What do you recommend for a roof rack fishing carrier. I have an F150 with Rhino Rack Aero Bars. My boat is a Perception Caster 12.5 and I hope to have a Ride 135 in the future. Is the J style good for this boat? Please help!!
Sailfish 2100 bay/YamahaF150
Perception 12.5 Caster
I bought a Yakama roof rack system with J mounts… My yak is 70lbs. I’m 6’1 215lbs and am physically fit. It is a serious chore hoisting it and down on top of the roof. Be prepared…! Unless you plan on dragging your yak behind your boat when you go in the river, I suggest you find an old Jon boat trailer or a jet ski trailer like I am. If I had it to do over again, I would not have bought the roof rack system. What a pain it is…
After months of having to lift my Ride onto the roof of my Tahoe, I am ready to find an old trailer to convert into a kayak carrier myself.
–elgeebee–
WS Ride 135
The J racks are fine for the Caster and the Ride. Like the others mentioned, it’s a chore getting it up there.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
The J cradles will work, but you will have to work too hard to get your boat up there. Were are the bars on your truck? If they are over the bed, just get some roof rack tube pads and slide your boat up there. Boats like the ride, ultimates, and other tunnel hulls are fine to carry right side up. The caster, and other boats will more rounded hulls should be put into saddles or just turned upside down on the rack.
A couple of other questions:
How many boats are you trying to carry?
Do you have a 2" receiver hitch on the back of the truck? If so, you might want to look into one of the bed extenders like Extend a truck.
Give me a shout or stop by the store if you would like to check out some options from Thule and others.
DD
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
DD
Post up pics of the downside of putting a saltwater covered boat on top of your vehicle. 
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
I’ve got a $29 Harbor Freight bed extender that I use. I routinely carry 2 kayaks with it in the bed of my Ford Ranger.
http://www.harborfreight.com/truck-bed-extender-45830.html
If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles. ~Doug Larson
Ditto on the bed extender, I carry two that way. I do have an old jonboat trailer that I plan to make into a kayak trailer at some point so I can use my wife’s car to haul the yaks.
quote:
Originally posted by Too BusyDD
Post up pics of the downside of putting a saltwater covered boat on top of your vehicle.Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
That car is gone now! Good point though, the old taurus was slowly turning itself into a convertible! I am very very aware of that with the new vehicle.
DD
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
I am always paranoid when I put my kayak on to of my car after going out in the salt water. I always give them both a good wash down when I get back to the house. I only use foam blocks but am deciding whether I want to invest in a roof rack for my car (2007 civic) or if I want to put a hitch on it and make some kind of trailer. I saw a very good example of what kind of trailer I want to make at the HOW tournament.
–It is impossible to have a bad day fishing, because no matter what you still got to be on the water.–
Ride 135
Yakima rack plus the Boat Loader accessory bar = easy. Pull the bar out of the front bar, lift half the boat weight onto the bar, lift the stern onto crossbar, then slide the bow onto front bar, tie down and go. Dave should have the product.
Trailers are really nice but can be a pain sometimes, plus have to be stored somewhere.
Pick ups could use one roof cross bar, Boat Loader bar, and Harbor Freight T bar for a nice set up.
I started out with foam blocks on the car (didn’t have an SUV at the time). Bought a trailblazer and a Bigstack. bigstack is nice for small boats. not for more than 2 SOT fishing yaks. thought about buying saddles and longer bars. decided a trailer was the way to go with 4 yaks now in the family. I’ve towed that trailer thousands of miles now and don’t regret that move one bit. I will agree with BILL D that storage is an issue if you don’t have the room and let me tell you that it was interesting pulling it all the way down hwy 12 and hitting every ferry along the way and stopping at every lighthouse from currituck through Ocracoke in one day. but if I had to do it again I’d do the same thing. I’m working on a “hidden hitch” for my driver right now.
!!!Keep in mind maint on a trailer…wheel bearings, clean lube tighten, I always carry extra bearings and tools to change them on every trip out of town. no bearings on saddles or cradles.
You can do a lot with a T Bar.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I switched to a trailer in April 09 and never looked back. It’s funny looking back on that pic. Still have the Miata, yaks are long gone, and my son is 6 feet tall now.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
And you have grayer hair
“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
SC Chapter Coordinator- Heroes on the Water
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- SCKayakfishing.com
Tarpon 160os
Thank you all for your thoughts. I like the bed extender option and will pick one up. I still want to be able to put two boats up top so I can use the bed for other gear.
Sailfish 2100 bay/YamahaF150
Perception 12.5 Caster
DD, I’ll try to stop by the store today or tomorrow so you can check out my truck and get your thoughts.
Sailfish 2100 bay/YamahaF150
Perception 12.5 Caster
quote:I'm off today, but there the rest of the week
Originally posted by scubastan48DD, I’ll try to stop by the store today or tomorrow so you can check out my truck and get your thoughts.
Sailfish 2100 bay/YamahaF150
Perception 12.5 Caster
Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and Be Happy!
Why take the boat(s) off the top of the car? 
We are a Malone Dealer we have many options for caring your kayak
Some of the roof racks work really well but I am an old weak guy and use the trailer - with two people yes a roof rack is the way to go but I go out alone quite a bit
Capt Dave
Fishing Kayaks SC
