How To Properly Secure a Kayak to a Roof Rack 166 12

Kayak 11 years ago 95,561 views

Transporting a kayak can be a little sketchy. Trust us. We've seen improperly secured kayaks and canoes tumble to the road from a speeding car more times than we'd like to recount and it breaks our heart every. single. time. With that in mind, we went ahead and made a new video to help teach you how to properly secure a kayak to your roof rack with cam buckle tie down straps, optional rack pads and bow / stern tie downs as well. There's plenty of explanation in the video and I'll let Jerron show you how its done! FYI, we used the ACK Vehicle Tie Down Kit (http://ack.com/92ad) and a set of Roof Rack Pads (http://ack.com/gx49) in the video. As always, thanks for watching and let us know if there's anything we can do to assist you in outfitting your adventures. Leave a comment here or shoot an e-mail to Customer@AustinKayak.com and we'll be happy to assist!

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Asura - 7 years ago

why not just tie the front of the kayak/canoe to the forward bar of the rack and the back of the kayak/canoe to rear bar instead of hooking it to the front and rear bumper?

Austin Kayak - 7 years ago

Thank you for watching! While a kayak can be secured by tying it directly to your crossbars, tying it to the front and rear bumpers provides additional leverage which keeps your kayak in place.

rjmlakota - 7 years ago

Can a Kayak be loading top side up, or is it always recommended to install top side down? Thanks - RJ

Austin Kayak - 7 years ago

You can definitely load a kayak top side up, but we recommend using saddles when doing so. Without saddles, it will be difficult to safely secure the kayak as most do not have a flat surface on the bottom.

Rick Martin - 8 years ago

helpful, thanks

shangpush - 8 years ago

THANKS FOR THIS STEP-BY-STEP HOW TO. VERY EASY TO FOLLOW.

Thekayoke - 9 years ago

Great video with some important steps that are often overlooked.
Yikes.

scott

Austin Kayak - 9 years ago

+Thekayoke Always good to hear Scott. If you have any great video ideas, let us know! :D

vivitar45 - 11 years ago

i dont like the front and back rope disine with them metal hooks can slip and let got or scratch the car

Austin Kayak - 11 years ago

Email16v,

Sorry for the delayed response, we appreciate your question! Several of our customers piece together products, such as those that you mentioned, to use as our tie-down kit instructs. While this is a great way to secure a kayak, we can only recommend and make videos for items that are recommended for use in securing kayaks to vehicles. We certainly appreciate your feedback and great ideas! If you have any additional questions or concerns now or in the future, do not hesitate to ask our very knowledgeable customer service team by calling 888-828-3828 or emailing customer@austinkayak.com

Thank you!

JC Perzabal - 11 years ago

I have the same truck what kind if tires do you have

email16v - 11 years ago

Novice kayaker and this video took helped me to properly secure my kayak to my truck. Thanks! I purchased the tie-down kit described here and it worked out okay. Had issues with the cams and hooks potentially hitting the hood of my truck but tightened them up. I wonder if you could instead, recommend a Nite Ize Figure 9 and some para-cord setup instead to secure that kayak? It's a less expensive option and can be used for other camping/hiking needs. What do you think? Maybe a video?