Options for Carrying 2 Kayaks on a 2012 Volkwagen Jetta without a Roof Rack

Question

Question:

I just bought 2, 12foot kayaks and need to carry them on my roof. I have a 2012 jetta with no crossbars. HELP!

asked by: Chris W

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Expert Reply:

I have a solution for you, however, there are a few things we want to look at before we can determine exactly what you need to carry both of your kayaks. The first step to take before carrying any kayaks or cargo on the roof of your 2012 Volkswagen Jetta is to find the weight capacity of the roof. A Volkswagen dealer may be able to provide this information since your vehicle did not come with a factory roof rack. Exceeding the weight capacity of your roof could damage the vehicles roof.

The Rightline Gear Foam-Block-Style Kayak Carrier, # RL100K10, is an excellent option for vehicles without a roof rack, but they were designed to support the kayak at the hull. This means there must be enough room on the roof of your Jetta to fit both kayaks side by side on their hulls.

If your kayaks are too wide to fit side by side on the roof of your Jetta, I recommend adding a roof rack like the Rhino-Rack Roof Rack, # RR73MR. We also carry the more economical SportRack Semi-Custom Roof Rack, # SR1010. I have attached a link to all of the roof racks available for your Jetta for you to check out. A roof rack will likely have a higher weight capacity than the roof of your vehicle because the roof rack attaches near the door jambs rather than resting on the middle of the roof.

Once you have a roof rack installed, you can mount kayak carriers like the Thule Stacker, # TH830. The Stacker is one carrier that can hold both of your kayaks side by side. Check out demonstration video I attached on this carrier. You can also use 2 individual kayak carriers like the SportRack Kayak Carrier, # SR5511. Both of these kayak carriers carry the kayaks on their side giving you plenty of room on top of your vehicle.

expert reply by: John H

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Answer 1

The blocks measure 14-3/4 inches wide, but the ability to carry two kayaks on your roof will depend on many factors including the width of the kayaks and the available width of the roof or the load bars of the roof rack being used. The weight…

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Answer 2

You would only use 1 kayak per foam block carrier, #RL100K10. Stacking them on top of each other would cause some clearance and wind drag issues and could damage the kayaks. The blocks are not wide enough to stack kayaks side by side. You would need…

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Answer 3

The Universal Foam Blocks, #RL100K10, measure 14-3/4 inches long so there is space on the roof of your 2000 Jeep Wrangler to place 2 sets. However, what is going to be the limiting factor is the width of the kayaks because the center of the kayak…

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Answer 4

Yes, the Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier item #RR574 is compatible with the Rhino-Rack ROC25 Roof Rack for Naked Roofs item #RR73MR. The Rhino-Rack ROC25 Roof Rack for Naked Roofs item #RR73MR is confirmed to fit the 2013 VW Jetta sedan. This…

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Answer 5

Rhino-Rack Roof Rack for Naked Roofs - Vortex Aero Crossbars - Aluminum - Black Item #RR73MR is the correct fit for a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta sedan. You can try minute adjustments that take the rack outside of the measurements in the instructions to…

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Answer 6

Load range B trailer tires are going to have a lower capacity than C load range tires. Basically that, psi rating, and the ply rating are the only differences. A higher load range tire would last a little longer than lower load ranges of the same…

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Answer 7

If you check out the picture I attached you will see where I pointed out where the sticker is that has the VIN on the Yakima Rack and Roll trailers like the part #Y08106. If somehow the sticker is worn off or unreadable my contact at Yakima said that…

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Answer 8

The Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer part #Y08107 is designed primarily for lighter loads such as watersport accessories and cargo. These lighter loads require a more sophisticated suspension i.e. coilovers in order to ride smoothly. If you just need to…

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Answer 9

Since we have started carrying the Yakima Rack and Roll trailer #Y08107 I have not heard any complaints regarding the wheel bearings failing and only a few instances where people wanted to replace the wheel assembly. If you need to replace your…

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Answer 10

The Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer #Y08107 referenced in your question can be easily folded for storage in numerous positions, however the wheels themselves cannot fold flat. The wheels though can be easily removed along with folding the trailer to…

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Answer 11

The distance from the ground to the top inside edge of the receiver tube on the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver part #76138 while installed on a 2018 Mazda CX-5 is around 12-1/2". If you wanted to know what the distance is from the…

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Answer 12

Since you mentioned that you already have 1-1/4 inch hitch receiver accessories, if you'd like to stick with a trailer hitch that has a 1-1/4 inch receiver, I recommend the Draw-Tite Class II Frame Receiver Hitch #76138 after 2016.5 or hte…

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