transport 2 outfitters?

Hi
Last year I bought a Hobie Outfitter and I'm loving it
This year the kids are a little older and I cant fit them all in one outfitter
so I am set to buy my second outfitter

the problem is I cant work out how am I going to carry 2 of them on my car.
Can someone suggest some practical solutions

I look at the Thule Hullavator..that look cool can I install 2 of those
side by side on top of my vehicles?

I got this vehicle

http://odyssey.honda.com.au/

Not sure on the rack but the thing I'd be looking @ closely is structure capacities for your vehicle as I've been looking at some new rides for myself recently and finding that manufactures are rating there roof racks very low almost to the point were I don't feel so good about putting my equipment up there on my current ride a Mercedes ML500 its rated for 220lbs. but 1 of the cars I had looked at said less than 100lbs while there next vehicle up there product line was only at 150lbs. at any rate keep an eye on there max load ratings.

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Fastfish/Geoff
Kayaks Owned>Outback/Mine & Revolution/Wife

As long as you trust the load capacity of the racks, there are a few options.

1. Lay one upside down and flat, and use a "J" rack made by Thule to stand the other one on its side. This saves a ton of space. I carry 2 outbacks stacked upside down on top of each other and a revolution on the "J" rack with no problem.
2.You can purchase a load bar from Thule that is wider than 68" (2 kayaks x 34" wide) so that you can stack the outfitters upside and side by side next to each other. The disadvantage would be having long rack bars that stick out the side of your car and make hitting your head a pretty common occurence.
3. I have seen 2 thule hullavators side by side on a vehicle before with kayaks on them. I would contact Thule about that with the specifications of the outfitters to see if it will work for you.
4. Stack the outfitters upside down on top of one another. This may cause slight denting to the hulls of the kayaks and lifting the second kayak on top of the other is usually a pain, but it works.

Hope these suggestions helped.

MPromnitz
Thankyou that is very helpful and I shall visit my local roof rack
and do the J bar option

You might want to think about a kayak trailer. Some of them fold up and take little space for storage on the wall. Don't have to worry about the wind. Easy to load & unload, 22" off the ground. Some you can easily move by hand after unhooking them from your vehicle. Drop the trailer & drive away. I have a Rack and Roll. Love it. Never car top again. Don't have to worry about falling off a ladder or step stool. Great to go to the lumber yard & pick up 4X8 sheets of whatever.
Just a thought.

Bruce

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Everything before 60 is just a rehearsal!

I agree with Admiral Nelson...consider a trailer. Both yaks and the trailer wouldn't put too much of a strain on your sedan. My brother did the Harbour Freight fold-away trailer for his two yaks, although I prefer the Hobie trailer in their catalogue.

Good luck with your decision.

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"If I'm not at work, I'm Outback"

Where can I get these trailers in Australia most of them are in the US.?

I carry two Revolutions on a Nissan Xtrerra.

My system is simple and cost effective.

(4) Thule Towers attached to the factory rack. (Specific to your make & model) about $166.00 USD.
(2) 66" long Thule Bars (about $60.00 USD).
(2) 1" dia. x 6'-0" long foam pipe insulation trimmed to 65" length.
(8) 1/2" wide x 12" long velcro straps (holds foam insulation on the bars)

I carry both revolutions bottom down on the padded bars side by side. I place nose of yak on rear roof of vehicle on a quilt and lift stern and slide the yak up onto the bars then strap them down. Tie off bow and stern and off you go. Slide them back off the vehicle to unload.

I chose to go this route (yaks laying flat) instead of transporting the yaks on their sides because my old rack had yaks on the side and it was like having a sail atop my vehicle and blew me all over the road in windy conditions.

The insulation works great or you can get nice fancy logo bar pads and they save you alot of money from buying 'J' racks or other "v" hull supports. The rack alone is costly enough and you can easily spend $600.00 or more buying a rack and transport accessories.

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I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

The outfitter does not work well at all with the hullavator. Yes it will work but its not pretty it pushed the limits of the unit to the max.

I would not recommend the "J" cradles either, the width of the outfitters make it to tall to be safe.

Your best bet is a trailer or wider thule bars and the 2 boats upside down side by side.

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

I like the idea of extra long bar and 2 side by side for stability.

Do you have the Thule part name for 66" Bars?
I walk to most Aussie roof rack shop here and they cant see it
in their catalogue or not available in Australia or have a blank look on their face.

Is this only available in the US 66" Long bar

Do you mind taking a picture of the car with the 66" bar on?

just get any bar longer than 66", and cut it your self. we only stock the longer bar and cut for the perfect fix, all bars are the same price.

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

I noticed Thule bars are 65" on the webite which is fine or you can get the 78" and cut them down.
I will get a photo of the setup and post.

_________________
I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

I manage to track down a local shop here that will fit me a
new rack with ThuLe GL 394 Professional Bar (2M bar)
http://www.thuleprofessional.com/Thule/ ... 39707.aspx

but he advice against it,if I can stack the kayak on top of one
another....

or lying one flat and the other one lean on top at an angle
and I should be able to fit it on my current rack so no need
for purchasing new rack..

He said having long bars could be an issue with parking and
I could end up scratching other people car with that thing sticking out..

I dont mind getting the long bar and I like the idea of side by side kayaks.
but I thought I post it on here for feedback before I make the decision.

My question is for those who has long bars (2M) accross their vehicles
do you have problem with parking or bumping into other cars
with that Long bar sticking out?

and of course the occasional head bump but I intend to fix that with
a well padded ends with something soft....

I have never had bars quite that wide, but I know that bumping your head gets old quickly (even if the bars are padded). My advice if you are going to car top is go with one kayak upside down and the other on the side in a "J" rack. The dealers usually know what they're talking about so take their advice.

roe,

I have added pics of my rack setup with the Thule Bars 65" length. I thought they were 66".The width is perfect for 2 Revolutions side by side.







The bars do not extend beyond the width of my vehicle so nothing alongside can get scratched. The overall bar length could be shortened by about 6" to 8" and still carry the two revolutions easily. The outfitters being 34" wide poses issues even with 65" bars. One would have to be on its side and one flat and you can use standard bars with pads and 'J' racks. Save money on one set of kayak supports at least or since the rack systems cost so much you may want to look into the extra $$ for a trailer.

I hope the pics are helpful.

Revo

_________________
I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.