[quote="sundancer"]I thought transporting my oasis was bad with my ranger. I now have a honda ridgeline. Is the roof rack too close to use or will i need a goal post to help support it?
We tried a roof rack system on our Ridgeline and came close to wiping out my wife, our Oasis, my Ridgeline and our driveway with various scary slips and ka Thuds while trying to get the Oasis on the Ridgeline's roof.
We went to the Malone Sport trailer to store and haul our Oasis. It works, but due to the official anti human offal who work overtime to keep vehicles and in particular ones with trailers away from the water by blocking the road to the launch site with boulders bigger than our Ridgeline. We were being blocked from new and old launching sites. Some of the newer sites have no room for a trailer in their lots.
I put together the following and easy system for my Freedom Hawks, and I have recently learned how to load my Oasis with this system. It is easier and less hazardous to our old 70 year old bodies.
You need to check on your state laws to see how much overhang from the rear of your truck bed or a Ridgeline is allowed with a bed extender. My system is legal in California.
Listed below are the three major and low cost parts. You will need a sturdy bow line to get the yaks up to the front of your truck bed and then secure it to the Keeper Ratcheting Bar which you previously secured in the front part of your truck bed:
Cabela’s Infinte Bed Extender $130 to $140.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Infinte- ... d+extenderI recently bought this newer bed extender and it is easier to set up and take down. It works with my Freedom Hawk Pathfinder and Oasis in and out of my driveways and local roads. With this extender, we no longer drag the yaks on the pavement when going into a driveway or up and down a boat launch.
Below is a youtube link showing the loading and unloading of a PA into a Ridgeline with the Infinite Bed Extender:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrXEaGF3DIKeeper Ratcheting Cross Bar: $30
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Auto-ATV ... t104658480Edge Cargo Net Truck Bed Retainer: $40
http://www.edgebyexpedite.com/store/tru ... ainer.htmlMalone-Sentry-Bow-&-Stern-Ratchet-Tie-Downs: $30
http://www.austinkayak.com/products/390 ... nd%20sternI have installed the Keeper Ratcheting Cross Bar semi permanently up front in the truck bed about 2 inches from the outside of the cab and about 18 inches of the truck bed. Before putting the Oasis on the rack and in the bed I attach two of the kayak straps with the pulleys and hooks to the cross bar and then put the remaining hook on each strap on each side of the truck bed in the back one each side of the tailgate.
Then, I attach the Extend a truck hitch to my trailer hitch and back my truck up to our Malone trailer with the Oasis. Then, I turn the Oasis, right side up, and load it stern first on the Extend rack and put a bow line under and up around the ratchet bar in the front of the truck bed to help pull the Oasis up front after attaching the Malone Bow-&-Stern-Ratchet-Tie-Downs hooks to each side of the front or rear of the yak, with the bow to be snubbed in on the port side of the truck bed and secure it. Then, I attach the end hooks of the of Bow-&-Stern-Ratchet-Tie-Downs to the bow of the kayak to help hold down the front half with the hooks placed into the holders in the truck bed. I use the pulleys and the bow line to get the Oasis up and over the cross bar and on the truck bed. If I take my time and share the pulling with each ratchet line and the bow line, this works well even doing it solo. It is faster and easier with two people with one person on each side of the yak using the ratchets.
Next, I take the Net Extender/ retainer which is a net with hooks and adjustable straps and place it over and around the yak's stern. Put each of the two hooks into a built in eye on each side of the pickup bed and the eyes of my trailer hitch and adjust the straps until they are tight. Re snug all straps before you start your trip.
This can be done by a damaged on 76 year old guy in about 5 minutes.
We don't notice nor hear the Oasis being carried this way. I still check the straps after about 5 minutes unless the trip is only a few minutes.
So far the trips have been short and not that high of a temp, and there hasn't been any dents in the bottom of the Oasis.
When I get to the launch site, I back the truck up and reverse the process which takes a few minutes less and launch the yak. I take the net extender retainer off the yak and truck. Then I untie any other straps. I pull the yak off the extender and truck bed bow first and into the water for final rigging.
For our return trip, I pull the yak up bow first, as it is easier for me or with my wife to load it on the bed extender on the tilt of the launch site and shove it into the pickup bed. I use the same procedure to get the yak in and on the truck bed and extender as noted above. Except we/I load the yak bow first at the launch site. It is easier for us to do that.
I have an old carpet runner to put on the launch crete which is kept in the truck bed to prevent launch rash on the yaks during these two procedures.
I lock the Edge Truck Retainer in the Ridgeline's trunk after we get the Mirage units out. They will steal anything out here in Cali land. Last year on a trip to Bodega bay, someone cut off my trailer light inserter which plugged into the outlet by our trailer hitch.
Now instead of hassling with multiple straps and the trailer, we get to and from with minimal hassle. Parking is not a problem when I don't have a trailer attached.
I use the Edge Truck Retainer to haul wood and many other long and flat items.