Of all the diy solutions I've watched, this takes the crown by 100 miles... exactly what I need to load a 41kg kayak on my suv. Thank you so much for sharing mate!!
Very slick! Good video and well presented. Great job. It would be difficult if not impossible to explain why there are those who would offer a thumbs down. It’s creative, cost effective, clever and simple. In fact far more clever but certainly not as simple as the ‘thumbs-down’ folks. And that may be the explanation.
Fantastic idea... I am 62 years old with back and shoulder problems and was just looking at ways to get my 12 foot Sportspal canoe onto my roof rack by myself. I actually thought of the same DIY set up but without the winch as I do not think I will need it. The rails should allow me to just slide the canoe up and onto the roof rack without any back lifting involved...same thing in reverse to take it off. I was thinking ABS for the rails however I like the idea of your PVC better as it can more easily be heated to mold the ends to securely attach the the roof rack ends. Bravo! and enjoy the $ 600.00 saved!!!
Exactly what I need my yak is 48kgs and I've got a stuffed back I might upgrade the PVC pipe but fantastic idea thx for posting this mate unreal 👌👌👌👌👌🛶🛶🛶🛶🛶
Dude! This is great! A lifelong paddler, I haven't had too much of a problem loading and unloading kayaks or canoes until recently when got a pedal kayak which is just too heavy and cumbersome to realistically (safely) get up there on a regular basis. I have the same outback too and essentially the same Aerobars, so I am going to look into making one of these. Thanks!
Hello. I live in Korea. I tried diy because it was too expensive, but it's not easy because I don't have any experience. I've been looking everywhere for information, and I've found this great information. Thank you. Also, thank you for sharing the detailed information. It's very helpful.
This is genius, thank you for sharing!! I am planning on getting a 76 lb kayak and really don't want to spend the hundreds on a fancy load assist system. This will help a lot when I go on solo trips!!
That's great to hear! Be sure to check out the link to the additional photos in the video description. They may help give some ideas on how to mount the winch and run the tow rope :-)
Nice! I've been thinking about something for getting my canoe on the top of my car. I'll definitely be makin one like this. Thank you so much for posting the video!
I've seen several ideas for loading kayaks, and this seems the best. I've made a few PVC archery bows with heat guns, and it really is an easy way to mold PVC pipes to any desired shape. I think a 1" X 2" board fits inside a 2" PVC pipe, which would give the pipes some extra strength.
Thank you very much for this. I have just finished making my rig and indeed it does work. There is a lot of load on the winch board so that has to be well secured and you need to ensure the design doesnt mean the winch handle fouls the roof rack. The securing point on the kayak is also important, especially at the bend at the top of the pipe, but the end result is having a back that still works for a change. The plastic pipes amazingly are fine with the strain and it is so easy to rig and de-rig. Great idea!
That's awesome! Well done Hugh! I found the build fun to create and it sure does help my back in the long run. Takes a litle longer to load and unload but it's well worth saving the back and shoulders. I've also found at public launches people are curious about it and willing to help which saves me even more time lol.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo I have been skirting round this idea but was thinking always of needing to use wood so your idea of pipe was the clincher. I used 40mm waste pipe and solvent welded a 135 degree bend and then a short bit of pipe to fit into the roof bars. I have friend who has been struggling loading his canoe and he is going to love this too. Being an engineer (or was anyway) I am still thinking up refinements so this will keep me amused for sometime yet. Thanks again and thanks for sharing.
@@hughprice1533 , That's great news and would be interested in any refinements you come up with. I had looked at securing the winch board with U bolts and painting it white to match the car but paddling season came about sooner than expected lol. After sticking with the bit of tow rope to secure the winch board I realized it actually kept from scratching up the crossbars and was still pretty easy to take off and on. However, I just leave it on the roof rack most of the time now since I paddle fairly often.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo Yep been there with the u bolts and like you gave it up. I noticed your lashing and decided if it worked for you it would certainly work for me. Being aged as well and as our paddling season has started here in the UK I set off for the first paddle and ricked my back. It was either find a different way of loading cheaply (paying money for these things hurts my finer feelings) or give up paddling. Thanks to you I have got the right option. The only real issue is the small section when the kayak comes off the tube and rotates onto the bars and I think the lead is all importnat there. I am using a sling at present so will experiment again tomorrow. The monsoon returns here for wednesday onwards but we need it. I will keep you posted!
Brilliant, Alan! I hope that sends a message to Thule and their $900 msrp Hullavators, which, BTW, is not one size fits all. Its advantages depend greatly on roof rack/vehicle height, kayak dimensions, user height and strength, and possibly knee condition. Love your can-do result! Would love to see a close-up of the PVC ends and how they hook into your rack. Thanks again!
