upgrading oem roof racks

ok, i want to upgrade my factory gt wagon roof rack to better accommodate my 15 foot long kayak...

currently i am considering a number of options

 

option one - trying to weld\splice in the front half of a second factory rack and one of the aero bars to my existing rack to make a sort of frankensteined super oem rack. i think i like this idea, but i am reasonably sure the racks are aluminum (arent they?) and tig welding is a massive pain in the ass.

 

option two - simply adding one bar of a thule style system as far to the front of my roofline as possible (probably the simplest solution, but one that i am just not sure i would like the look of)

 

option three - removing factory rack and installing a complete thule style system

 

option four- trying to figure out a way to salvage and attach the gen four roof rails from a totaled vehicle to my car (this solution i currently find most intriguing. if it could be made to work, it would certainly be the cleanest in appearance.

 

anyone with any ideas? insight? examples?

Whats the yak made out of, and what's the total weight? I used to carry my 15 foot Perception on top of a pair of foam blocks and strapped down.

 

I would expect that you don't need to upgrade your rack to accommodate any more weight, moreso you need the proper (or at least mostly proper) mounts for your kayak. That being said, I would probably go with option 2 that you suggested. The complete Thule rack might look better, but would be pricier for sure. I don't think the hybrid Thule/OEM rack would be all that upsetting, and the front crossbar can be removed easily if need be.

easier to trade that long boat for a short play boat.

 

i'm not sure it really matters. you are still going to need end lines to keep it steady, the length of the rack isn't enough to prevent it from being pushed around. these cars are right at 16 feet long. but maybe. i'm not as familiar with the car top properties of kayaks as i am with canoes.

 

i'd go with professional bars and brackets? for the rack you have. i have put a fair amount of torque on my straps with no ill effects but always felt the need to use end lines.

 

but now i use a trailer. bought it cheap, $200, it was built for a sail boat and only weighs 350 lbs. i can leave the boat/s on it if i want and i can carry 5 canoes if needed. but that's just me. for some folks, storing a trailer is more work than loading a boat.

 

good luck,

john, in roanoke

''half the paddle, twice the paddler''

Carry a big boat upside down on OEM racks with bow/stern lines:

http://www.stinkyteapot.com/kayakwagon.JPG

 

So get attachments that fits the boat well/ones you like attached to OEM racks and bow and stern lines, and you should be good.

 

As another poster said, didn't mention what type/material kayak is made of, but the above advice should hold true for 99% of the kayaks out there.

my boat is a native watercraft ultimate 14.5, which is more like a canoe than a kayak in that it has a fully open top...i suppose perhaps is a kanoe...it weighs approximately 60 lbs, but i would like to be able to accommodate a second equally sized boat (always better to have room for two so that you can do pickup or dropoffs with a second car)

 

it transports upside down like a canoe, and for the second boat i will most likely be getting a thule style prop up carrier

 

i currently have malone bigfoot pro carrier pads attached to my stock aero bars. The stock rails are not quite wide enough to accommodate the width of my boat, so i am running the malone pads with their tabs on the inside edges instead of the outside edges

currently i transport it with bow and stern lines....it works ok so far...but i hate running the rope over my bumpers.

 

i really love the low profile look of the 4th gen rails or even a slightly longer rack system, or even perhaps in the completely opposite directly, something with a gear basket or safari style platform. i have seen one picture of someone running a single bar with the stock setup...looks like it works fine...just didnt do it for me in terms of appearance. plus, i havn't had much luck buying just one bar...

 

does anyone know if the second gen outback racks (which are longer) will fit, or any other ideas? i know there are people out there with second gens that have done something like this. i would love to see some pictures of sweet second gen roof racks. anyone?

btw beanboy....what in the heck IS that giant thing on top of your car? it looks very fast in the water.

btw beanboy....what in the heck IS that giant thing on top of your car? it looks very fast in the water.

 

Very fast if I'm not paddling it! Slowly getting the hang of it, called a surfski and is designed for big ocean conditions.

 

http://www.surfski.info/