The car with the roof rack is with my son at college and I don't really want to spend $600 on a roof rack for my 2012 Camry for a few spring paddles before he gets home in May.

I have foam blocks like the ones below and in the video linked below.  (Not the whole kit as I have close to a dozen buckle straps already.)  Any thoughts on reliability of the foam block method, similar to what is shown in the video below? 

I don't so much worry about a local five mile drive at 30MPH to the river for a quick exercise session.  I'm worried it might be dodgy on the highway.  One thing I don't like about the video is there is a single strap over the boat.  I think it might be better to have a strap running over the boat as each block.  Have them loop under the block strap, run over the boat, and when through the black strap on the other side.  Then add one strap over the whole boat and through the windows like in the video for an insurance strap.  Also, there are no tie-down points underneath my car so I use those slugs with the loop that fit under the hood.  My boats are about 17.5' so the bow is almost to the front of the car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOlFSKffGJk

I’m not addressing the safety or suitability of anything else here, but don’t use S-hooks.  They come loose and drop off. Replace them with carabiners. 

I used the below set-up quite successfully. That pic taken in St Augustine, FL, I live in VA. A little additional noise inside the car at highway speeds, and the straps have to be given a twist else they sing, loudly. Biggest issues were folks pointing at me, and rain had a tendency to wick in along the webbing into the Mustang and drip. 

Mark

41 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Biggest issues were folks pointing at me, and rain had a tendency to wick in along the webbing into the Mustang and drip. 

 

I'm way too old to give a @#$% if people point at me.  I probably won't be going on rainy days.  So, I guess it's viable.  I do suspect it would be much harder to load.  I might use the method where the blocks are tied to the kayak first and then lift it up.

 

-K

 

Correct, strap the blocks to the kayak first, then load on the car and then secure kayak to car. Bow and stern lines set to dampen movement, not to prevent movement.

I'm very surprised that the video shows only one tiedown strap around the boat.  The bow and stern lines don't entirely prevent yaw while underway, which is the biggest hazard, and two straps securing the boat to the car would be much safer. Best if the forward strap  is as far forward as possible.  

Might this be of any interest, I wonder?  (I have absolutely no experience of it, mind you)

https://www.outdoorplay.com/products/malone-handi-kayak-roof-rack

I have used the inflatable Handi rack a number of times on rental cars in California where I keep a boat (along with this rack) at my daughter’s house. It is quite well designed and secures itself to the car and also - via a separate loop - the kayak to the rack. The squishiness of the inflated rack grips the boat more securely than foam blocks and keeps the boat from moving around. Bow and stern tie downs essential.

 

Re: Handirack.  Just looked on Amazon for reviews.  Mostly very positive (and btw a lot cheaper there than at Christopher's link)…and one guy had an interesting recommendation:  he inserted pool noodles into the air chambers (which he said would fail eventually) and thus was able to ditch the pump and need for inflating.  He has full instructions for how to do this.

Edited March 18, 20223 yr by prudenceb

I did get a boat on blocks on the Camry.  I didn't need to tie the blocks to the boat first as I have a suction-cup roller thingie I can put on the back window.  Then I can roll the boat up.  Effectively I built a soft rack on the car.

It's acceptable for running down to the local river, only a few miles, for some fitness paddling.  I don't know that I'd do a trip with it.  The front block is right between the top of the windshield and the moonroof and the roof is very solid there.  But the rear foam block is another story.  You can see the angle of the rear window frame tapering down so I can't get the rear block back any further.  That spot on the roof is quite boingy.  If I could get it back 6-8" more, it'd be in a spot where the roof is reinforced.  But where it is, the roof is just thin sheet metal and it bends a lot.  If I was going for a long trip, I'd have to put something solid across the width of the car so the sides take the load.  It's somewhat moot now, tomorrow I'm swapping cars with my son and will have the Venza back for the summer.  It has a original-equipment roof rack.

 

-Ken 

 

I'm reviving this thread as I think I may spend a couple of months with a Toyota Corolla as my kayak hauler while I wait for my Bolt EUV to arrive. If anyone has anything they're not using that I could borrow for a while that would be great. Otherwise maybe I'll buy the inflatable and hope for the best.

Taking another look at Mark's pic above, I see he was able to overcome the issue I had with the rear block not being far enough back by using the tie the block to the boat first method.

I swapped out the Camry with my son until October so the issue it moot now.  If I did use the technique I showed above, another thing I could have tried it putting the foam block on one of my Thule bars and resting it directly on the roof (with a small bit of foam to prevent scratching).  That would direct all the force to the sides of the roof.  That probably would have worked.  But again, now it's moot.

 

-K