Hi Looks like I may be caravanning on my own in future and really love my kayak. But being 150cm short and a measly 44kg (and yes a female) I would find it very difficult getting it down from the roof of my vehicle. I have seen the kayak loaders which seem a likely possibility but was wondering if anyone has designed something that either goes across the front of the caravan or some other ingenious method. It is only a shortish single kayak and, as I have wheels, I have no problem once it is on the ground.
Kim
mezza56 said
07:54 AM Apr 16, 2018
Hi Gandk , we have kayaks and they are around 30kg each getting them on the roof of the 4wd wasn't easy and getting up to secure them as difficult , I searched the net to see if I could find anything useful . I didn't so priced up all the materials to make something up myself, for all the messing round and the cost if it didn't work out , I opted to buy the Thule hullavators , best thing out I can secure them on the racks at ground level with lockable straps and pop them up quite easy , even if its windy conditions . When we've been out a lot of kayaking folk have approached me about them . The only negative is the price of $800 odd each . I have seen the odd one second hand for around $500 but not often . Hope you find a solution but if you dont you wont regret getting a Hullavator
gandk said
08:37 AM Apr 16, 2018
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Yes I have seen them in action and figured that would be the way to go. Really not a bad cost considering.
Dougwe said
08:43 AM Apr 16, 2018
Good reply Mezza.
Not being a Kayaker I had no idea what you were talking about so called on my good mate MrG. He came up with some pics and one of it in action. I reckon that would be a good investment even at the $800 for a "Hobbit" gandk. Anyone would benifit from not lifting above their heads with that beastie. You get what you pay for.
Happy Kyaking out in the playground.
Cupie said
09:47 AM Apr 16, 2018
Interesting apparatus. I watched two uTube videos. One guy struggled with the device (loading a rather heavy SOT .. the wrong way up) & the obvious sponsored video with a female loading a rather light SINK. Seemed rather easy.
I think that I would try one out before outlaying that sort of money.
In my case I was lucky that my 30kg Viking Fisherman & 20kg Viking Javelin both slide up easily over the bullbar onto the roof racks. Easy method even for a 77 YO 'old fart'! I have seen set ups that use rollers across the rear of the vehicle that work similarly to my bull bar method. I don't know what they are called.
Over the years, despite using blankets/rugs to protect the duco, I have quite a few scratches but that's no problem with an old GQ Patrol. But I'm rather clumsy & I don't take much care when loading & unloading.
I put two safety straps over the top of the kayaks & through the door openings to really secure them, reducing the chance of the roof racks letting go with the wind pressure.
I use front & rear anchoring ropes as well.
Don't be tempted to use ratchet straps as tie downs as they may distort the hull. It's so easy to ratchet them up too tight. Use cam buckles instead.
Twist the straps to stop them humming in the wind.
BTW, Sit On Top kayaks should be transported upside down to stop the hull flexing & splitting or being distorted.
There is another much cheaper system called Rack & Roll that is worth looking at. They just extend the roof rack out 600mm or so.
To Load ..
- Lie the kayak on the ground parallel with the vehicle
- With one end of the kayak resting in a bit of protective material, lift the other end up onto the front rack extension.
- Then lift up the rear onto the back extension.
- Finally roll the assembly back into position over the roof & tie down.
--- Just the reverse for unloading
easy peesy
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 16th of April 2018 09:52:54 AM
Yuglamron said
10:43 AM Apr 16, 2018
I know people will think I am being pedantic but putting a twist in the strap can in Qld can get you a ticket. The Qld Boating police have been known to ping people for having a twist in the straps.
I don't know about other states but certainly it is in Qld.
PeterInSa said
11:11 AM Apr 16, 2018
Kim
I have front and back steel tube bars on the roof of our Landcruiser, both are fitted with Pool Noodles (the ones with the holes thru)
I fit a smaller tube into the rear roof tube, and this tube pokes out about 1m also fitted with a noodle.
At end of the smaller tube(1m out from the vehicle) I have a pole/post approx 6ft, with a hole in it to take the small tube and a clip thru the tube so the tube/pole do not come apart.
Then lift up one end of the Yak, load it onto the small tube/noodle extension.
Then lift up the other end of the yak and put it onto the landcruiser front roof tube.
Then slide the rear of the yak onto the rear roof tube support and tie down and remove/store small tube insert/pole.