I tried your idea without winching . Once the kayak is between both pvcs it’s easy to slide it all the way onto the racks.. I just acquired a 18 Necky fiberglass kayak and it easily slid to the roof rack
Thank you very much, you are an ingenious creative, thank you, my canoe weighs 79 pounds, but for the pvc to have more rigidity, cut a 2x4, and round the corners so that it could enter, with the help of a hammer, they are very good Thank you, it was very difficult to get it on the mini vans Dodge Grand Caravan, be sure to be creative and share it
That's pretty ingenius. And I appreciate it. For me, with a bad back, but not too bad, I use something a little simpler. 1. Back Subaru to the canoe. 2. Flipe the canoe upside down. 3. Pick up one end of he canoe, not the entire canoe---and sit that one end onto the racks. 4. Go to the back of the canoe, pick up THAT end and slide it on. I never lift the entire canoe, just one end at a time. But your concept and execution is the bomb, I admit.
I've used a similar technique for large canoes, but a flat canoe upside down is easier to manage than the slippery round kayak hull, just ask my side-view mirror.😕
Doing this tommorow! I live in Orange Beach AL. Low crime rate except when it comes to marine equipment and trailers. Professional thieves with bolt cutters would have my trailer 1st camping trip! Just got a 15' Trident and getting it on my Tahoe is impossible solo. This is my solution! Thanks man!!
Congrats on the new boat! That's a beast for sure by yourself. I may put together a short clip of the winch board as several people have asked for some specifics. It's pretty easy to figure out but making sure the tow rope is centered over the roof rack and to the center of gravity of the kayak is really the main part to work out. I also use some rubberized straps to hold the PVC rails to the roof rack as well if I'm traveling with a partner or a ton of gear. They need to be snugged down pretty good since the PVC is slick. Good luck on the build and thanks for the comment!
It's midnight and I'm still out measuring out things. So fired up about this idea! I'll let you know about any modifications and look forward to yours. Thanks again!
Awesome idea and video thank you. I made a similar contraption out of pvc but with no winch. I made two verticals similar to yours only I added a perpendicular piece to each vertical about waist high that sticks out 15”. I find it pretty easy to lift the boat waist high to the perpendicular’s and sit it there. Now I can lift with my legs and push the kayak onto my roof racks pretty easily. I use Yakima kayak holders. I use a marine grade bungee loop drilled through the top of each vertical to secure them to the Yakima holders.
@@susanbrogno2553 sorry I do not. Mine looks like an “H” looking at the side of the car. I used pvc T’s on the vertical pvc legs to connect the horizontal bar of the “H”. I did not glue the horizontal bar so it can be easily taken apart. The vertical legs of the “H” are spaced to match the roof rack bar Center to Center dimension. Right below the horizontal “H” bar I added another pvc T in the vertical leg with a 12” pvc glued into it. This 15” part sticks out and creates the place on each leg where you sit the kayak. All the legs are 1 1/2” pvc. I drilled hole’s through the top of each vertical leg and added marine grade bungee and that loops over my roof rack bars to hold the whole thing steady while loading the kayak. After winter is over I may get everything out and make a short video. This thing comes apart easily and fits in the back of the car for transport. It’s sturdy my kayak weights 56lbs and 14’-6” long and it’s pretty easy for me to load. I cannot load it without this loader.
@@Cad1900 Yup...this is exactly what I am going to make as I dont need the winch...just a way to roof load without using my back to pick up the canoe..Thanks!!!
@@Cad1900 So how do you get the angle at the top were the PVC joins the existing roof rack? What I refer to is once the 2 PVC side rails slide onto the 2 butt ends of of the roof rack, it needs to then be angled down on a 45 degree or so to meet the ground. I cant see from his video how he made that bend. He said he used a heat gun, but I think that was just to flatten the pipe a pit. How do you get the bend/curve? Thanks!
Nice idea. In going to try something similar. Btw you may want to tie down the front nose of the kayak so it doesn't catch wind and want to pull up. I've seen a kayak tear the rack off a car before. thanks for taking the time to post this video
Excellent job! Saved yourself a pile of $$$$. I have a Wilderness Systems Ride 135. It’s bad enough loading it on our suv, but it’s an absolute beast to put on top of our f150 ! We looked at Thule Hullivators but the price is ridiculous! I may make a system like this. Thank you for taking the time and effort for sharing.
