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Main
Date: 01 Jul 2005 15:24:45
From: W. Watson
Subject: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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The Hull Raiser consists of two J-shaped supports to put the kayak on its side.
I'd like to build a boat loader. My kayak is about 60 pounds, a Necky Zoar LV.
I've seen photos of boat loaders. They seem to be rods that slide into the roof
racks. Yakima makes one for its racks. I would think I could drill a hole into
the rack. However, the J-shape presents a difference. I think the typical loader
is just to get it onto a flat roof rack. Ideas? Possibly something that would
allow me to slide it up the back (it's a hatch back), and into place might work.
I can do it with a rug draped over the rear, but the boat doesn't slide well
over the J-bars.
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Date: 01 Jul 2005 18:05:17
From: BCITORGB
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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W Watson says:
============
I decided to put a 2'x2'x8' across the roof rack and tie it down. It
protruded over both sides of the vehicle. This was OK for test
purposes. It took
me about 2 minutes to walk directly into one of the overhanging pieces
===========
Hey, I'm glad you did that before I did. I too was playing around with
a 2x4x8 piece of lumber tied near the front of the rack. I never had a
chance to walk into it before I disbanded the notion.
In my case, I found the kayak too tippy and slippy on the 2x4 whilst I
was maneuvering the aft of the kayak onto the back saddle of the rack.
Momentarily I went back to using the open passenger door as the rest
for the front of the kayak while I messed around in the rear. Bearing
in mind that the earlier thread began with this option and with several
people advising against it, I was reluctant to continue.
However, as luck would have it, while I was wrestling with the damned
thing, a fellow from a local kayak shack came by and observed that I
might want to buy a set of wheels for mounting to the back of the rack
for purposes of pushing the kayak up from the rear.
Great idea! Not the purchase, of course! ;-) But, being miserly, I soon
figured out that a push over the duct-tape-covered foam of the rear
cradle was every bit as effective as the $100-plus set of wheels.
I love it when I save money!
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Date: 02 Jul 2005 01:31:54
From: W. Watson
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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BCITORGB wrote:
> W Watson says:
> ============
> I decided to put a 2'x2'x8' across the roof rack and tie it down. It
> protruded over both sides of the vehicle. This was OK for test
> purposes. It took
> me about 2 minutes to walk directly into one of the overhanging pieces
> ===========
>
> Hey, I'm glad you did that before I did. I too was playing around with
> a 2x4x8 piece of lumber tied near the front of the rack. I never had a
> chance to walk into it before I disbanded the notion.
>
> In my case, I found the kayak too tippy and slippy on the 2x4 whilst I
> was maneuvering the aft of the kayak onto the back saddle of the rack.
> Momentarily I went back to using the open passenger door as the rest
> for the front of the kayak while I messed around in the rear. Bearing
> in mind that the earlier thread began with this option and with several
> people advising against it, I was reluctant to continue.
>
> However, as luck would have it, while I was wrestling with the damned
> thing, a fellow from a local kayak shack came by and observed that I
> might want to buy a set of wheels for mounting to the back of the rack
> for purposes of pushing the kayak up from the rear.
>
> Great idea! Not the purchase, of course! ;-) But, being miserly, I soon
> figured out that a push over the duct-tape-covered foam of the rear
> cradle was every bit as effective as the $100-plus set of wheels.
>
> I love it when I save money!
>
Yes, frugality is desirable. I considered the wheels, but the closest they could
be placed to the rear is one foot away. That means if I lean the kayak up
against the back of the vehicle, it would slide over the exterior. Not good.
A possible solution to my dilemma is to run, say, two 2x2s along the the length
of the roof, so that the ends just hang over the rear but do not interfere with
the hatch when it's raised. Perhaps some teflon on the rails might be in order.
I could slide the kayak up onto the roof and down these two guides on it's side
and into position. Then it becomes a matter of lifting the kayak onto the
J-craddles. That's an awkward and tough lift, but maybe ... I'm becoming
disenchanted with the J-craddles.
Then there's the trick of getting my Thule container up there too along side the
the J-craddles. I think they'll fit but this is looking like a real engineering
feat! First things first. Get the kayak up there.
