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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:23 am 
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Here is my delimma. I make a 600 mile (one way) trip to Florida every year from Kentucky about twice a year for vacation. The past 2 years, I have taken my PA along with me for saltwater fishing. This has not been a problem, as I had a full size pickup to haul my PA there and back.

I recently sold my pickup, and bought a Nissan Pathfinder. I have rigged the roof racks with PVC rails to cradle my PA, and attached tie-down points. I always haul it on the roof now to my local fishing spots, with no problems at all.

I am worried about this 600 mile trip though. Is that too far to try to transport a PA on the roof of my Pathfinder?


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:50 am 
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Location: Amelia Island, FL
Anytime I hear someone using pvc for load bearing, I shudder. PVC is only intended to move water, not carry heavy loads. Guess my only exception is the grade 40, 3" PVC pipe we use on some of the trailer configurations.

I'm not sure what configuration your setup is...... ???

One of the key things about transporting any kayak down the road at high speed is that you must not depend on your rack system to hold down the kayak when going 60-70 mph. I once witnessed a kayak, with rack attached, fly off the top of a vehicle when going down the highway :!:

It is extremely important that you tie down the bow and stern of the kayak to the vehicle!


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:05 am 
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islandspeed2001 wrote:
Anytime I hear someone using pvc for load bearing, I shudder. PVC is only intended to move water, not carry heavy loads. Guess my only exception is the grade 40, 3" PVC pipe we use on some of the trailer configurations.

I'm not sure what configuration your setup is...... ???

One of the key things about transporting any kayak down the road at high speed is that you must not depend on your rack system to hold down the kayak when going 60-70 mph. I once witnessed a kayak, with rack attached, fly off the top of a vehicle when going down the highway :!:

It is extremely important that you tie down the bow and stern of the kayak to the vehicle!



That is good advice. Mine is 2" SCH 40, so it is pretty tough. I also have two foam kayak roof blocks under the PVC for extra support.

I will take your advice and tie down the bow and stern.

But what is your opinion on safely transporting my PA on the 600 mile trip?


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:46 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:35 am
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Location: Ogden, Utah
My nearest Hobie dealer is 150 miles away. I had never even seen a Pro Angler until I drove up there. Naturally, I came home with one.

The dealer gave me exceptional service, even fabricating two mounting plates so I could bolt Hully Rollers to the rear crossbar on my Durango. We slid the boat up there, strapped it down and added a tie rope from bow to front bumper.

I was amazed that the boat caused no problems whatever even at freeway speeds and pretty hefty crosswinds. I stopped 50 miles down the road to check the straps; everything was still tight and secure. The rest of the trip was worry-free. Even my mileage didn't seem to suffer.

I wouldn't hesitate to take it on long trips, and in fact plan to. To be extra sure, I think I'll add a stern tiedown for such trips, but my boat has never moved an inch with just webstraps to the crossbars and a front safety rope.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:57 am 
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Location: Amelia Island, FL
I have made many long trips with my kayak strapped to the top of my vehicle and driven at highway speeds with no problems. Every time I stop along the road, I will check all the tie-downs to make certain they are still secure.

Like I said above, tie the kayak down to the cross bars to keep the kayak from moving around.

Tie the kayak to the vehicle as this will keep the kayak and the rack from flying off the vehicle.


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:58 am 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
In my experience, it's not the length of the trip, but the quality of the racks. If you get the chance, visit a Thule or Yakima dealer. They're the two leading companies when it comes to roof rack accessories. Nobody is saying that you have to buy from them, but getting an idea of what options are out there, and what they cost is the smart thing to do. Spending a little extra on a good rack system is good insurance. It buys a safe trip, but it also buys peace of mind. You know the boat is going to stay where you put it and not get damaged.

A few other things that you should consider: The factory roof racks on most cars are not rated to carry the weight of the PA. In some cases, that means that the cross bars aren't strong enough. In other cases it means that the manufacturer doesn't like altering the centre of balance of the vehicle. Audi's are kind of cool, they adjust the stability control systems based on how much weight is on the roof racks. Most cars don't do that. So keep in mind that the car will handle differently, and the stability control systems may react surprisingly if you take corners faster than the computer is comfortable doing.

Finally, when I take my Hobie Bravo on a trailer behind my car (about 500 lbs total) I get better mileage than when I take my Oasis (~90 lbs) on the roof of my car. Trailering a boat is easier in a lot of ways, and for something like the Pro Angler, you may be able to get a trailer that folds up, or stands on end when not in use.

Just food for thought for you. There aren't many people on this forum that use the exact same system as someone else. Everyone has done something that fits their budget, and gives them the appropriate amount of peace of mind. The more you know, the more comfortable you'll be in your decision.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:07 pm 
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You may want to invest in a hitch rack. I picked mine up from Harbor Freight for pretty cheap. It will expand the length that is attached to your vehicle. You can likely fasten your PA 2 places to your vehicle's rack plus a 3rd strapped to the hitch rack. I would think it would be a lot more stable this way...especially against gusty side-winds.

I transported mine on a 3,200 mile round trip this fall in my truck bed with the hitch rack at one end. I had it on my roof rack for around 75 miles and my truck got horrible gas mileage plus I was getting blown all over the road in the 20 mph wind....not a very comfortable feeling!


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 7:03 pm 
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I have gone 300 miles and I see no reason why I couldnt do further. I have the hully rollers, mako saddles on front and a showboat that helps in loading. Yakima bars too.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:41 am 
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Location: Annapolis, MD
Went on a road trip from MAryland to pensacola to cocoa beach to jax to maryland again without any issues with the PA on the roof of my chevy trail blazer. I do suggest periodic checking of your tie downs every time you fill up the gas tank or stop to hit the head..

You can search my blog for some details on the trip.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:46 am 
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CB Kayak 02 wrote:
Went on a road trip from MAryland to pensacola to cocoa beach to jax to maryland again without any issues with the PA on the roof of my chevy trail blazer. I do suggest periodic checking of your tie downs every time you fill up the gas tank or stop to hit the head..

You can search my blog for some details on the trip.



That is what I wanted to hear! Thanks so much for the reply!


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