Wondering why more people AREN'T doing this? I just bought a old town sportsmen 120 PDL and I top it on my jeep patriot but it's getting old lifting it! A trailer just isn't in the works at the moment..I'll have to play around with some ideas like this for my kayak.
Yes that seems like the best plan, and was what I had originally. But I found it was quicker to just crank it a few times instead of charging batteries, getting the drill out, placing it on the bolt and running the drill, and placing it back in the car.
The winch is nice. I just use block and tackle and pull it from the boat side (by hand) so I make sure it is sliding up evenly. Then I use the tailing end of the rope as the tie down over both rack rails.
Here are a few close-up photos that may help. Granted the measurements will need to be adjusted to each vehicle but this is the basic design - www.starpathimages.com/SPI-Ar...
I like your adaptation! Great solution. I'll may be trying to work out a canoe on top of a shuttle bus. Of course the 9'8" height is problematic. Maybe somehow a side mounted roof ladder as tracks and some type of aluminum trolley? Anyway, thanks for your share.
It works up and down! Find the center balance of your kayak and make sure it's aligned with the pulley and the middle of the top of the vehicle. I will admit being scared at first but trusted my measurements.
@@surfsot3305 , Heck yeah buddy. That's exactly the way you do it. Find that balance point and try to find the most level spot to load and unload. It takes a little longer but I don't have back issues anymore from lifting and that equals more time on the water. My hats off to you!
Thanks for sharing your solution. I've been putting off buying a kayak because I'm concerned I couldn't load it without help or spend a load of extra cash !!! I'm off to measure up now....
Go for it man! I was faced with the same dilemma and this has worked out really well. It really has helped me stay on the water longer and I have far less back pain at night. I often find that when I'm about to unload at the marina someone comes over to check out the system and they give me a hand in sliding it down the rails so I don't even have to hook up the winch line lol. Saves me about 10 minutes but when Im by myself its so worth taking that extra time to keep from hurting my back.
I'm a septuagenarian and just bought a 16' "scanoe". Unfortunately, I have to get it up onto a B2500 Dodge truck with a contractor's rack. This appears to be the best solution short of motorizing the winch!
Hi, Great and simple solution. My roof rack doesn't stick out from the side of the suv. This system is potable so that I can use it in the garage as well to store my kayak on the wall. This gives me a good starting point. Thanks.
I have the 60" aero style bars which definitely made it easier. The sidebars can be found fairly cheap but I just used mine from an old rear loader called the Showboat.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo Thanks for the fast reply. How did you determine the length of the pvc pipe? I figure I can flatten one end to bolt to a cross board for my roof rack. I will U bolts with the cross boards like you did with your winch board. My winch board will have to stick out so the winch handle clears.
@@jimd1720 , I basically just measured what I could still fit inside the car, but also create a slope that would decrease the weight of the boat on the end of the bars without straining the tow rope too much. But for a car or SUV taller than mine, they would have to be longer of course. When I heated the PVC pipe with the heat gun to create the oval bend to attach to the bars, I stuffed some wet rags to help keep the PVC from collapsing too much when creating the bend angle to reach the ground, although I think it was probably unnecessary. I did leave a couple inches of space between the ground and the pipe in case the ground was uneven where I would be unloading the boat. I originally thought about using bolts to attach to the bars but the friction fit of the flattened PVC pipe was more than enough to keep it from slipping off.
WOW!!! Great Idea. Yeah, those Kayak Lifters like the Yakima Showdown Kayak Lifter, the Nautic Rhino Rack Kayak Lifter and the Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Lifter are just so so super expensive. About 700 buck out the door. So how much did you spend total, under 100 bucks right? LOL. Your a genius Alan!
You did a most excellent job! Thank you so very much for posting and sharing. We dummies sure appreciate the entire RUclips DIY Community. Have a bless day Alan.
Brilliant Alan! Been looking for an idea for mounting on top of my RV and the boat winch idea could be just the ticket. Thanks for sharing. (Fellow North Stater here btw....)
great idea. well done. Im 5'4 and have a campervan and was wondering how id go about loading and unloading a kayak to the roof racks. i have seen these motorised ones before but not with the boat hand crank
Since my son started driving my very old easy to load crossover it left me with loading the yaks on my suburban. It has really caused me to cut back on the fishing. Just bought a tandem hobie 14' pedal drive that I think is 104 lb. I simply cannot load it alone and my wife standing 5'4" isn't able to help. Was looking at making a diy pulley system but the boat crank addition seems a bit of genius. Going to start on it immediately. Thanks for sharing!!!