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Date: 02 Jul 2005 00:40:32
From: W. Watson
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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W. Watson wrote:
> The Hull Raiser consists of two J-shaped supports to put the kayak on
> its side. I'd like to build a boat loader. My kayak is about 60 pounds,
> a Necky Zoar LV. I've seen photos of boat loaders. They seem to be rods
> that slide into the roof racks. Yakima makes one for its racks. I would
> think I could drill a hole into the rack. However, the J-shape presents
> a difference. I think the typical loader is just to get it onto a flat
> roof rack. Ideas? Possibly something that would allow me to slide it up
> the back (it's a hatch back), and into place might work. I can do it
> with a rug draped over the rear, but the boat doesn't slide well over
> the J-bars.
I've read several of the posts. Here are some responses.
1. The need for the J-craddle is caused by the length of a 14' kayak hanging
over the back hatch. If the kayak is simply put on the rack, then the hatch door
cannot be opened fully.
2. Building a boatloader pullout rod is a risky business, as I found out the
hardway. I decided to put a 2'x2'x8' across the roof rack and tie it down. It
protruded over both sides of the vehicle. This was OK for test purposes. It took
me about 2 minutes to walk directly into one of the overhanging pieces and knock
my glasses off. Fortunately, I struck myself below the eye. I was approaching
the vehicle perpendicular to the side with my head slightly down to avoid glare.
I'm sure I'll be OK. I see the Yakima loader has a large disk on the end.
3. I continued to test with the 2x2x8 in place. The kayak is so big and bulky
that I seriously doubt I could get the kayak on without scratching the vehicle
or mangling something. The J-craddles are not designed for this despite a
drawing in the Yakima catalog. I think I'll call them Tuesday and have a chat
over the matter.
4. Someone offered that if the J-craddle is put back from the side of the
vehicle far enough, then one can do this in two steps. 1. Get the kayak on the
float crossbars, then 2. move it up to the J-craddle. It might work, but the
Forester is a little tall with the standard roof rack, which makes this problematic.
5. Another poster suggested a rear approach. I have a feeling this might work.
Some padding or something back there might do the trick. The last time I put the
kayak on, I through a towel over the back and shoved the kayak into place,
although making the verical turn required by the J-craddle was a little
disconcerting. I'll ponder this approach a little more.
Somewhat tongue in cheek, it might be that the best bet is to use two very high
cross bars. That way the kayak will be high enough so the back hatch will not
hit the kayak.
The real trick is to take advantage of the curvature of the hull to avoid the
hatch, which means mounting the kayak upright on its side. Doesn't someone make
a T-mount for this?
It looks like a solution will require an unconventional approach, that is, not
something provided by a mfger.
Well, I'll re-read the posts. Maybe there's something there I missed.
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Date: 02 Jul 2005 01:54:38
From: Michael Daly
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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On 1-Jul-2005, "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.com > wrote:
> Somewhat tongue in cheek, it might be that the best bet is to use two very high
> cross bars. That way the kayak will be high enough so the back hatch will not
> hit the kayak.
How much room do you need? Would it be possible to make a saddle that is a tad
higher than normal and still clear the hatch door?
One thing I love about my old faithful Honda Civic hatchback is that it has
a tailgate and lift window. That means that the back opens without hitting
the kayaks the way the newer hatchbacks do with their full height hatch doors.
Mike
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Date: 02 Jul 2005 02:53:53
From: W. Watson
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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Michael Daly wrote:
> On 1-Jul-2005, "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Somewhat tongue in cheek, it might be that the best bet is to use two very high
>>cross bars. That way the kayak will be high enough so the back hatch will not
>>hit the kayak.
>
>
> How much room do you need? Would it be possible to make a saddle that is a tad
> higher than normal and still clear the hatch door?
>
> One thing I love about my old faithful Honda Civic hatchback is that it has
> a tailgate and lift window. That means that the back opens without hitting
> the kayaks the way the newer hatchbacks do with their full height hatch doors.
>
> Mike
Ah, progress. I studied the situation a little more. I realized the other day
when I threw a towel down on the back roof and tried to slip the kayak that part
of the problem was the rear craddle tilted enough to keep the kayak from sliding
well. Both craddles rock easily, since the cross supports are flexible.
