I'm trying to buy a surfboard and since I'm a beginner I am using long boards. Trying to see if anyone can tell me whether I can transport a board on the roof or if there is another method to move a 8-9' board.
I have a set of those soft racks. The cheapos that strap THROUGH the car, actually over your head and back out the other door. I used to use soft racks that had hooks on the ends that grabbed the drip rail. Currently, I have a set of those Yakima racks as shown in the picture above I have been trying to sell. They are hard racks, and have key-locks to keep them on the car. I haven't used them in years, since my new cars are 1) a convertible, and 2) a pickup truck.
I haven't done too much cosmetic to the car, it's in decent shape as far as paint, some bubbles in the classic areas but otherwise decent. I'm not too worried about getting salt water or dirt on the car. But getting a another car like a truck of course is a sweet idea. . . now you got me thinking but I think I'll stick with the mav for now. Scoop, gonna look into your PM.
how bout take the back and passanger seat out and slide it through the trunk, iff you still need room, bungy the trunk. now if your bringing people too, take a mini van or an suv
i concur with the rail grabbing roof rack cause if mounted on a small rubber piece they should be fine for board or skiis and then when you have the board strapped on it
I didn't know they make soft racks that grab on the rails. that would be ideal. gotta look into that.
As I mentioned in your PM, those soft racks are hooked to the drip rail and are cinched down firmly onto the roof. Then you set your board on the soft foam doohickies (squared ones are better than round ones) and then another strap cinches the board down onto the first strap and the foam. But, this is in essence pulling your surfboard down onto your roof. So now you have 20 lbs of surfboard sitting on your roof, then straps pulling it down with another 10 lbs of pressure or so, and then if you get on the highway or get hit by wind, that board will pull up and down and further pressure the roof. It will most likely crease the roof where the foam pads are. The square pads will spread that pressure a ltitle more evenly, but the round ones will basically just press down on a sharp line across the roof X2. I am not just trying to sell you my hard racks...I am trying to let you know the potential damage that can occur, and to keep an eye on it to catch it if it starts. Hopefully, the old mav roof is thicker metal than some of the the trucks and japanese cars I used to use them on.
I was not suggesting the soft one, the ones that are a SOLID bar mounted to your drip rails is what you want. all of the weight should be held by the drip rail, none of it on the top of your roof. even a pickup or suv is thin sheet metal there.... drip rails can hold the weight of two mountain bikes without bending, a surfboard or skiis will be fine. i think i am agreeing with scooper on this one....
I have a set of Yakima racks I was offering him. He would have to purchase the part that goes between the rack and the drip rail, but the rest is there, including 2 bike holders, locks, etc. I think he can get those drip-rail grabbers for $25 or so off ebay. Then he would have solid racks that hold everything above the roof, and these are rated to hold 200 lbs. I had them on a Nissan Sentra for years, hauled boards, canoes, lumber, whatever I needed, before I had a truck. Then when I sold the sentra, I loaned them to my mother in law for her car, but it "drowned" in a hurricane a couple years ago, so the racks are just sitting in her garage right now. I would never use soft racks except on something old and big, like an impala or something from the 60s with thick enough metal that you could stand on it without denting it.
wow, ok I wasn't thinking about all that . . . maybe I should go with the hard racks. still for sale?