@@giorgio.plazzotta actually I ended up lowering the back of my J-racks so the yak sits flatter. I got a $2 yoga mat and I put it on the back of the suburban, lift the nose of th yak up, and simply push it up. I think the only change is going to be a pvc track to ensure stability side to side. 15 or so times loading and no issues.
and just to kick the whole thing up a notch i may build it with a $70 electric winch from harbor freight. I have to get my Hobie Outback to the roof of my Ford F150/camper shell. Do you take the winch off when not in use to protect it from the weather?
I usually take it off if I'm not paddling that week, or if I'm parked in an area that it might get stolen. I was going to go with the electric winch system but when I tested the small manual winch it was plenty fast. I also was going to use a drill with the manual winch but by the time I could get the drill out of the car and get it attached, I could have the boat lowered on the ground anyway. So, for me at least, simple was the path.
I literally just lashed it to the bars with the rest of the tow rope. This way I didn't have to add any other hardware or mount. Holds perfectly. www.starpathimages.com/SPI-Archives-ClientGalleries/SPI-PhotoArchives/Kayak-Loader
Best idea ever for that i would use 4 pcs of pipe,2 smaller diameter ones go inside the 2 larger ones , 6 inches, drill holes at the junction, and use a pin or a 6mm bolt thru; then disassemble,easy to store in car edit; i have 2 small pcs of bar steel, 3/4 by 1/8th with a 6 mm hole , protruding from under the hood, on each side, to tie the nose of the boat down,i like to look at the 2 ropes while i drive no,i did not drill thru the hood, i removed one nut from the hinge,underneath, on each side,bolted the small appendix steel bar to it, comes up thru the gap,the hood closes without touching it, painted the color of the car, still everybody asks what is that,and of course they ask me to open the hood to see
Great innovation, thanks for sharing Alan. I'm going to build something similar but I have one question for anyone who has done this.. Does this lead to hull damage over time by friction in the same place? I'm thinking to make a wrap-around harness to avoid direct contact.
![How to Transport a Kayak: Solo Loading and Unloading [NO LOAD ASSIST]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/K90yRHQZFoM/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Transport a Kayak: Solo Loading and Unloading [NO LOAD ASSIST]](/img/tr.png)
Of all the diy solutions I've watched, this takes the crown by 100 miles... exactly what I need to load a 41kg kayak on my suv. Thank you so much for sharing mate!!
There is a much easier solution, search for boat on the roof ruclips.net/video/dt950vQP_AI/видео.html
That is the BEST kayak top loading system I have ever seen! Thank you for the tip....
Very slick!
Good video and well presented. Great job.
It would be difficult if not impossible to explain why there are those who would offer a thumbs down.
It’s creative, cost effective, clever and simple.
In fact far more clever but certainly not as simple as the ‘thumbs-down’ folks. And that may be the explanation.
well done i liked the narration instead of talking outdoors with wind noise while you are actually doing the operation.
Dude you rock! I am 47 and back is still good, and I want to keep it that way 😉Thanks
It's definitely helped me stay on the water longer. 🙂
Fantastic idea... I am 62 years old with back and shoulder problems and was just looking at ways to get my 12 foot Sportspal canoe onto my roof rack by myself. I actually thought of the same DIY set up but without the winch as I do not think I will need it. The rails should allow me to just slide the canoe up and onto the roof rack without any back lifting involved...same thing in reverse to take it off. I was thinking ABS for the rails however I like the idea of your PVC better as it can more easily be heated to mold the ends to securely attach the the roof rack ends. Bravo! and enjoy the $ 600.00 saved!!!
Exactly what I need my yak is 48kgs and I've got a stuffed back I might upgrade the PVC pipe but fantastic idea thx for posting this mate unreal 👌👌👌👌👌🛶🛶🛶🛶🛶
This is GENIUS!!! And it's exactly what I've been looking for to load my 17 foot Grumman aluminum canoe onto my minivan! Thanks for posting this!
My pleasure...it really works great!
Dude! This is great! A lifelong paddler, I haven't had too much of a problem loading and unloading kayaks or canoes until recently when got a pedal kayak which is just too heavy and cumbersome to realistically (safely) get up there on a regular basis. I have the same outback too and essentially the same Aerobars, so I am going to look into making one of these. Thanks!
Brilliant, can't beat minimalist engineering.
Great idea. This is the best method I found after days of search on the web. 👍👍👍
This is the best I’ve seen! Really no lifting. Congratulations and thank you.
Hello. I live in Korea. I tried diy because it was too expensive, but it's not easy because I don't have any experience. I've been looking everywhere for information, and I've found this great information. Thank you. Also, thank you for sharing the detailed information. It's very helpful.
