Do Bow/Stern Tie-Downs Need To Be Attached to Hood and Rear of Vehicle To Secure Kayaks

Question:

Hi, Im contemplating purchasing some 10foot sit-in kayaks. I see you recommend Thule Stacker for carrying 3. My question is about the bow and stern tie downs. Is it possible to tie them back to the roof rail crossbars rather than down onto the hood and back hatch Honda CRV ? Thanks

asked by: Wayne D

Expert Reply:

The Thule Stacker # TH830 is a great solution to secure a few 10 foot kayaks on their side. The carrier does include a set of tie-downs but you will need to add extra straps # TH855XT and # 753-2030-02 for all 3 of the kayaks.

When actually securing the kayaks onto the roof of your CR-V I absolutely recommend attaching the ropes to the front and back ends of the vehicle. This prevents wind during travel from catching underneath the kayak and trying to lift it off the roof. Simply looping the ropes around the crossbars won't sufficiently stabilize the ends of the kayaks in this same manner so I cannot recommend doing this.

To help simplify this process you can add some Hood Loops # TH529 to create mounting points for the tie-downs.

expert reply by: Chris R