A lot of good information about rooftop hauling and securing large kayaks. Respect most of your advice and try to replicate a lot of what you do, but 40% over dynamic capacity isn’t a gamble I personally would be willing to take. Have you taken into consideration the effect on immediate stopping and/or evading while at speed? I’m sure you have, but you only spoke about effects while cruising. Either way, I am glad you haven’t had issues. Favorite part: It’s great to see you preaching the bow and stern tie downs!
I agree which is I was wholly transparent about it in the video. It was a major concern for me. I started using this system in February of 2021 and wanted to use it for a year and put several thousand miles on it before I did this video. In my initial research on dynamic load ratings for the RAV4 I discovered that load ratings actually varied by country even though its the exact same vehicle. The more I dug into the more I found that legal liability informs these ratings as much or if not more so than engineering does and a significant margin of safety exists. I'd love to have the real data on the capacity of the rails on RAV4 to know exactly what that margin is but it simply isn't available. As for impacts on evasion and stopping I've had to do many high speed stops and evasion of blowing debris on the interstate and had no issues. I've twice driven to central and southern California from northern Washington with this setup and both times encountered head and side winds of 30-40 mph and had no issues (other than my gas mileage impacts). After 8000+ miles of driving with both kayaks loaded I'm confident that I'm within the margins of safety for this setup. I do think that bow and stern tie downs are an important component to this setup and help reduce strain on the rack system under dynamic pressure.
Great video! I use the same kayak cradles for my rooftop system. The only difference is I have them mounted to a Rhino Rack Pioneer platform on a Jeep Wrangler. I have travelled all over Washington state and down to California with no issues. I have room for a 270 degree awning, an Old Town Predator PDL and a Bonafide SS127.
I was wondering how you did that by yourself. That Yakima roller bar is the ticket. It prevents wear and tear on both the kayak bottom and the roof of your car.
Great video! Thanks for sharing! I have two 13.5 feel free lure kayaks they have a width of 34 inches each. Do you think this roof rack setup would work for me? Thanks!
Wonderful setup. I was wondering how wide are your big catch saddles for your autopilot 120? Do the saddles fit within the cross bars of the showboat 66 without the second kayak? Thank you for your wonderful videos.
Hey thanks for this video! I'm considering getting a setup and 2 kayaks with a 34" width for each kayak. I've done research and have heard people saying to get the longest crossbars and transport kayaks flat with the hull facing up. Just wondering your thoughts on this? I'm thinking it might be a bit hard to get a kayak with the hull up onto the roof of a car, the way you do it looks a bit easier maybe? I'd be doing this on a Toyota 4Runner. Thanks!
Howdy Tyler. Just bought the mega wing for my Salty. I didn't get the "Stinger" add on for loading but I wondered about your thoughts on that. I've got a 4Runner which is pretty tall, not to mention the stupid spoiler. Cheers!
Love your videos! What would you recommend to carry two Hobie outbacks flat like this, or is it even possible? I tried the Yakima J-lows which holds them on their sides but I returned them because all that weight on such a small surface area was denting the hulls, the shape of the J-low didn’t conform well to the shape of the Hobie Outback which put more weight on a smaller surface area which contributed to this. This will probably be going on a 4Runner or a Rav4. Keep up the good work!
Outbacks are only 1.5" wider than my Salty kayaks which work easily on my setup. The only issue is Outbacks have a flatter hull than a Sallty and I'm not sure how well it will ride on the Megawings from Malone.
Impressed you can get all the drives, seats , carts, tacke, etc. In the car. Do the carts knockdown? Anything go on top of the yaks? You must be organized Also wondered if you stopped on the way to any ca. Lakes?
Hello and thank you for all of the helpful information you've been posting. I've learned a lot. I am about to purchase an OT Bigwater and my plan is to cartop it on my Grand Cherokee. What would you suggest as the best rack saddles for the BigWater? I'll have a 30 mile drive with about 20 on the highway. And have you ever looked at strapping through where the PDL drive goes which would, in theory, prevent the kayak from moving front to back? So, you would be using 3 straps in total. I saw that on another video as a way to avoid needing the bow and stern tie-downs. Thank You!
I'd be hesitant to strap through the PDL scupper as the goal of bow and stern tie downs is to have a connection point independent of the rack system. As for the saddles I'd highly recommend the Yakima Big Catch Saddles for the Bigwater.
Thanks for sharing! Do you think this set up without the saddles but add another mega wing would work for two Hobie mirage passports on a Nissan Rogue? Planning a trip from Wisconsin to North Carolina and I just bought your set up. Would love your input. Thanks!.
Passports are 34" wide and the mega wings occupy very little bar space. It will all depend on the spacing on your Nissan's rails. You may end up needing the 70".
I’m going to purchase a old town autopilot 120 after watching all your videos. I have a ram 1500 and am getting Yakima bed rack. They kayak salesman said I will not be able to load it up there myself. Do you agree? I’m 5’10” and weigh about 165. Not a strong man but not weak. Seems like it should be doable.
