Betsy II
BC
Senior Member
Joined: 03/25/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
Take a look at my profile page and you will see the design of the roof rack I developed and had made by a local fabricator. It is all aluminum, 2" x 2" and 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" square tubing, 6061-T6. The total weight is around 100#.
The front support is from the tow hook mounting locations, with 2 - 2" receivers. The rear support is a headache rack bolted to the top os the box sides. It is simple and functions well.
It has worked very well for us. No vibrations with the kayaks and bikes mounted, up to speeds of 65 mph. It was well tested on its first trip last summer, Vancouver Island to Toronto and back.
good luck,
Roy
|
m&d kelly
Redlands, CA, USA
Full Member
Joined: 05/26/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Check out our unit. We travel with one or 2 16.6' canoes. Or We travel with one canoe and 2 bikes. It is a Yakma rake system. We have carried canoes with a trailer on a Tahoe and Suburban prior to this setup. This is the most secure system we have used. The canoes really don't interfere with vision. Kayaks would sit higher out of view than the canoes.
Mike & Dava
2007 Sierra Classic 2500 HD Duramax/Allison 4X4 Crewcab
2005 Carriage Compass 30RLS, MOR/ryde suspension & Pinbox, Onan 3600LP
Huskey 16K EZ Roller, DigiTrac
|
glbenfld
NC
New Member
Joined: 05/10/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks guys, you have all given me so great ideas & the pictures really help to see how this might work.
Roy, your setup with 2 kayaks & 2 bikes is really a great idea. I was so concerned about the kayaks, I hadn't given the bikes (that we normally haul in our truck bed) much thought.
Glenn
|
HappyKayakers
Sebastian FL for the winter season
Senior Member
Joined: 11/28/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
We use the Yakima Dry Dock in a front receiver hitch. See sig pic.
Joe, Suzanne (Kayak Queen), kayaks, bicycles and inline skates.
Dakota the wacko cat
2006 Dodge 3500 QC CTD SRW Jacobs Exhaust brake
2006 Heartland Bighorn 3600RL, MorRyde suspension, TrailAir pinbox
http://www.happykayakers.com
|
Betsy II
BC
Senior Member
Joined: 03/25/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Glen, thanks for the comments.
The design is strong enough that I walk on the structure to place the bikes into the Thule saddles, with the kayaks in place. The main side beams are 2" x 3" on the vertical. This gives a simple strong roof rack system (with 4 cross members) that has very good road speed characteristics.
I use the Thule saddles from the Thule bike rack (goes into the rear hitch receiver) to mount the bikes on the roof rack.
Roy
|
|
|
