How do you travel with Kayaks?

[mguay]

Years ago we bought a 10' Perception to use at the In Law's cabin on the pond. A couple of years ago we bought a Sea Eagle inflatable tandem to take with us on the road. It works good....until the wind blows! It's perfect for flat water but thats it. The other PIA is storage. You have to wipe it down and make sure it is completely dry before you put it in the bag. It's not all that bad...but you have to plan for it, rather than grabbing your plastic boat and throwing in the rack.

Last week we decided to get another boat and I got a great deal on a Old Town Vapor 10XT. I wanted to have the same size boat for storage purposes.

My first thought was get a roof rack for the TV and put them up there...The only issue might be with our bikes. My bike rack is in the back of the truck on the top of my Aux Fuel tank and the bikes are across the box behind the cab. The other thing I'm not excited about is running a bowline over the hood! The next plan is to try to get them inside the 5er. I was thinking of making a PVC rack over the couch/dinette somehow.

Here's where the question comes in. If you travel with hard boats where do you put them?
Please post pics if possible.

Thanx

[billmac]

I built a cart that will hold the kayak on its side or normal. Having the cart stable on its side, allows me to easily load inside the trailer by myself. The 12 ft Hobie Outback sits on the cart in the trailer while traveling. I tie the nose so it doesn't roll. PM me to see the cart.

[just_dave1]

I have four large pillows from an old couch. I place two on the top of the slide, then the Kayak and the the other two pillows on top of the kayak, wedged in. You can do the same with other types of foam, etc.

[goducks10]

Norskeman wrote:






Have set up for carrying 2 or 3 kayaks. Yakima rack systems. 2 of the kayaks are 12 foot and one is 10 foot.

Just curious how it works with your 5'er and the two kayaks on the roof?

[mguay]

just_dave wrote:
Mine go inside (one on the floor and one on top of the slide). They're safe and bug free and I'm not worrying about them being there when I stop. 😉 - Dave

I like the top of the slide idea....but how do you tie it down?


Thanx for all the replies!

[FlatBroke]

We bought a 12 foot Saturn inflatable boat and a 9.8 Tohatsu motor. Will fit in back of the truck. Wife's kayak will go in the fifth wheel. Was going to tie it to the ladder but I got voted out on that one.

[DHCamper]

Not a conventional kayak, but gets us out on the water: we bought a 15' KABOAT inflatable and equipped it with a 6hp outboard. The boat handles both shallow and rough water, moves well with the 6hp, and only weights 130lbs with the motor. We load the bagged boat into the trailer or pickup bed. The motor rides in the bed. Great fun at an affordable price and nothing to mount or tow.

[turner66]

I guess it doesn't help you much, but it's one of the main reasons we went to a toyhauler with a 12 ft garage... We have 2 Jacksons, 1 Hobie, and 1 Wilderness Systems (all 13 footers). I stack them on top of each other on a diagonal in the garage and ratchet strap them together, and strap the stack to the tie down points. My wife and kids always struggled helping me get them on/off roof racks and subsequently they wouldn't get used as much as they could. Now, they can do everything without me if they want.

[just_dave1]

Mine go inside (one on the floor and one on top of the slide). They're safe and bug free and I'm not worrying about them being there when I stop. 😉 - Dave

[Helmsey]

This is my vapor 10 on my old truck, I still use the same roof rack on my newer TV. As you can see I don't have a bow line on mine, I run a 3rd ratchet strap from the bow hook to the rear hook on the kayak with a loop around the yakima bars to hold it in place.



If I'm carrying a single I leave it laying flat like above. But, if I'm carrying 2 boats I have to use my yakima stackers (if I have bikes as well) and it works well.

[Peg_Leg]

I've been thinking on slinging an alum boat under the frame in front of the axles and under the basement. Fair warning, my mind is full of a lot of ideas that never blossomed or just outright failed.

[ependydad]

turbopilot51 wrote:
Here's one idea that I am thinking about. http://www.usrack.com/fifth_wheel_rack_heavy_duty.php

Read the specs on that. Based on how I read it- they seem to claim it's only good for up to about an 8' boat due to overhang limitations.

[turbopilot51]

Here's one idea that I am thinking about. http://www.usrack.com/fifth_wheel_rack_heavy_duty.php

[Me_Again]

I made this. The Vapor 12XT on the bottom has been replaced with a Vapor 10 and the Pelican is now a Dirigo 106.





Chris

[hsb407]

We clean and dry our tandem fishing kayak and slide it in the door of the 5th wheel.