I want a kayak to fish my local lakes around chelan, something hands free and also something so I can mount a fish finder and two rods maybe a down rigger as well..any recommendations? Thanks!
It's tough to find a decent pedal drive kayak below $2000. The Salty 120 PDL I use is $2200 and I consider it one of the most versatile kayaks on the market. You might do well to keep an eye out for used Hobies, Natives, or Old Towns for a sub $2000 deal
It's the only thing that will work loading from the rear of the vehicle that I've seen so far. There isn't enough room for two sets of saddles and no way am I doing J-racks. It's done the job thus far.
Hello, I am planning on roofing my 120 pdl on my Honda passport, I am using Yakima big catch saddles. The most bars separation i have is about 40" is that safe enough to mount the kayak or not ? Thanks
![How to Transport a Kayak: Solo Loading and Unloading [NO LOAD ASSIST]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/K90yRHQZFoM/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Transport a Kayak: Solo Loading and Unloading [NO LOAD ASSIST]](/img/tr.png)
A lot of good information about rooftop hauling and securing large kayaks.
Respect most of your advice and try to replicate a lot of what you do, but 40% over dynamic capacity isn’t a gamble I personally would be willing to take. Have you taken into consideration the effect on immediate stopping and/or evading while at speed? I’m sure you have, but you only spoke about effects while cruising.
Either way, I am glad you haven’t had issues.
Favorite part: It’s great to see you preaching the bow and stern tie downs!
I agree which is I was wholly transparent about it in the video. It was a major concern for me. I started using this system in February of 2021 and wanted to use it for a year and put several thousand miles on it before I did this video. In my initial research on dynamic load ratings for the RAV4 I discovered that load ratings actually varied by country even though its the exact same vehicle. The more I dug into the more I found that legal liability informs these ratings as much or if not more so than engineering does and a significant margin of safety exists. I'd love to have the real data on the capacity of the rails on RAV4 to know exactly what that margin is but it simply isn't available.
As for impacts on evasion and stopping I've had to do many high speed stops and evasion of blowing debris on the interstate and had no issues. I've twice driven to central and southern California from northern Washington with this setup and both times encountered head and side winds of 30-40 mph and had no issues (other than my gas mileage impacts). After 8000+ miles of driving with both kayaks loaded I'm confident that I'm within the margins of safety for this setup. I do think that bow and stern tie downs are an important component to this setup and help reduce strain on the rack system under dynamic pressure.
I really like those pre-tied loops you have. That's a really good idea.
Great video! I use the same kayak cradles for my rooftop system. The only difference is I have them mounted to a Rhino Rack Pioneer platform on a Jeep Wrangler. I have travelled all over Washington state and down to California with no issues. I have room for a 270 degree awning, an Old Town Predator PDL and a Bonafide SS127.
I usually wrap tie-down around crossbar as well for redundancy
Good info, for me and my bad back I went with a small trailer. Easier on my back and can wet launch if need be. Good stuff though...
I was wondering how you did that by yourself. That Yakima roller bar is the ticket. It prevents wear and tear on both the kayak bottom and the roof of your car.
Thanks for making this video!!! Just what I wanted to see
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
I have two 13.5 feel free lure kayaks they have a width of 34 inches each. Do you think this roof rack setup would work for me?
Thanks!
When does Kokanee Across America begin?! This hat is starting to itch for Kokanee....lol
In a matter of days....
Great tutorial Tyler!
Thanks you. I’ve wondered how easy it would be to maneuver the auto pilot onto a roof.
For the salty would you go with the mega wings or the big catch saddles?
Looking at buying them but the saddles are almost $100 more.
The saddles they are way more versatile and can be used with a wide variety of kayaks.
Wonderful setup. I was wondering how wide are your big catch saddles for your autopilot 120? Do the saddles fit within the cross bars of the showboat 66 without the second kayak? Thank you for your wonderful videos.
Yes they will fit within easily.
Thank you! All in essence.
Great tutorial!
Hey thanks for this video! I'm considering getting a setup and 2 kayaks with a 34" width for each kayak. I've done research and have heard people saying to get the longest crossbars and transport kayaks flat with the hull facing up. Just wondering your thoughts on this? I'm thinking it might be a bit hard to get a kayak with the hull up onto the roof of a car, the way you do it looks a bit easier maybe? I'd be doing this on a Toyota 4Runner. Thanks!
Nice video- nice setup
Howdy Tyler. Just bought the mega wing for my Salty. I didn't get the "Stinger" add on for loading but I wondered about your thoughts on that. I've got a 4Runner which is pretty tall, not to mention the stupid spoiler. Cheers!
You'll need something to protect that spoiler. I'd recommend the Stinger or assist bar like I have
Love your videos!
