A spent a great deal of time researching my first fishing kayak before I realized I needed some sort of transportation system. Little did I know that a proper rack would cost more than the kayak itself. I drive a car with a "naked" roof. This means I have no factory rack or any where to attach a rack. I came up with two solutions: foam blocks or a proper rack. I'll go over them briefly and detail the method I chose.
Foam Blocks
Foam blocks were very appealing especially after realizing a proper car rack would cost more than the kayak itself. Foam blocks are exactly like you are imagining. They are foam blocks that sit on your roof for you to place your kayak on. A lot of people also use pool noodles instead to save even more money. I ultimately decided against this solution since I was driving 40 minutes minimum at highway speeds. I just didn't trust it to stay on my roof.
A Proper Roof Rack
I decided a proper roof rack was the way to go. The top two manufacturers are Thule and Yakima and neither one of them had resellers near me. Both manufacturers have car fit guides. I ended up going with Yakima because I liked theirs better. With that said, all the stuff I talk about will be Yakima specific. I have no idea if Thule uses the same system or terminology.
Here's what I got:
Foam Blocks
Foam blocks were very appealing especially after realizing a proper car rack would cost more than the kayak itself. Foam blocks are exactly like you are imagining. They are foam blocks that sit on your roof for you to place your kayak on. A lot of people also use pool noodles instead to save even more money. I ultimately decided against this solution since I was driving 40 minutes minimum at highway speeds. I just didn't trust it to stay on my roof.
A Proper Roof Rack
I decided a proper roof rack was the way to go. The top two manufacturers are Thule and Yakima and neither one of them had resellers near me. Both manufacturers have car fit guides. I ended up going with Yakima because I liked theirs better. With that said, all the stuff I talk about will be Yakima specific. I have no idea if Thule uses the same system or terminology.
Here's what I got:
Big Money Savings Tip: I saved a whooping $5 by ordering from Amazon!
I ordered all my items from Amazon. What this means is that my Q Towers and Q Clips were ordered separately. They were not one system as shown in the picture above.
Roof Rack Parts Explained
Q Towers
If you have a naked roof then this is a requirement. It is a universal fit so you don't have to worry about getting the right one. These are simply the 4 base units that sit on top of your car. The custom fit is achieved by finding the right Q-Clips for your car using Yakima's Car Fit Guide. The Q-Clips do not come with the Q Towers unless you order the "Q Towers 4 Pack System" pictured above from Yakima.
Q-Clips
Q-Clips are little pieces of metal that are custom designed for your car body. They insert into the Q-Towers and press against the body of your car. A Vinyl Sticker is included to prevent it from scratching.
48" Crossbar Pair
These are simply 2 48" round bars that connect into the Q-Towers. Oddly enough they don't come with end caps. The end caps are included in the Q-Towers box.
Hully Rollers
These are a set of 2 rollers that are meant to be installed on the rear bar of your roof rack. They make it easier to load up a kayak by yourself. They also come with a cam strap and stern tie-down.
Mako Saddles
These are a set of 2 saddles that are meant to fit the body of your kayak for a better hold. They come with a cam strap and a bow tie-down. They also come with felt stickers to protect your kayak from scratches and make it a bit easier to slide into place.
I will go over the installation procedure and how to load the kayak in my next post. All in all I'm pretty happy with my purchase and can fully recommend it.
Roof Rack Parts Explained
Q Towers
If you have a naked roof then this is a requirement. It is a universal fit so you don't have to worry about getting the right one. These are simply the 4 base units that sit on top of your car. The custom fit is achieved by finding the right Q-Clips for your car using Yakima's Car Fit Guide. The Q-Clips do not come with the Q Towers unless you order the "Q Towers 4 Pack System" pictured above from Yakima.
Q-Clips
Q-Clips are little pieces of metal that are custom designed for your car body. They insert into the Q-Towers and press against the body of your car. A Vinyl Sticker is included to prevent it from scratching.
48" Crossbar Pair
These are simply 2 48" round bars that connect into the Q-Towers. Oddly enough they don't come with end caps. The end caps are included in the Q-Towers box.
Hully Rollers
These are a set of 2 rollers that are meant to be installed on the rear bar of your roof rack. They make it easier to load up a kayak by yourself. They also come with a cam strap and stern tie-down.
Mako Saddles
These are a set of 2 saddles that are meant to fit the body of your kayak for a better hold. They come with a cam strap and a bow tie-down. They also come with felt stickers to protect your kayak from scratches and make it a bit easier to slide into place.
I will go over the installation procedure and how to load the kayak in my next post. All in all I'm pretty happy with my purchase and can fully recommend it.
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