I thought I'd firm the structure up by putting some PVC between the two
craddles. While not perfect that helped. I was able twist the kayak into
position before moving through the first craddle, then move it ahead pretty
well. One needs to be careful that the kayak catches the first craddle. It would
be good to have some sort of channel to slide the kayak into the first craddle.
Getting closer anyway.
I may put teflon tape on the craddle pads and put two metal rods between the two
craddles. The distance is only about 3', so I can get some threaded rods to span
the two, and reduce some of the rocking by using nuts to secure the rods. I
think if I can construct something near the rear that makes the twist to an
upright position and guiding a little more reliabile, I'll have it. Having the
kayak fall off while pushing it up would not be good. I don't mind throwing down
a towel or mat. Note the J-craddles are tilted at about 30 degrees from the side.
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Date: 02 Jul 2005 18:19:27
From: Mike Buckley
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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"W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.com > wrote in message
news:5lnxe.11938$jX6.3279@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Michael Daly wrote:
>
> > On 1-Jul-2005, "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Somewhat tongue in cheek, it might be that the best bet is to use two
very high
> >>cross bars. That way the kayak will be high enough so the back hatch
will not
> >>hit the kayak.
> >
> >
> > How much room do you need? Would it be possible to make a saddle that
is a tad
> > higher than normal and still clear the hatch door?
> >
> > One thing I love about my old faithful Honda Civic hatchback is that it
has
> > a tailgate and lift window. That means that the back opens without
hitting
> > the kayaks the way the newer hatchbacks do with their full height hatch
doors.
> >
> > Mike
> Ah, progress. I studied the situation a little more. I realized the other
day
> when I threw a towel down on the back roof and tried to slip the kayak
that part
> of the problem was the rear craddle tilted enough to keep the kayak from
sliding
> well. Both craddles rock easily, since the cross supports are flexible.
>
> I thought I'd firm the structure up by putting some PVC between the two
> craddles. While not perfect that helped. I was able twist the kayak into
> position before moving through the first craddle, then move it ahead
pretty
> well. One needs to be careful that the kayak catches the first craddle. It
would
> be good to have some sort of channel to slide the kayak into the first
craddle.
> Getting closer anyway.
>
> I may put teflon tape on the craddle pads and put two metal rods between
the two
> craddles. The distance is only about 3', so I can get some threaded rods
to span
> the two, and reduce some of the rocking by using nuts to secure the rods.
I
> think if I can construct something near the rear that makes the twist to
an
> upright position and guiding a little more reliabile, I'll have it. Having
the
> kayak fall off while pushing it up would not be good. I don't mind
throwing down
> a towel or mat. Note the J-craddles are tilted at about 30 degrees from
the side.
I could be wrong, but I think Thule are producing some form of sliding /
lifting rack system to solve just the problem you outline.
There is a UK manufacturer doing something similar - see
http://www.kari-tek.co.uk/ - I guess getting it to you might be expensive of
course as its a substantial bit of kit. (No "connection" btw although I know
the makers and a few friends have the system)
Mike.
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Date: 03 Jul 2005 22:49:41
From: W. Watson
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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I think I've about exhausted the Hull Raiser. I spent about 4 hours today
experimenting with different arrangement. I think I can still take the HR back
to REI for a refund. The problem becomes this. I need a rack for my 12' 6", 60
pound Necky ZOAR LV that will:
1. all the kayak to sit sideways on top of my Subaru Forester
2. clear the rear hatch back when I try to open it
3. allow me to get the kayak on the rack without too much effort (Sliding it up
from the back over a mat is acceptable. Basically, I'm looking for any way to
get it up there without marring the vehicle.)
I found a Malone J-cradle that might be helpful. It has a lot more plastic
surfaces to slide things over and is made for a Subaru. Tuesday I'll check it out.
Deficiencies of the Yakima J-cradle for the vehicle are: 1. they rock too
easily when trying to slide the kayak on from the rear, thus making it difficult
to slide the kayak on.2. the pads where the hull rests and slides are too
rubbery to make it easy to slide the kayak on and off from the rear (or front).
3. because of the construction of the Subaru rack it is not possible to get the
J-cradle close to the physical roof line, thereby making it difficult to use a
boatloader like device (a pole sticking out of the side of the rack).