What would you recommend to carry two Hobie outbacks flat like this, or is it even possible?
I tried the Yakima J-lows which holds them on their sides but I returned them because all that weight on such a small surface area was denting the hulls, the shape of the J-low didn’t conform well to the shape of the Hobie Outback which put more weight on a smaller surface area which contributed to this.
This will probably be going on a 4Runner or a Rav4.
Keep up the good work!
Outbacks are only 1.5" wider than my Salty kayaks which work easily on my setup. The only issue is Outbacks have a flatter hull than a Sallty and I'm not sure how well it will ride on the Megawings from Malone.
Love this. Do you think I could be able to to fit 2 mega wings on a 53inch crossbar?
Yes easy
Impressed you can get all the drives, seats , carts, tacke, etc. In the car. Do the carts knockdown?
Anything go on top of the yaks? You must be organized
Also wondered if you stopped on the way to any ca. Lakes?
I just took one cart and left the seats on top. Drives are easy to store.
Hello and thank you for all of the helpful information you've been posting. I've learned a lot. I am about to purchase an OT Bigwater and my plan is to cartop it on my Grand Cherokee. What would you suggest as the best rack saddles for the BigWater? I'll have a 30 mile drive with about 20 on the highway.
And have you ever looked at strapping through where the PDL drive goes which would, in theory, prevent the kayak from moving front to back? So, you would be using 3 straps in total. I saw that on another video as a way to avoid needing the bow and stern tie-downs. Thank You!
I'd be hesitant to strap through the PDL scupper as the goal of bow and stern tie downs is to have a connection point independent of the rack system. As for the saddles I'd highly recommend the Yakima Big Catch Saddles for the Bigwater.
@@spiltmilt Perfect, thank you!
Thanks for sharing! Do you think this set up without the saddles but add another mega wing would work for two Hobie mirage passports on a Nissan Rogue? Planning a trip from Wisconsin to North Carolina and I just bought your set up. Would love your input. Thanks!.
If you put wide enough bars on it, it should work.
@@spiltmilt I bought the 65” bars, should I get 70”? I bought from your Amazon link 😊
Passports are 34" wide and the mega wings occupy very little bar space. It will all depend on the spacing on your Nissan's rails. You may end up needing the 70".
how many MPG do you lose with the kayaks? You mentioned you road tripped it down to san Diego
Around 3-5 mph if it’s windy substantially more
@@spiltmilt thanks!
I’m going to purchase a old town autopilot 120 after watching all your videos. I have a ram 1500 and am getting Yakima bed rack. They kayak salesman said I will not be able to load it up there myself. Do you agree? I’m 5’10” and weigh about 165. Not a strong man but not weak. Seems like it should be doable.
Should be very doable. I load mine on top of a RAV4 which is substantially higher
@@spiltmilt thanks. I ordered it today. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Hey man nice video! Have you ever Kokanee fished alder lake in western Washington? If so were you successful?
I've not.
Curious if you were trying to get two pld 106 sportsmen’s on a rav 4 would you run that same system
No it won’t work. The 106 PDL is too wide for mega wings
Anyone has tips for a sportsman 106 non pdl on J racks? Would it fit?
I want a kayak to fish my local lakes around chelan, something hands free and also something so I can mount a fish finder and two rods maybe a down rigger as well..any recommendations? Thanks!
Budget? How much weight capacity do you need?
@@spiltmilt $2,000 and honestly I don't know, I weigh around 200 with all my everyday carry items on me..
It's tough to find a decent pedal drive kayak below $2000. The Salty 120 PDL I use is $2200 and I consider it one of the most versatile kayaks on the market. You might do well to keep an eye out for used Hobies, Natives, or Old Towns for a sub $2000 deal
@@spiltmilt thank you sir! Can't wait !
Would you buy the megawing again for the Salty or recommend something else? Thanks for sharing
It's the only thing that will work loading from the rear of the vehicle that I've seen so far. There isn't enough room for two sets of saddles and no way am I doing J-racks. It's done the job thus far.
Thanks for answering. Trying to decide for the car top and that looks like half the work (hardware wise) to take off and put on all the time
@@spiltmilt Tyler, would the MegaWings work for a Sportsman 120 PDL, or would you stick with the BigCatch?
Hello, I am planning on roofing my 120 pdl on my Honda passport, I am using Yakima big catch saddles. The most bars separation i have is about 40" is that safe enough to mount the kayak or not ? Thanks
Yes I think you’ll be fine. Be sure and use bow and stern straps as well
We won't tell your insurance company😱
I am sure they have seen far crazier.
Looks like you lost a hub cap somewhere my man 😁
Yeah won’t be going back to that tire shop
Or you could man up and buy a truck 💩4🧠s
I don't need to buy a truck to know I'm a man. Apparently you do.
@@spiltmilt calm down Francis.. didn't realize it was your time of the month
I think your mom needs you to take the trash out and clean your room.