I bought the Jeep Sahara Unlimited Altitude Wrangler that we discussed last spring. I love it and I smile all the time that I drive it. Yes I am a Pavement Princess.
Great vehicle.
Now I have a conundrum.
I want to buy and transport a kayak. I have wanted one of my own for years, and heck, it is my birthday this week.
I smile when I kayak.
I went out and looked at them and I can get a 10 foot 38 lb injection molded cute kayak at a decent price to paddle around the lakes and streams in my area.
Problem. It is too long for my vehicle so I cannot stuff it inside. I cannot remove the spare to have it hang out the back, for that cannot happen. It is too heavy to remove, and it looks cute back there.
I am way too short to put the kayak on the detachable roof. It will never get up there. That is a fact.
I have a trailer but transporting the kayak in the big trailer that my son uses to transport big things like snowmobiles, lawn tractors etc. seems like overkill...and I cannot back up with a trailer. It is encoded in my female DNA to be unable to back up the trailer.
I have been looking at some of those little trailer-ettes that hang off the trailer hitch. They are little platforms that hang there and they stick out a bit. I am trying to see whether I can somehow strap a kayak to the back of the vehicle standing upright sitting on that hitch platform. Would this be a good idea. I would not be going on highways, just back roads here in the area. Never more that 50 mph.
I don't want to harm the Jeep, the kayak or anyone else.
Your technical advice would be appreciated.
Thank you!
chickensoup
Get a rooftop carrier rack.
Get an inflatable kayak
I hope you have a roof-rack. Otherwise, you will need a roof rack.
As for the muscle problem, that was difficult for my wife too, which is why she keeps me around.
An alternative, unusual for a kayak, would be a mini-boat trailer, but that too has its drawbacks (hooking up, license plate, makes backing up difficult, etc).
I hope you have a roof-rack. Otherwise, you will need a roof rack.
As for the muscle problem, that was difficult for my wife too, which is why she keeps me around.
An alternative, unusual for a kayak, would be a mini-boat trailer, but that too has its drawbacks (hooking up, license plate, makes backing up difficult, etc).
Er, hit send too soon - you can get a rooftop carrier rack of many different designs - some will also allow for a ladder to be mounted so shorter people can access the rack.
"I'm too short...Fact..."
"Cannot back up a trailer..."
my advice would be to buy or rent a male to do 1 of the above. Choose carefully. Some models of male are deficient in certain areas -- for example, I am a male, and I cannot back up a trailer either.
Do an image search on “kayak carrier”. Many types available, the ones listed for an RV look like what you want, and they fit in a standard hitch receptacle.
My friend is able to get his 8 footer inside his Suburu Forrester, have you tried to see if you could make it go into the Jeep? Not sure what kind of rear door it has, but lots of people carry 12’ kayaks in pickups and SUVs with the top glass down or open and the kayak sticking up at an angle.
It’s a challenge to get a rotomolded plastic kayak up on a roof rack, but if you go to sites like rackwarehouse.com you will find racks that load from the side, so all you need to do is lift the kayak up to about waist height. Unfortunately they’ll cost more than the boat! It’s not a bad idea to paddle with a friend(s) anyhow and many hands makes for light(er) work. Have fun!
I also have a Sahara Unlimited and use the Hullavator from Thule (https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/sport-rack/kayak-roof-racks/thule-hullavator-pro-_-1685448). It allows the kayak cradle to be lowered to the side of the Jeep. It also make putting it on the roof a piece of cake.
Just use a lot of duct tape.
There are a bunch of youtube videos on loading kayaks single handed, might be worth viewing.
...just keep in mind....if you cant tie a good knot....tie alot of em..
You like your Jeep and you want to go kayaking.
Easy.
Strap a kayak to each side and sit on the roof of the Jeep and paddle.
Make sure your windows are rolled up.
This may not appeal to you at all, and that’s fine.
I just saw it at an RV show on Saturday.
If you’re into the kayak for certain, then this won’t appeal to you. If you are still considering options, it may.
You’ll see it two places in the top graphic. One will have a man and woman in it. The other will show it folded down on the side of a motorhome.
Take care...
Something like this maybe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4zHcF9LIlU
Get a guy to take that cute tire off, and stuff it inside.
How I attack a kayak is, I wait until it’s good and dark and then I sneak up behind it and put a full Nelson on it.
A half Nelson will only work if you’re attacking a raft.
Bite the bullet. Learn to back a trailer!
Take the trailer to an empty parking lot and practice.
Prop yourself in the seat and turn your head around to see
With your own eyes how the trailer moves.
Good luck