Roof-Racking the Island

Do any of you roof rackers out there exceed the suggested weight limit of your car roof? My Subaru Outback maufacturer roof rack has a weight limit of 100lbs. Even when I talked to the folks at Yakima about their roof rack system they warned that car topping the AI would be too much. I'd rather be safe then sorry . . . any thoughts?

My Thule aluminium bars have a rating of 60 kgs which in your language is 132lbs which seems more than enough. I have a sun roof and am able to see the bars in action and watch for flex which there is none. There however must be quite a load on the bars especially considering the leverage factor with the overhanging lengths and I don't think I would want to be any closer to their designated load limits...Pirate

When the manufacturer determines a weight limit, they are taking several factors into account. Obviously there is the strength of the rack itself. Then there is the strength of the racks attachment to the roof of the vehicle. Finally, and depending on the car, this can be the "big" one, there is the effect that putting that much weight, that high in the air, has on the handling of the car when cornering. That's going to elevate the center of gravity significantly. Think Ford Explorer and the roll-over problems we all heard about a few years back. The truth of the matter is that the rack is most likely more than strong enough for the weight of an AI. The same is probably true for the roof top attachment structure. It's the roll over and lawyers that scare the manufacturers into specifying the limits that they do.

For what it's worth, I used to load the roof rack of my '98 Dodge Durango with well over 200 pounds of gear. Before doing so I put the rack basket on, stood in it (225 lbs), and rocked back & forth while a friend watched the rack to see if anything looked like it was flexing. Mechanically, everything was stable. As for how it affected handling, as long as I drove it like the truck that it was, rather than pretending it would corner like my Cooper S, I never had a problem.

- Jim L

Ahhh! Now that might explain why my Rhino Sportz bars with rail mounts for my Subaru Forester are rated at 68kg, even though the rails themselves are rated 80kg, whereas the same bars with gutter mounts for my wife's girly Toyota Corolla hatchback are rated at 80kg.

Maybe its the Forester's higher profile?

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Probably. I wouldn't think it would be the mounting. I've never looked at the rail mounts on the Forester, but I'd think they'd be at least as strong as rain gutters.

- Jim L

I have started carrying my AI inverted on the roofrack. I am finding that the optimal position on my car is with the rear aka bar just in front of the rear roofrack. As Pirate has pointed out, the aka bars afford some security against the hull slipping forward or back. Taking this a step further, I am putting a short tiedown strap around the rear aka bar and the rear roofrack bar. As I see it, this provides far more security against the hull slipping forward or back than bow and stern lines. It probably doesnt matter much, except in the event of a collision, when the the boat could turn into a missile.

Chris

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I now carry my boat inverted too Chris and in my set-up the rear aka bar sits just behind the rear rack. This appeals to me as it will prevent the boat ever shifting forward more than a couple of centimetres.
I have it on top of the car at the moment waiting for a break in the very overcast rainy/windy weather we are experiencing in Eastern Victoria just at the minute. Whilst the boat is in this high profile position, I have been inundated by curious people wanting to talk about the kayak up top which is good for Mr. Hobie. I am confident Mickey and I will be out in our Islands tomorrow as winds will drop from 25 knots to 10 to 15 s/e breezes and are keen and quite honestly don't care about the rest of the weather be it warm or cool....Pirate

Me too Pirate, I'm off down to Broken Bay at first light, weather permitting. The reason I have the aka bar in front of the rear rack instead of behind is that the boat seems to protrude a long way behind my Subaru Forester, so I have placed it so that the bow of the boat is aligned with the front of the car. I agree with you that having the the aka bar behind the rear rack is more secure. That's what made me think of adding a strap around the bar and the rack. Good luck with the weather

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You too mate....Pirate

How are you guys getting the AI onto the roof of your cars? It's a pretty hefty kayak to lift by yourself....

Do any of you have those bars that extend out to help get the kayak on the roof?

Pirate and I have them and they are a big help. Ours are made in Australia, but there is bound to be something similar available in US. See earlier posts for this topic.

Chris

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I am still waiting on mine Chris and am presently side loading by stealth and sweat. I just lift the bow of the hull right way up onto the front rack, then slide it forward for balance, then lift the back up onto the rear rack. Then I invert it whilst on the rack. It is quicker with two people and can be lifted straight up inverted. I have ordered the Rack & Roll system and have been advised it should be on my door in time for Christmas. I will report on it when I get to use it, but it looks good on their Web Site at:
www.rackandroll.net.au
Pirate

Pirate, while its a big help, I must admit that it is not as good with loading the AI inverted as it is with a normal kayak because of the aka bars. They tend to get tangled with the roof racks when loading inverted and I have managed to scratch both my racks and my duco (matches the rock scratches on the AI ) . One good thing that came out of my little disaster yesterday is that I was forced to load the AI upright onto some cradles I had. Using the Rack&Roll bar and the cradles together was very satisfactory. Getting a bit expensive unless you already have them, but still a lot cheaper than a Hullivator.

Chris

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I agree Chris - they are a hullivavato price

The trick, and there is always one of those, is to line the Island hull up in the right spot before loading it onto the roof racks. Then the aka cross braces should not get in the road. Hopefully I will get the Rack and Roll bar and find out for myself Chris, and I'll take and post a picture of all the damage I do to the racks and the car....LOL... Pirate