It's just not built for a Subaru.
BTW, an idea did occur to me that almost made it. Use the roof rack as it is and
move the kayak as far forward as necessary, so the stern clears the hatch when
it's open. This puts the center of gravity forward and the kayak will be tippy
over the front bar, but that's easily solved by putting a 10 pound weight in the
back of the kayak. This sounded good until I forgot that I need to get a Thule
cargo carrier on the roof too, thereby making it necessary to mount the kayak on
it's side. The kayak is about 24" wide, wide anyway.
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Date: 03 Jul 2005 19:40:26
From: Bob_M
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:49:41 GMT, "W. Watson"
<wolf_tracks@invalid.com > wrote:
>I think I've about exhausted the Hull Raiser. I spent about 4 hours today
>experimenting with different arrangement. I think I can still take the HR back
>to REI for a refund. The problem becomes this. I need a rack for my 12' 6", 60
>pound Necky ZOAR LV that will:
>1. all the kayak to sit sideways on top of my Subaru Forester
>2. clear the rear hatch back when I try to open it
>3. allow me to get the kayak on the rack without too much effort (Sliding it up
>from the back over a mat is acceptable. Basically, I'm looking for any way to
>get it up there without marring the vehicle.)
>
>I found a Malone J-cradle that might be helpful. It has a lot more plastic
>surfaces to slide things over and is made for a Subaru. Tuesday I'll check it out.
>
>Deficiencies of the Yakima J-cradle for the vehicle are: 1. they rock too
>easily when trying to slide the kayak on from the rear, thus making it difficult
>to slide the kayak on.2. the pads where the hull rests and slides are too
>rubbery to make it easy to slide the kayak on and off from the rear (or front).
>3. because of the construction of the Subaru rack it is not possible to get the
>J-cradle close to the physical roof line, thereby making it difficult to use a
>boatloader like device (a pole sticking out of the side of the rack).
>
>It's just not built for a Subaru.
>
>BTW, an idea did occur to me that almost made it. Use the roof rack as it is and
>move the kayak as far forward as necessary, so the stern clears the hatch when
>it's open. This puts the center of gravity forward and the kayak will be tippy
>over the front bar, but that's easily solved by putting a 10 pound weight in the
>back of the kayak. This sounded good until I forgot that I need to get a Thule
>cargo carrier on the roof too, thereby making it necessary to mount the kayak on
>it's side. The kayak is about 24" wide, wide anyway.
FWIW: Have you considered the Yakima Hully Rollers on the rear of your
factory rack with Mako saddles on the front? The Forester is not that
high so you should be able to lift one end up onto the rollers then
walk to the other end of the kayak and just push it up forther on the
rollers. When its up far enough its own weight will cause the front
to drop right onto the saddles.
I was able to put my 85 LB Twin Otter onto my all by my lonesome. But
then somone stole my rollers and my saddles one night.
Just my $.02 worth.
B
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Date: 04 Jul 2005 16:21:51
From: W. Watson
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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Bob_M wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:49:41 GMT, "W. Watson"
> <wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I think I've about exhausted the Hull Raiser. I spent about 4 hours today
>>experimenting with different arrangement. I think I can still take the HR back
... snip
>>back of the kayak. This sounded good until I forgot that I need to get a Thule
>>cargo carrier on the roof too, thereby making it necessary to mount the kayak on
>>it's side. The kayak is about 24" wide, wide anyway.
>
>
> FWIW: Have you considered the Yakima Hully Rollers on the rear of your
> factory rack with Mako saddles on the front? The Forester is not that
> high so you should be able to lift one end up onto the rollers then
> walk to the other end of the kayak and just push it up forther on the
> rollers. When its up far enough its own weight will cause the front
> to drop right onto the saddles.
>
> I was able to put my 85 LB Twin Otter onto my all by my lonesome. But
> then somone stole my rollers and my saddles one night.
>
> Just my $.02 worth.
>
> B
Will this allow me to put the kayak on its side? Is Mako a mfger or a Yakima
device?
I suppose if I bought another Subaru crossbar to supplement the two on the roof,
I could put it at the rear and mount a roller on it. Maybe I can get another bar
from a junk yard. Subaru would probably want to sell me the whole rack. BTW,
Subaru tells me that Yakima makes their roof racks!
