Can anyone recommend a roof rack and kayak saddles for my Prius V?

I used to have a 2008 Prius with a Yakima Permanent Rack with 4 permanent landing pads and one pair of saddle and one pair of rollers. The set up worked well for me as I can put one end of the kayak on the rollers and push it up. However, with the Prius V, you can't use the roller because of the high tail so you have to use two pairs of saddles. If the kayak is too heavy, you might need somebody to help to lift it up unless you buy an expensive side load system.


http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/yakima-landing-pad-6.asp
http://www.yakima.com/shop/water/top/landshark-saddles


One question, I plan to lower the seats and stick my kayak into the Prius V. Can you do the same? My kayak is a fishing type and is only 10 feet. Yours might be too long.

Good luck,

 

What brand fishing kayak are you using?
I am thinking this old canoe is too heavy and unbalanced in the water with just me in it fishing.
I have the older Saris rack which was so nice but they stopped making.
The Thule Aeroblade in another v post looks like it might be like the Saris rack.

 

I am using the sit-on-top Wilderness Tarpon 100 (10 feet). It is slightly small and I think the Tarpon 120 (12 feet) or even the Tarpon 140 (14 feet) are nicer depending on your height and weight. The guy in this pic is not me but the kayak is exactly the same (Tarpon 100).

 

...nice I looked at lots of YouTube videos. Seems like I might like the 100 because the 120 is 70-lbs so not too much lighter than my canoe. But looks like may do not offer the 100 anymore.

 

These are great! How are the landing pads fastened?

 

First drill two holes on the roof for each landing pad, then use two blind fasteners to fasten the landing pad down to the roof. There is a seal between the roof and the landing pad to ensure no seepage of water into the roof. When drilling do some research first to ensure that you don't drill into electrical wires or airbag components near the roof. When you buy the rack you will have full instructions.

 

Try craigslist, a lot of these kayaks are on sales for about half price as people bought them but have no time to use them.

 

Yikes. Drilling into the roof...

Research? Where would I go to find wiring diagrams?

These look great, but I'm hesitant. Drilling into the roof makes me very nervous. No fix points I take it?

 

Before drilling, I read one post from priuschat and that guy provided me the locations where he drilled so I just followed his lead. Just make sure you don't allow the drill bit to go in too deep and just hope.

 

And just hope! Hahaha! Love it. Thanks.

Can you provide a link to that post?

 

Here is your link:
Prius Permanent Rack Pads

 

Thanks Par. I'be never drilled into a car before.

 

Well... I decided against drilling into the car. I went with a Yakima Q set-up and round bars. VERY LOUD. I'm going to spiral a bungee around the bars tomorrow evening and try again. Should break up the harmonics.

 

Hi Para, you really got me close to fishing kayak purchase.
I've decided what I want is a kayak small enough to fit in my mini-van and close the back door.
That choice probably leaves me with 10-footer like your Tarpon 100, Malibu Mini-X, or the Lifetime Tandem.

Curious how you fit a Tarpon 100 in a Prius v? Are you closing the back hatch? For the minivan, if I put the front seat down I can possibly get a 11-footer in the car up to the front windshield, but would be hard.

At 9-ft the Malibu Mini-x is an interesting fit-in-the-car option and light weight option but I think Tarpon 100 is probably a better boat.

 

Hi Tracy,
I had the Mini-x before I switched to the Tarpon 100. The Mini-x is very stable, but it is quite slow. I like the Tarpon 100 with its built-in seat, it is a faster and overall a better fishing platform and it looks better. I recommend the Tarpon 100. I am 5'7" and weight 155 lbs and the Tarpon 100 is perfect for me. If you are taller and heavier it might be a little small.

Before I had the roof rack, I used to transport the Tarpon 100 by putting inside my 08 Prius. No, I wasn't able to close the back hatch. The Prius V is slightly longer but I still don't think I can close the hatch. I just tie the hatch down and since my house is only 6 miles to the beach, it is not too bad. I am not sure if you can fit the Mini-x inside your car or not. You have to try it.

 

Initially I was going to buy the Q towers for my 08 Prius but then I worried whether they are strong enough for two kayaks which weight 120 lbs produce a lot of drag. My fear is that the two kayaks, bars, and towers come crashing down onto the freeway and cause some major accident. I think they are probably safe but it would give me to much anxiety and thus I went with the permanent landing pads.

 

Thanks Par...afraid I tip the scales a little closer to 200-lbs. But I think the Tarpon 100 works. They have a large selection of Tarpon 100 on EBay and looks like its the cheapest option when you consider the extras he throws in, and I might go for a minor blemish discount. It is a little hard ruling out the Lifetime fisher looks like they hit on an incredibly flexible multi-person fishing 10-footer (way less pretty). Want to look at some first.

 

Just an update on the howling bars issue. I bought a black 42" bungee at Lowe's today and spiraled it around the front bar. Problem solved. I don't know if we will keep the racks on during the week. Too many variables to calculate a mpg hit right now, but I'm pretty certain it's there.