayaks (loaded on their sides).

Jeep Wrangler JL Options for carrying a canoe/kayak {filename}
 
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maguro

maguro

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Here's one solution if you're a whitewater kayaker and paddling alone. The kayak here is a medium Zen with a length of 8'6". With the rear end propped up, you have a clear view of the side/mirror.

Definitely not a permanent solution and although I secured the kayak with straps after taking this photo, it isn't the safest solution.

Thankfully, I happen to live 10 min away from my river so it's a good temporary solution until I decide on something permanent.

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3 months after trading in my truck for my Jeep I can finally go kayak fishing again. This Rhino Rack with Maximus 3 mounts is nice.

Jeep Wrangler JL Options for carrying a canoe/kayak {filename}
Just ordered a Vibe Yellowfin 130T (tandem). It is going to take 2-3 weeks for delivery. We are trying to figure out the best way to transport it. I have a white Rubicon JLU and really like your set-up. Have you had any issues with weight?
 

BLU3TURF

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I too was thinking about this set-up to save money on racks despite other people warning against it. Seems safe as long as you strap the front and back as well. Have you ever had any issues? I was hoping you could tell me what type of straps you use (ratchet or pull buckle). Also how do you tie down? Thanks!!
I used foam padding on the top of the windshield and on the speaker bar strapping to the speaker bar and the hood “loops”.not sure with highway speeds but around town it worked

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KCVS

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I used foam padding on the top of the windshield and on the speaker bar strapping to the speaker bar and the hood “loops”.not sure with highway speeds but around town it worked

Jeep Wrangler JL Options for carrying a canoe/kayak {filename}
Two Yaks, Chicago to Canada and back without issue last month. 14 hrs at hwy speed each way.
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