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Made a mod to my landing gear (sidekick) for taking the kayak off the top of the truck!
The issue I had was that the angle coming off the top of the truck and the loader (Will I loader) meant that the rudder on the kayak was taking on the weight of the kayak as I set the one end down. The rudder has no where to go so it is at risk of breaking/bending. I was told to use a piece of carpet from the shop I bought it from, but they don't understand the situation with kayaks with rudders below the kayak as the Native has.
So I experimented with different options and I think this works the best with a simple exchange of bolts with a lever system that unlocks the screws on the sidekick system so that I can adjust the whole sidekick system to the very rear of the kayak. The wheels touch the ground before the rudder does and now protects the rudder.
Might be helpful for others who are in the same situation. Just FYI, for local short trips I use a simple bed extender, but for long trips I like to top load my kayak for safer transportation.
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I saw the winch in your rear trailer hitch to remove the kayak in your last post. Very nice.
So is the landing gear system different? Can you fit your truck with kayak in the garage? Does this system lift the kayak to store on the ceiling?
I try to keep my kayaks light and use a set of tie down straps to store. Here's how I got it home the first time LOL
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McGuyver at work! Excellent solution.
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George,
Yes, the truck fits in the garage with the kayak on it. The lift system I use to load on the truck is a pretty neat design by an aussie that uses a pneumatic strut that gently lifts the weight of the kayak for me as I control it from the back end. It's basically a second set of hands and I'm able to get it above shoulder level quickly and then I simply push to get it on the top rack.
The landing gear is the same from the company, I just as ernie said "McGuyver'd" it to be easy to shift to the very rear of the yak so it doubles as support so the yak doesn't sit on the rudder as I unload it. Then I simply loosen the bolts with the levers and push it back to the center so I can wheel it where I want to go.
The lift I use in the garage is a harken lift system that uses pulleys, so it's basically a 4 to 1 ratio for lifting.....easy to get to the ceiling with little effort. I can load and unload from there. I practice the load and unload from the ground to be realistic about it's uses when I go out. After a long day...the last thing I want to do is struggle with loading.
I remember you use your jeep and you have a great use for light kayaks. My priority was to be stable and stand on the yak, so the heavier ones tend to provide that. I don't want a trailer, so I'm against that.
Last edited by backtofuturetoyota (Apr-15-24 8:50AM)
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I really like your lift system. Will keep that in mind for the future. Thx for sharing
I'm with you on the trailer. It can be a PIA at times. imho - better option than getting a full body rack for the Jeep and at the time was cheaper than getting a hard top and yakima racks - since I already had the trailer.
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added a short vid on the garage lift so you can see it clearly
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Nice job on the install. I really like your garage light.
Here's a pix of my low-tech set up using straps and bicycle hooks. The weight of the kayaks are supported by the straps.
My son doesn't like the way the handles of the kayak are hooked up via soft-tie straps I made so he sent me a Juri-Rig strap. Only problem is I need four LOL
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