This is genius, thank you for sharing!! I am planning on getting a 76 lb kayak and really don't want to spend the hundreds on a fancy load assist system. This will help a lot when I go on solo trips!!
That's great to hear! Be sure to check out the link to the additional photos in the video description. They may help give some ideas on how to mount the winch and run the tow rope :-)
Great idea! I’ve got a bad back but just took up kayaking and the worst part for me is the unload and load. PVC and a heat gun brilliant!
Excellent Job on that DIY. Thanks for sharing this.
Perfect - I have a lifted Jeep Wrangler, and at 44 hoisting my tandem kayak (85lbs) is a nightmare. This is a great solution.
I have a Jeep too. I'd love to see what setup you design if you can share a video somehow. :)
Nice! I've been thinking about something for getting my canoe on the top of my car. I'll definitely be makin one like this. Thank you so much for posting the video!
I really want to get a paddle powered kayak this year. I'm waiting for shoulder replacement surgery, and this will be perfect. Thank you !
Brilliant. It's often the simple solutions that work the best. Thanks very much for sharing your idea.
💙🤙👍
I've seen several ideas for loading kayaks, and this seems the best. I've made a few PVC archery bows with heat guns, and it really is an easy way to mold PVC pipes to any desired shape. I think a 1" X 2" board fits inside a 2" PVC pipe, which would give the pipes some extra strength.
Thank you very much for this. I have just finished making my rig and indeed it does work. There is a lot of load on the winch board so that has to be well secured and you need to ensure the design doesnt mean the winch handle fouls the roof rack. The securing point on the kayak is also important, especially at the bend at the top of the pipe, but the end result is having a back that still works for a change. The plastic pipes amazingly are fine with the strain and it is so easy to rig and de-rig. Great idea!
That's awesome! Well done Hugh! I found the build fun to create and it sure does help my back in the long run. Takes a litle longer to load and unload but it's well worth saving the back and shoulders. I've also found at public launches people are curious about it and willing to help which saves me even more time lol.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo I have been skirting round this idea but was thinking always of needing to use wood so your idea of pipe was the clincher. I used 40mm waste pipe and solvent welded a 135 degree bend and then a short bit of pipe to fit into the roof bars. I have friend who has been struggling loading his canoe and he is going to love this too. Being an engineer (or was anyway) I am still thinking up refinements so this will keep me amused for sometime yet. Thanks again and thanks for sharing.
@@hughprice1533 , That's great news and would be interested in any refinements you come up with. I had looked at securing the winch board with U bolts and painting it white to match the car but paddling season came about sooner than expected lol. After sticking with the bit of tow rope to secure the winch board I realized it actually kept from scratching up the crossbars and was still pretty easy to take off and on. However, I just leave it on the roof rack most of the time now since I paddle fairly often.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo Yep been there with the u bolts and like you gave it up. I noticed your lashing and decided if it worked for you it would certainly work for me. Being aged as well and as our paddling season has started here in the UK I set off for the first paddle and ricked my back. It was either find a different way of loading cheaply (paying money for these things hurts my finer feelings) or give up paddling. Thanks to you I have got the right option.
The only real issue is the small section when the kayak comes off the tube and rotates onto the bars and I think the lead is all importnat there. I am using a sling at present so will experiment again tomorrow. The monsoon returns here for wednesday onwards but we need it. I will keep you posted!
Brilliant, Alan! I hope that sends a message to Thule and their $900 msrp Hullavators, which, BTW, is not one size fits all. Its advantages depend greatly on roof rack/vehicle height, kayak dimensions, user height and strength, and possibly knee condition. Love your can-do result! Would love to see a close-up of the PVC ends and how they hook into your rack. Thanks again!
I tried your idea without winching . Once the kayak is between both pvcs it’s easy to slide it all the way onto the racks.. I just acquired a 18 Necky fiberglass kayak and it easily slid to the roof rack
I have been looking for a cheap easy system to mount my kayak. This is just perfect. Simple easy too make and use. Many thanks from my back.
That's what it's all about! Thanks for watching! :-)
Great idea and very clear instructions! I was thinking about buying a lighter kayak so you probably just saved me over $900.
Thank you very much, you are an ingenious creative, thank you, my canoe weighs 79 pounds, but for the pvc to have more rigidity, cut a 2x4, and round the corners so that it could enter, with the help of a hammer, they are very good Thank you, it was very difficult to get it on the mini vans Dodge Grand Caravan, be sure to be creative and share it
That's pretty ingenius. And I appreciate it. For me, with a bad back, but not too bad, I use something a little simpler. 1. Back Subaru to the canoe. 2. Flipe the canoe upside down. 3. Pick up one end of he canoe, not the entire canoe---and sit that one end onto the racks. 4. Go to the back of the canoe, pick up THAT end and slide it on. I never lift the entire canoe, just one end at a time. But your concept and execution is the bomb, I admit.
