laneends wrote:i take anything cheater says as unspoken law..

AND DON'T YOU fORGET IT !!

peatop wrote: but then roofracks would do the same thing.

Roof racks drip sand and salt all over your car..

Good point Keith, i also didn't put forward that a well moded 6x4 could carry a multiple amount of kayaks, however would more than 2 constitute it being used out of the no rego limit for a 6x4. I like using my trailer for carting my yak around, and thinking about making some T bars to lift it of the frame.

peatop wrote:Good point Keith, i also didn't put forward that a well moded 6x4 could carry a multiple amount of kayaks, however would more than 2 constitute it being used out of the no rego limit for a 6x4. I like using my trailer for carting my yak around, and thinking about making some T bars to lift it of the frame.

The no rego limit is for total length from towball to end of any rear load to be less than 3m. Ie anything longer than a pool toy needs a registered trailer. Number of kayaks is not the issue. Most light trailers are designed to be just under so that they can be unregistered

peatop wrote:An interesting point for me is when is when is enough moding enough and you better just adding roofracks? I use a trailer to cart my yak around, and prefer it to roofracks, however it's not always convenient (parking issues), i have thought about making T bars for my trailer which would allow better transport for my yak and more room in the box for other equipment, but then roofracks would do the same thing.

This is a question I am asking right now. I have a tow bar on the jeep but wanted one for the Camry too, so we could tow the yak with either. But at $800 to $1,000 installed its curbed the enthusiasm somewhat. At that price I could get a nice set of roofracks plus side-loading assistance and still have change to spare. I'm inclining to the roofrack right now.

chrisw wrote: This is a question I am asking right now. I have a tow bar on the jeep but wanted one for the Camry too, so we could tow the yak with either. But at $800 to $1,000 installed its curbed the enthusiasm somewhat. At that price I could get a nice set of roofracks plus side-loading assistance and still have change to spare. I'm inclining to the roofrack right now.

that's true but how much does the rust repairs cost - or damage to the car by dropping the yak down the side - how much does a tow bar cost if you fit it your self

or even how much if you get one from a wreckers -- for example my falcon tow bar cost me $ 80 from a wrecker I know ford parts are cheaper than some - fitted it myself it wasn't brain surgery about an hours work

just a thought

Interesting subject lol.
Fitting your own towbar whilst for some an easy enough job and i would also recommend it, however it must be done properly, I've seen some home fitted equipment done very poorly, therefore dangerous not saying anyone here would do this.
Fitting a towbar can be very difficult or easy given they are one model suits all, meaning they are mass produced to fit to a brand new vehicle,
If that vehicle has been involved in an accident or been modified then the towbar will need modification, just something to give thought to before buying a new or second hand towbar for self installation, there are also different ratings on towbars so different fitting procedures.

cheaterparts wrote:that's true but how much does the rust repairs cost - or damage to the car by dropping the yak down the side - how much does a tow bar cost if you fit it your self

A Hayman Reese with electronics for the Camry is about $600 delivered, fitting is a few hours. Unfortunately many modern cars (mine included) don't tolerate splicing the trailer wiring straight into the indicator and brake lights as they monitor the current and will detect it as a fault. Hence the cost of a towbar has to include a $200 magic box that hooks into the wiring in a factory-approved manner ... this also makes getting one from a wrecker a little more complicated.

That said your comments about rust are a good point. If the Jeep was a little more reliable (it's 20 years old now and has a few idiosyncrasies - including no A/C) I wouldn't bother but as I was thinking of doing Eildon in January I guess I need to make up my mind.

If I do get a roofrack I guess I could reserve its use to only freshwater trips or the very occasional long-distance saltwater ones.

Never had an issue with rust while car-topping my Revo.

I had a 2003 Kia Rio and used soft-racks.

I used to give the car a quick hose-down after each trip. After a few years, never had any signs of corrosion.

Mike.

If you roof top, towel it down so its dry and any sand rubbed off. If its not wet it cant drip. Dont leave it on in the rain if you can help it so dry salt doesn't wash off. If its inverted then greater risk of water leaking out the hatches.