Anyone carry kayaks on their xj's?
 

Just wondering if anyone has some cheap easy solutions to mount a kayak on their xj. I don't wanna buy kayak racks if I can find a way to do it without them. Thanks in advance

I have, just put them on the stock roof rails and ratcheted them on tight. If you don't have a full length rack then I can see it being a little harder.

I carry a 14'5" on mine. I flip it upside down on the racks and slide it back so the rim of the cockpit catches the rear crossbar. Ratchet it tight but not too tight, you can crush your yak and the crossbars will bend as well.

I've thought of attaching some wooden blocks using u-bolts to make a cheap DIY cradle for the crossbars but haven't found it necessary.

It helps that I'm about 3 miles from the freshwater river launch, 1/4 mile from the brackish water river launch and a mile from the Atlantic Ocean ;)

Might help to look up the info on your kayak. The book that came with my Wilderness Systems kayak said to carry a rotomolded kayak supported on J-hooks, while a composite kayak would be carried flat and upright using support pads.

before the lift, tires, bumpers, monstaliner, etc...
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I got an extra set of cross bars from the junkyard, pelican 12 plastic sit on top, does 20 miles on the interstate each way just fine with ratchet straps.

I just put some of those pool noodles around the factory rack tie her down

Just flip them over and tie them on.
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Pool noodles work great for the price. I eventually bought Yakima Kayak Stackers which were less than $100 and allowed me to carry 2 really easily, and it claims to carry up to 4.

many times with the thule carriers.....not cheap but very easy.....

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I've liked kayaks for years before I owned an XJ. I used to just rent them for $15 a hour and paddle around the Charles river in Waltham MA, but that can get expensive so I started keeping an eye out for a used or new kayak I could buy outright.

fast forward a couple years and I have my XJ now, a decent roof rack, and as of a few weeks ago, a Perception Prodigy 12.0 kayak to go on top! I tried to go out today for her maiden voyage but the 15-30 mph winds told me to stay off the water unless I wanted to roll over and go for a swim in the cold Spring time waters of a New England lake.

Alas, it gave me a chance to snap some pics of my XJ and my new kayak, I feel like a proud parent =)



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rack is the same kind Curt sells with the extension piece in the middle (generic rack from ebay, saved a ton of cash) pool noodle cut in half and sliced open the long way and pressed onto the rack to protect the kayak from the roof rack tubing, a $12 set of tie down straps from Dick's, not the ratcheting kind, the cam kind with a spring loaded claw thing that bites down on the webbing. The back of the cockpit has a lip that lets it rest on the roof rack tubing and not slide front to back, this worked out great!

Thanks for lookin, hope you enjoy the pics!
Squelchtone

I do. Factory roof racks on my 91