Carrying a kayak

I am hoping to order a 2351 shortly and was wondering how other PC owners transport their kayaks.  Thanks

I thought this was an interesting question... so I did a quick Google search for "kayak carrier for rv" and found a good number of pictures (images).  That might help get you started until others are able to chime in. 

Jim

On top of the Honda Fit that we tow.

      We have an inflatable 2 person Sea Eagle kayak/canoe hybrid. Weighs about 35 pounds including paddles and the bag is about 30" X 25" x 25". Depending on the trip, it either sits in the aisle until we get to the campground or we hoist it to the roof and tie it down. Makes it way easier to carry to the water as well, but not good in white water.
      A friend we go with has built a neat rack on the back of her RV for her fiberglass kayak and a little lift hooks it on and a few straps hold it down. However, she does not have a rear storage compartment as I do on my 2100 nor a spare tire on the back.

On top of the Honda Fit that we tow.

We don't haul kayaks, but if we did, it would be done like gradygal.... on the roof of our tow vehicle.

We haul 2 on top of our Subaru tow car. We have made 2 trips cross country with no problems. I do lock them to the racks.
Mike

Hi Campergates,

We often carry 2 paddle boards and 2 bikes on a Swagman 4-bike carrier.  We put both paddle boards on the right side and secure them to the ladder.  We then put the bikes on the outer 2 positions of the bike rack.  We also have a 2-position bike rack so we can take one or the other.  We can take one kayak this way as well, but it is more difficult to secure.  Your kayak shouldn’t be much over 10.5 – 11 ft or you may be over highway height restrictions. 

We found a good solution and talked with the owner at the Hershey RV show last fall.  These are custom made vertical RV kayak racks made from coated steel frame with stainless steel hardware.  They can carry kayaks, paddleboards and bikes and are lockable.  One advantage with this rack is that the kayaks are mounted sideways and have less wind resistance. They are custom fit to the measurements of your RV.  They are fairly pricy, but are built to last.   You can get signal and brake lights on the frame as well.  We are considering ordering one of these in the near future.  It will be a lot easier than the method we use.  Check out this website and look at the cool video:  http://www.rvkayakracks.com/

Hope this gives you some other ideas.  -KatLin

If you towed a car that is the place for a canoe or kayak. But we don't. So our canoe or kayaks, go on top of the RV on a simple to make and install galvanized 3/4" pipe racks, attached to floor flanges bolted to the roof.

The canoe sits on the back rack and 2 pipe racks. I put a plastic pipe on the back rack that acts as a roller.


Here is a rack I put on an old 23' Class A. Same method.


People worry about holes in the roof, You already have plenty, they seal up nicely with roof sealant.
Locate the floor flanges so at least 2 bolts hit the aluminum roof joists. They are easy to locate. On a cool morning, climb up there and the condensation on the roof shows where the joists are located.

I have never had a leak. I hit one with a tree branch once and it pulled loose. I just reattached it and sealed it again.

Thanks everyone for your input.  I look forward to reading lots of suggestions about various issues on this great forum.  And, of course, I look forward to getting and using my 2351 unit.