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Date: 04 Jul 2005 12:56:11
From: Bob_M
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 16:21:51 GMT, "W. Watson"
<wolf_tracks@invalid.com > wrote:
>Bob_M wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:49:41 GMT, "W. Watson"
>> <wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I think I've about exhausted the Hull Raiser. I spent about 4 hours today
>>>experimenting with different arrangement. I think I can still take the HR back
>
>... snip
>>>back of the kayak. This sounded good until I forgot that I need to get a Thule
>>>cargo carrier on the roof too, thereby making it necessary to mount the kayak on
>>>it's side. The kayak is about 24" wide, wide anyway.
>>
>>
>> FWIW: Have you considered the Yakima Hully Rollers on the rear of your
>> factory rack with Mako saddles on the front? The Forester is not that
>> high so you should be able to lift one end up onto the rollers then
>> walk to the other end of the kayak and just push it up forther on the
>> rollers. When its up far enough its own weight will cause the front
>> to drop right onto the saddles.
>>
>> I was able to put my 85 LB Twin Otter onto my all by my lonesome. But
>> then somone stole my rollers and my saddles one night.
>>
>> Just my $.02 worth.
>>
>> B
>Will this allow me to put the kayak on its side? Is Mako a mfger or a Yakima
>device?
>
>I suppose if I bought another Subaru crossbar to supplement the two on the roof,
>I could put it at the rear and mount a roller on it. Maybe I can get another bar
>from a junk yard. Subaru would probably want to sell me the whole rack. BTW,
>Subaru tells me that Yakima makes their roof racks!
The Mako Saddles are a Yakima product and they can be viewed on the
Yakima website. The thing that I like about them is that they have a
large foot print and the securing strap actually clips into it and
then wraps around the boat.
Unfortunately my suggested solution does not provide for a tipped boat
mounting. I believe only flat (and I have seen both top up and top
down usage on the same rack configuration).
Also, Yakima makes two or three types of mountings. They offer the
Mighty Mounts (various models) that mount onto your existing factory
cross bars and allow the mounting of the rollers/saddles; they offer
their own TOWERS which mount to your roof rails just like your factory
mounts, and allow the mounting of the rollers/saddles; and they even
offer roof mount towers that mount directly onto the sheet metal
and/or the drip rails of your vehicle. I've only used the mightly
mounts on my Jeep GC and the results were excellent. I pushed my
factory cross bar as far forward as they would go and the rear cross
bar as far back as they would go. Then the Mako saddles mounted on
the front, the Hully rollers on the read. As the top of my jeep was
only approx 6' off the ground I was able to lift one end of my boat up
and onto the rollers. Then walk to the other end of the boat, picked
up the loop strap and walked towards the car. The boat would
automatically ride up the rollers until it almost wanted to right
itself by itself. Finally, when positioned fore and aft as desired I
simply connected the straps and tightened them. I've done this many
times and travelled hiway speeds of 70-75 mph without any buffeting at
all. Of course, if long distances were planned I would also have
used bow and stern staps to the bumpers.
Take a look at the Yakima site to "see" what they offer for the Suby.
And good luck as it might not be as difficult as you imagine.
Bob
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Date: 04 Jul 2005 21:44:38
From: W. Watson
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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Bob_M wrote:
> On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 16:21:51 GMT, "W. Watson"
> <wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Bob_M wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:49:41 GMT, "W. Watson"
>>><wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>I think I've about exhausted the Hull Raiser. I spent about 4 hours today
>>>>experimenting with different arrangement. I think I can still take the HR back
>>
>>... snip
>>
>>>>back of the kayak. This sounded good until I forgot that I need to get a Thule
>>>>cargo carrier on the roof too, thereby making it necessary to mount the kayak on
>>>>it's side. The kayak is about 24" wide, wide anyway.
>>>
>>>
>
... snip
Well, that takes care of that. I bought a Malone. It works quite well. I can
slide it up the rear deck of the Forester and onto the saddles without much
difficulty. The botton of the J-saddle can hang over the side of the roof a few
inches, and given someone with a enough strength or a ligher boat that would be
a could way to put it on from the side. The bottom of the J is not nearly as
high as the HullRaiser, so it's easier to lift it onto the depression of the
J-shape. The whole craddle set is about 4" lower, so that helps too. Without the
kayak on, I can drive into my garage with the cradles in place.