I know people will think I am being pedantic but putting a twist in the strap can in Qld can get you a ticket. The Qld Boating police have been known to ping people for having a twist in the straps.
I don't know about other states but certainly it is in Qld.
Well there you go. I have been breaking the law for 10 years or more. Might have to go back to ropes.
Peter ..
Because I slide my kayaks into position I found that I was ruining the pool noodles, so I got some purpose designed soft tubing from Clark Rubber. They are similar in diameter to pool noodles, have spongy pool noodle consistency insides with a hard plastic exterior. Cheap, do the job & are long lasting.
Your set up sounds a lot like the Rack & Roll product.
PeterInSa said
12:38 PM Apr 16, 2018
Re ( The Qld Boating police have been known to ping people for having a twist in the straps.)
Thanks, Did not know that.
Peter
dabbler said
01:00 PM Apr 16, 2018
I've always loaded my yaks and canors from behind the vehicle. Lift the bow onto rear (protect the boot with blankets/towels if you have one or if you care) then push forward. Pull it forward with a bow rope if that is easier for you. Center it from the side before tying off across each rack then front and back. Something to stand on might make it easier to reach and invest in mounts that suit your kayak to make securing easier. Two boats are more complicated but then two people make life easier. Never used a loading device and doubt I ever will.
dabbler said
01:02 PM Apr 16, 2018
oh, and reverse the process to unload. Pivoting on balance points require little effort.
Yuglamron said
01:07 PM Apr 16, 2018
Sorry Cupie, You can't use ropes in Qld Now. Straps or chains Lol.
brickies said
01:19 PM Apr 16, 2018
Yuglamron can you produce the Bylaw that state you cann't use ropes in Queensland
PeterInSa said
01:23 PM Apr 16, 2018
Re (I use front & rear anchoring ropes as well. ) OK here re ( You can't use ropes in Qld Now.)
Me Ditto, Ropes Front to the Bullbar and rear to the towball shank. Straps x 2 for each Yak to the roof rack
Never heard of this requirement in South Oz, but best to have a standard setup.
Peter
-- Edited by PeterInSa on Monday 16th of April 2018 01:24:20 PM
Have a read of this , If we give advice on the forum it should be good avice
That's interesting. Thanks.
I can find nothing in it or a brief look at the heavy vehicle guidelines suggesting that it is illegal to twist straps or to use ropes.
Unless I am informed to the contrary, I think that I will continue with my current practice. (I was going to do that anyway LOL)
Yuglamron said
04:20 PM Apr 16, 2018
This is from the TMR website.
As the Load Restraint Guide (referred to below) notes, a safety chain should be used in addition to the wire rope from the trailers winch to the bow of the boat
and the boat should have a strap over the stern, attaching it to the trailer. If the boat is fitted with an outboard motor and its mounting to the stern is not designed to withstand bumps and other shocks encountered in road transport, it may be necessary to separately restrain the motor or remove it during transport.
A Kayak is considered a boat in Qld and the Water Police have and do issue tickets. I no longer have a copy of my ticket but be assured it does happen. No demerit points but if I recall it cost me a $230 fine.
dabbler said
06:25 PM Apr 16, 2018
What it you don't have a trailer ? The revelant passage referring to straps specifically mentions trailers. A strap across the stern of a yak would make it severely unstable. A yak might be a boat in Qld but that doesn't mean it has to be trailed behind.
PeterInSa said
07:22 PM Apr 16, 2018
My understanding is that Yaks in SA are different from boats. A yak can have a small electric motor and the owner does not need to have a Boat Drivers licence and you do not have to pay for registration. Not so with boats and small inflatables.
Barboots said
07:55 PM Apr 16, 2018
Kim I have an Advanced Elements inflatable kayak. It's not a toy and performs extremely well. Maybe have a look when you have a moment...
gandk said
06:49 AM Apr 17, 2018
Thank you all. Now people getting back to loading a kayak and away from ropes and straps. My (husband ) used to load the kayak onto the roof with one of the types that Peter uses. I have tried it on my own but all good getting the front onto the extended roof rack bar, but the problem is when you are this short 4'11" getting the rear of the kayak up onto the roof of the 4wd vehicle -even using a step ladder. No, I think so far the Thule hullavator has it. Hope you all sort out your rope and strap problems LOL Thanks again for all your in put. May see you on the road.