I've used a similar technique for large canoes, but a flat canoe upside down is easier to manage than the slippery round kayak hull, just ask my side-view mirror.😕
Thanks...I though I would be stuck with getting a under 50 lb kayak. I can now go bigger.
Doing this tommorow! I live in Orange Beach AL. Low crime rate except when it comes to marine equipment and trailers. Professional thieves with bolt cutters would have my trailer 1st camping trip! Just got a 15' Trident and getting it on my Tahoe is impossible solo. This is my solution! Thanks man!!
Congrats on the new boat! That's a beast for sure by yourself. I may put together a short clip of the winch board as several people have asked for some specifics. It's pretty easy to figure out but making sure the tow rope is centered over the roof rack and to the center of gravity of the kayak is really the main part to work out. I also use some rubberized straps to hold the PVC rails to the roof rack as well if I'm traveling with a partner or a ton of gear. They need to be snugged down pretty good since the PVC is slick. Good luck on the build and thanks for the comment!
It's midnight and I'm still out measuring out things. So fired up about this idea! I'll let you know about any modifications and look forward to yours. Thanks again!
Doing mine after watching your video.Already bought the winch nuts wood board etc ..thanx a loads
Excellet idea many thanks from Luleå north of Sweden
Awesome idea and video thank you. I made a similar contraption out of pvc but with no winch. I made two verticals similar to yours only I added a perpendicular piece to each vertical about waist high that sticks out 15”. I find it pretty easy to lift the boat waist high to the perpendicular’s and sit it there. Now I can lift with my legs and push the kayak onto my roof racks pretty easily. I use Yakima kayak holders. I use a marine grade bungee loop drilled through the top of each vertical to secure them to the Yakima holders.
do you have pics or a video?
@@susanbrogno2553 sorry I do not. Mine looks like an “H” looking at the side of the car. I used pvc T’s on the vertical pvc legs to connect the horizontal bar of the “H”. I did not glue the horizontal bar so it can be easily taken apart. The vertical legs of the “H” are spaced to match the roof rack bar Center to Center dimension. Right below the horizontal “H” bar I added another pvc T in the vertical leg with a 12” pvc glued into it. This 15” part sticks out and creates the place on each leg where you sit the kayak. All the legs are 1 1/2” pvc. I drilled hole’s through the top of each vertical leg and added marine grade bungee and that loops over my roof rack bars to hold the whole thing steady while loading the kayak. After winter is over I may get everything out and make a short video. This thing comes apart easily and fits in the back of the car for transport. It’s sturdy my kayak weights 56lbs and 14’-6” long and it’s pretty easy for me to load. I cannot load it without this loader.
@@Cad1900 Yup...this is exactly what I am going to make as I dont need the winch...just a way to roof load without using my back to pick up the canoe..Thanks!!!
@@Randy-ul5hy Great! LMN how it works for you.
@@Cad1900 So how do you get the angle at the top were the PVC joins the existing roof rack? What I refer to is once the 2 PVC side rails slide onto the 2 butt ends of of the roof rack, it needs to then be angled down on a 45 degree or so to meet the ground. I cant see from his video how he made that bend. He said he used a heat gun, but I think that was just to flatten the pipe a pit. How do you get the bend/curve? Thanks!
Genius contraption!
Nice idea. In going to try something similar. Btw you may want to tie down the front nose of the kayak so it doesn't catch wind and want to pull up. I've seen a kayak tear the rack off a car before. thanks for taking the time to post this video
Great idea, thanks for posting the video. Gonna get to work on mine, to get a couple hobies on top of my jeep.
Awesome idea. Your manual winch reminds of one for pulling a boat onto a trailer.
Great ingenuity, congrats.
Excellent job! Saved yourself a pile of $$$$. I have a Wilderness Systems Ride 135. It’s bad enough loading it on our suv, but it’s an absolute beast to put on top of our f150 ! We looked at Thule Hullivators but the price is ridiculous! I may make a system like this. Thank you for taking the time and effort for sharing.
All of these roof rack prices are way out of hand. That is for sure. Thanks for watching!
Wow Alan!!! That's an amazing video.
Thanks for sharing!
That would make loading and unloading the reload so much EASIER!!
THANKS MATE
really great idea mate best I have seen for a long time tidy job also got a pro reload magic boats
You're a Wizard!