I could use the HullRaisers for another boat, but I'm so impressed with the
Malone that I may just sell the Hullraiser and use the money to buy another Malone.
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Date: 01 Jul 2005 14:45:02
From: BCITORGB
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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Following Michael's directions (With input from TnT: see a previous
thread) I put together a rack using surplus 2x6 and 2x4 lumber, plus
some U-bolts. The saddles were covered with fairly dense upholstery
foam which were, in turn, covered in duct tape. The result is not
pretty, but, as Red Green says: "Not handsome, but handy."
Initially I toyed with the "rod extending out from the rack" idea for
loading. However, I have subsequently found the the kayak slides quite
nicely over the rear ducttape-covered saddle. Thus, I load by simply
pushing the kayak (95 pounds) up and along the rear saddle. Piece of
cake!
Thanks again Michael.
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Date: 01 Jul 2005 20:43:43
From: Michael Daly
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
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On 1-Jul-2005, "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.com > wrote:
> They seem to be rods that slide into the roof
> racks. Yakima makes one for its racks. I would think I could drill a hole into
> the rack. However, the J-shape presents a difference. I think the typical loader
> is just to get it onto a flat roof rack. Ideas?
If you can get it up to the roof rack flat, it's only a short lift and rotate
to get it onto the J. I don't see the problem, but then I've never tried this.
I personally don't see the appeal in the J racks - they put your kayak higher
into the wind and are a pain to load. The only advantage is that they allow
you to put three (or 4) kayaks where two would go with saddles.
I made an outrigger for a Thule rack using an old hockey stick and some aluminum
angle. This was for a friend who can't lift the kayak on her own. Works fine
and is a lot cheaper than what Thule or Yakima sell for the same purpose.
I also made her a set of saddles out of cedar 2x6, U-bolts and some closed cell
foam. Then she got a set of Thule saddle + hydroglide for free. She used them
once and now wants the homemade saddles back on the car - they hold the kayak
more securely than the Thule product. Moral - boycott high priced rack products
and make your own.
Mike
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Date: 01 Jul 2005 18:37:57
From: John Kuthe
Subject: Re: Boat Loader for Hull Raiser (Yakima) and Subaru Forester?
|
"W. Watson" wrote:
> The Hull Raiser consists of two J-shaped supports to put the kayak on its side.
> I'd like to build a boat loader. My kayak is about 60 pounds, a Necky Zoar LV.
> I've seen photos of boat loaders. They seem to be rods that slide into the roof
> racks. Yakima makes one for its racks. I would think I could drill a hole into
> the rack. However, the J-shape presents a difference. I think the typical loader
> is just to get it onto a flat roof rack. Ideas? Possibly something that would
> allow me to slide it up the back (it's a hatch back), and into place might work.
> I can do it with a rug draped over the rear, but the boat doesn't slide well
> over the J-bars.
In my brief experience with those Yakima Hull Raisers (the J-bars), they kinda suck
because the only good way I could ever figure to load a boat onto them was to lift
it and set it in the J-bars from the side, laterally. Needless to say this involves
either a pretty good heft for one person (I've done with with touring/sea kayaks) or
less effortfully for two people to lift the boat and *set* it into the J-bars.
Sliding a boat in from the end was disastrous though, twisted the J-bars all out of
alignment! :-(
A kayak sure looks pretty setting in them though! I think that's the allure.
I'd never use 'em. I either lay polyethylene boats flat, or use Kayak Stacker bars
and put 'em up edgeways when loading multiple boats.
For a glass boat, Hully Rollers and saddles are great! But it's kinda overkill for
poly boats, except that it makes it quite easy for one person to load and secure a
boat.
And yes, I sometimes work at an outdoor sports shop! That's how I have experience
with them.Sorry I can't lend you any good advice on your sitch though. Maybe those
extender boat loader bars that come out of the end of the chrossbars might help you.
You'd still have to lift the boat up into the J-bars, and get it at the correct
angle to set in them correctly though. I just don't think Yakima had a very well
though out idea for those J-bars, yano?
John Kuthe...
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