Kim
Dougwe said
08:26 AM Apr 17, 2018
Looking at it Kim, I don't think you could go wrong. Although I did like that inflatable one Barboots mentioned.
I hope you are happy that you let the cat amongst the pigeons Kim Pigeons are nice calming birds really, not now
Enjoy your Kyaking.
Barboots said
10:51 AM Apr 17, 2018
With a Hullavator, make sure you are comfortable with the lift required to get the kayak into the cradle once installed on your vehicle. My Dad found that once installed on the roof of his Prado, the lift height was still excessive for the combination of his strength and the weight of his Hobie Outback. I believe that sliding it into the cradle appeared too hard on the mechanism. If your vehicle isn't as high, you're younger or your kayak is lighter this may not be an issue... but I thought it worth a mention. Happy paddling!
PeterInSa said
01:25 PM Apr 17, 2018
Re Hullavator the lowered arms seem very close your your vehicle I would be wary of vehicle damage the way I would handle the yak to fit it into the arms, but then again practice makes perfect. I have purchased the Big U's to hang out 2 yaks on the wall of our pergola and thats for me a 2 person exercise for a quick job
What it you don't have a trailer ? The revelant passage referring to straps specifically mentions trailers. A strap across the stern of a yak would make it severely unstable. A yak might be a boat in Qld but that doesn't mean it has to be trailed behind.
YAK??
You mean one of these?
Dunno how you could consider one of these a "boat".
-- Edited by JA2340 on Tuesday 17th of April 2018 07:26:39 PM
gandk said
10:39 AM Apr 18, 2018
LOL the yak. Thanks all again. May look at the inflatable and will need to sell my beautiful solid "yak" and it doesn't need feeding
Hylda&Jon said
01:31 PM Apr 18, 2018
We have 2 kayaks both only about 17kg each so quite light.
I have a very bad back and my wife isn't the strongest woman around so I needed a way to get them on top of the car so I went for a "Rack % Roll Kayak Lifter.
They work well as you only need to lift one end up onto the bar then walk around and lift the other end and swivel it around onto the car then walk around and swivel the other end. We find it easy now. http://www.rackandroll.net.au/
Hi Looks like I may be caravanning on my own in future and really love my kayak. But being 150cm short and a measly 44kg (and yes a female) I would find it very difficult getting it down from the roof of my vehicle. I have seen the kayak loaders which seem a likely possibility but was wondering if anyone has designed something that either goes across the front of the caravan or some other ingenious method. It is only a shortish single kayak and, as I have wheels, I have no problem once it is on the ground.
Kim
Hi Gandk , we have kayaks and they are around 30kg each getting them on the roof of the 4wd wasn't easy and getting up to secure them as difficult , I searched the net to see if I could find anything useful . I didn't so priced up all the materials to make something up myself, for all the messing round and the cost if it didn't work out , I opted to buy the Thule hullavators , best thing out I can secure them on the racks at ground level with lockable straps and pop them up quite easy , even if its windy conditions . When we've been out a lot of kayaking folk have approached me about them . The only negative is the price of $800 odd each . I have seen the odd one second hand for around $500 but not often . Hope you find a solution but if you dont you wont regret getting a Hullavator
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Yes I have seen them in action and figured that would be the way to go. Really not a bad cost considering.
Not being a Kayaker I had no idea what you were talking about so called on my good mate MrG. He came up with some pics and one of it in action. I reckon that would be a good investment even at the $800 for a "Hobbit" gandk. Anyone would benifit from not lifting above their heads with that beastie. You get what you pay for.
Happy Kyaking out in the playground.
Interesting apparatus. I watched two uTube videos. One guy struggled with the device (loading a rather heavy SOT .. the wrong way up) & the obvious sponsored video with a female loading a rather light SINK. Seemed rather easy.
I think that I would try one out before outlaying that sort of money.
In my case I was lucky that my 30kg Viking Fisherman & 20kg Viking Javelin both slide up easily over the bullbar onto the roof racks. Easy method even for a 77 YO 'old fart'! I have seen set ups that use rollers across the rear of the vehicle that work similarly to my bull bar method. I don't know what they are called.
Over the years, despite using blankets/rugs to protect the duco, I have quite a few scratches but that's no problem with an old GQ Patrol. But I'm rather clumsy & I don't take much care when loading & unloading.
I put two safety straps over the top of the kayaks & through the door openings to really secure them, reducing the chance of the roof racks letting go with the wind pressure.