I love this! I will try to recreate it. Thank you!!
Love the video-- extremely user pleasant and lots to see!
Brilliant! Thank you so much!😊
Wondering why more people AREN'T doing this? I just bought a old town sportsmen 120 PDL and I top it on my jeep patriot but it's getting old lifting it! A trailer just isn't in the works at the moment..I'll have to play around with some ideas like this for my kayak.
Great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you. This is awesome
looks great - i'm not getting any younger and my kayak weighs 64 LBs it's getting hard for me to wrestle it around TY
Way to go!!! Thanks for this video!
So glad I came across your video. 👍💯
great idea! Thanks for sharing!!
Super Nice. Suggest getting rid the hand crack changed out to just a bolt. Use a good electric drill to crank.
Yes that seems like the best plan, and was what I had originally. But I found it was quicker to just crank it a few times instead of charging batteries, getting the drill out, placing it on the bolt and running the drill, and placing it back in the car.
The winch is nice. I just use block and tackle and pull it from the boat side (by hand) so I make sure it is sliding up evenly. Then I use the tailing end of the rope as the tie down over both rack rails.
Genius! Well done that man. Would love to see more details on the winch system; another video maybe?
Here are a few close-up photos that may help. Granted the measurements will need to be adjusted to each vehicle but this is the basic design -
www.starpathimages.com/SPI-Ar...
I like your adaptation! Great solution. I'll may be trying to work out a canoe on top of a shuttle bus.
Of course the 9'8" height is problematic.
Maybe somehow a side mounted roof ladder as tracks and some type of aluminum trolley?
Anyway, thanks for your share.
Simple y práctico, es excelente!! Muy buena idea!! Gracias!!
Thank you for posting!
Great design! Thanks for sharing.
It works up and down! Find the center balance of your kayak and make sure it's aligned with the pulley and the middle of the top of the vehicle. I will admit being scared at first but trusted my measurements.
BTW Alan, you're my new best friend! Thanks for making my life easier.
@@surfsot3305 , Heck yeah buddy. That's exactly the way you do it. Find that balance point and try to find the most level spot to load and unload. It takes a little longer but I don't have back issues anymore from lifting and that equals more time on the water. My hats off to you!
Wonderful solution! Thank you for sharing
a million dollar idea
As an older single female, I need these rails; doubt I could mount a wynch but maybe I could push it up the rails. Thanks!😊
Very nice job, Well don.
Thanks for sharing your solution. I've been putting off buying a kayak because I'm concerned I couldn't load it without help or spend a load of extra cash !!! I'm off to measure up now....
Go for it man! I was faced with the same dilemma and this has worked out really well. It really has helped me stay on the water longer and I have far less back pain at night. I often find that when I'm about to unload at the marina someone comes over to check out the system and they give me a hand in sliding it down the rails so I don't even have to hook up the winch line lol. Saves me about 10 minutes but when Im by myself its so worth taking that extra time to keep from hurting my back.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo Thank you. Much appreciated.
I'm a septuagenarian and just bought a 16' "scanoe". Unfortunately, I have to get it up onto a B2500 Dodge truck with a contractor's rack. This appears to be the best solution short of motorizing the winch!
brilliant & I'm going to try it myself.
Thank you for the solution & idea.
Hi, Great and simple solution. My roof rack doesn't stick out from the side of the suv. This system is potable so that I can use it in the garage as well to store my kayak on the wall. This gives me a good starting point. Thanks.
I have the 60" aero style bars which definitely made it easier. The sidebars can be found fairly cheap but I just used mine from an old rear loader called the Showboat.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo Thanks for the fast reply. How did you determine the length of the pvc pipe? I figure I can flatten one end to bolt to a cross board for my roof rack. I will U bolts with the cross boards like you did with your winch board. My winch board will have to stick out so the winch handle clears.
@@jimd1720 , I basically just measured what I could still fit inside the car, but also create a slope that would decrease the weight of the boat on the end of the bars without straining the tow rope too much. But for a car or SUV taller than mine, they would have to be longer of course. When I heated the PVC pipe with the heat gun to create the oval bend to attach to the bars, I stuffed some wet rags to help keep the PVC from collapsing too much when creating the bend angle to reach the ground, although I think it was probably unnecessary. I did leave a couple inches of space between the ground and the pipe in case the ground was uneven where I would be unloading the boat. I originally thought about using bolts to attach to the bars but the friction fit of the flattened PVC pipe was more than enough to keep it from slipping off.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo Yea, That makes sense on the length. Thanks again
absolutely love it, great job
Brilliant idea... I love it! Oh BTW... I have an Outback just like that and same color too... LOL!
That was awesome. Great idea!
Brilliant,
Nice! Unfortunately I have the Jlow racks on my Suburu Forester.
Good idea... Thx for sharing mate😎
WOW!!! Great Idea. Yeah, those Kayak Lifters like the Yakima Showdown Kayak Lifter, the Nautic Rhino Rack Kayak Lifter and the Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Lifter are just so so super expensive. About 700 buck out the door. So how much did you spend total, under 100 bucks right? LOL. Your a genius Alan!
Thanks Rick! Yeah, it was about $50 I think. Granted, I already had the roof rack and crossbars.
You did a most excellent job! Thank you so very much for posting and sharing. We dummies sure appreciate the entire RUclips DIY Community. Have a bless day Alan.
very well done...well videod and great idea
Brilliant Alan! Been looking for an idea for mounting on top of my RV and the boat winch idea could be just the ticket. Thanks for sharing. (Fellow North Stater here btw....)
Well done!
Brilliant idea.
great idea. well done. Im 5'4 and have a campervan and was wondering how id go about loading and unloading a kayak to the roof racks. i have seen these motorised ones before but not with the boat hand crank
Great idea, thanks for posting :-)
It's any kind of High stretching kills my back for many days, OK at the time but later 😥 Good job, something to consider 👍
Brilliant. Thanks for sharing!
This is so awesome thank you
You are BRILLIANT! WWMD
Since my son started driving my very old easy to load crossover it left me with loading the yaks on my suburban. It has really caused me to cut back on the fishing. Just bought a tandem hobie 14' pedal drive that I think is 104 lb. I simply cannot load it alone and my wife standing 5'4" isn't able to help. Was looking at making a diy pulley system but the boat crank addition seems a bit of genius. Going to start on it immediately. Thanks for sharing!!!
did u succeed to use a similar thing with hobie tandem island? did u go with PVC?
@@giorgio.plazzotta actually I ended up lowering the back of my J-racks so the yak sits flatter. I got a $2 yoga mat and I put it on the back of the suburban, lift the nose of th yak up, and simply push it up. I think the only change is going to be a pvc track to ensure stability side to side. 15 or so times loading and no issues.
Man that is slick!!!
This is impressive
Awesome! Thanks!!
Badass !
and just to kick the whole thing up a notch i may build it with a $70 electric winch from harbor freight. I have to get my Hobie Outback to the roof of my Ford F150/camper shell. Do you take the winch off when not in use to protect it from the weather?
I usually take it off if I'm not paddling that week, or if I'm parked in an area that it might get stolen. I was going to go with the electric winch system but when I tested the small manual winch it was plenty fast. I also was going to use a drill with the manual winch but by the time I could get the drill out of the car and get it attached, I could have the boat lowered on the ground anyway. So, for me at least, simple was the path.
@@AlanHowellphotovideo how do install the manual winch
Awesome
Good idea
Howd you mount the winch to the roofrack? this is pretty dang ingenious!
I literally just lashed it to the bars with the rest of the tow rope. This way I didn't have to add any other hardware or mount. Holds perfectly.
www.starpathimages.com/SPI-Archives-ClientGalleries/SPI-PhotoArchives/Kayak-Loader
Best idea ever for that
i would use 4 pcs of pipe,2 smaller diameter ones go inside the 2 larger ones , 6 inches, drill holes at the junction, and use a pin or a 6mm bolt thru; then disassemble,easy to store in car
edit; i have 2 small pcs of bar steel, 3/4 by 1/8th with a 6 mm hole , protruding from under the hood, on each side, to tie the nose of the boat down,i like to look at the 2 ropes while i drive
no,i did not drill thru the hood, i removed one nut from the hinge,underneath, on each side,bolted the small appendix steel bar to it, comes up thru the gap,the hood closes without touching it, painted the color of the car, still everybody asks what is that,and of course they ask me to open the hood to see
Well done.
Great innovation, thanks for sharing Alan. I'm going to build something similar but I have one question for anyone who has done this..
Does this lead to hull damage over time by friction in the same place? I'm thinking to make a wrap-around harness to avoid direct contact.
None that I've seen. The PVC is pretty slick so it glides very easily.
Spray some roller door lubricant or similar on the pvc pipes for less friction.
Fabulous. Thanks!
Brilliant!
Thanks...good idea.
nice idea, thank you. i doubt if pvc will hold my 10ft aluminum but i'll try
Insert steel pipe inside the PVC
@@STho205 hm-m... makes sense. or just use steel pipe only...