I use front & rear anchoring ropes as well.
Don't be tempted to use ratchet straps as tie downs as they may distort the hull. It's so easy to ratchet them up too tight. Use cam buckles instead.
Twist the straps to stop them humming in the wind.
BTW, Sit On Top kayaks should be transported upside down to stop the hull flexing & splitting or being distorted.
There is another much cheaper system called Rack & Roll that is worth looking at. They just extend the roof rack out 600mm or so.
To Load ..
- Lie the kayak on the ground parallel with the vehicle
- With one end of the kayak resting in a bit of protective material, lift the other end up onto the front rack extension.
- Then lift up the rear onto the back extension.
- Finally roll the assembly back into position over the roof & tie down.
--- Just the reverse for unloading
easy peesy
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 16th of April 2018 09:52:54 AM
I know people will think I am being pedantic but putting a twist in the strap can in Qld can get you a ticket. The Qld Boating police have been known to ping people for having a twist in the straps.
I don't know about other states but certainly it is in Qld.
I have front and back steel tube bars on the roof of our Landcruiser, both are fitted with Pool Noodles (the ones with the holes thru)
I fit a smaller tube into the rear roof tube, and this tube pokes out about 1m also fitted with a noodle.
At end of the smaller tube(1m out from the vehicle) I have a pole/post approx 6ft, with a hole in it to take the small tube and a clip thru the tube so the tube/pole do not come apart.
Then lift up one end of the Yak, load it onto the small tube/noodle extension.
Then lift up the other end of the yak and put it onto the landcruiser front roof tube.
Then slide the rear of the yak onto the rear roof tube support and tie down and remove/store small tube insert/pole.
Other details here.
www.kfdu.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php
Peter
Well there you go. I have been breaking the law for 10 years or more. Might have to go back to ropes.
Peter ..
Because I slide my kayaks into position I found that I was ruining the pool noodles, so I got some purpose designed soft tubing from Clark Rubber. They are similar in diameter to pool noodles, have spongy pool noodle consistency insides with a hard plastic exterior. Cheap, do the job & are long lasting.
Your set up sounds a lot like the Rack & Roll product.
Thanks, Did not know that.
Peter
Sorry Cupie, You can't use ropes in Qld Now. Straps or chains Lol.
Re (I use front & rear anchoring ropes as well. ) OK here re ( You can't use ropes in Qld Now.)
Me Ditto, Ropes Front to the Bullbar and rear to the towball shank. Straps x 2 for each Yak to the roof rack
Never heard of this requirement in South Oz, but best to have a standard setup.
Peter
-- Edited by PeterInSa on Monday 16th of April 2018 01:24:20 PM
Have a read of this , If we give advice on the forum it should be good avice
That's interesting. Thanks.
I can find nothing in it or a brief look at the heavy vehicle guidelines suggesting that it is illegal to twist straps or to use ropes.
Unless I am informed to the contrary, I think that I will continue with my current practice. (I was going to do that anyway LOL)
This is from the TMR website.
As the Load Restraint Guide (referred to below) notes, a safety chain should be used in addition to the wire rope from the trailers winch to the bow of the boat
and the boat should have a strap over the stern, attaching it to the trailer. If the boat is fitted with an outboard motor and its mounting to the stern is not designed to withstand bumps and other shocks encountered in road transport, it may be necessary to separately restrain the motor or remove it during transport.
A Kayak is considered a boat in Qld and the Water Police have and do issue tickets. I no longer have a copy of my ticket but be assured it does happen. No demerit points but if I recall it cost me a $230 fine.
Kim
Looking at it Kim, I don't think you could go wrong. Although I did like that inflatable one Barboots mentioned.
Enjoy your Kyaking.
www.thule.com.au/products/water-sport-carriers/thule-898-hullavator-pro/
YAK??
You mean one of these?
Dunno how you could consider one of these a "boat".
-- Edited by JA2340 on Tuesday 17th of April 2018 07:26:39 PM
We have 2 kayaks both only about 17kg each so quite light.
I have a very bad back and my wife isn't the strongest woman around so I needed a way to get them on top of the car so I went for a "Rack % Roll Kayak Lifter.
They work well as you only need to lift one end up onto the bar then walk around and lift the other end and swivel it around onto the car then walk around and swivel the other end. We find it easy now. http://www.rackandroll.net.au/