Recommendation for Carrying 10 Foot Kayak on Roof of 2012 Hyundai Accent 5-Door

Question:

Im a middle-aged woman who just bought a 10-ft, 40-lb. kayak and need to carry it on the roof of my 2012 Hyundai Accent 5-door that does not have a roof rack. I will be driving on the freeway with the kayak on the roof. Ive been online and am overwhelmed by all the products. What do you recommend, considering my car, age, and gender? Thanks!

asked by: Mary W

Expert Reply:

There certainly are a vast number of ways to carry your kayak on your vehicle! I am happy to help sort through the options for you.

The first step to carry your kayak on the roof of your 2012 Hyundai Accent will be to add a roof rack. A great option is the Rhino Rack Aero Bar Roof Rack with Vortex Aero Crossbars # RRVA118B-2, 2500 Series Legs # RRRLKVA, and the Custom Fit Kit # DK289. These crossbars are designed with an aerodynamic shape and vortex strips to help cut down on wind drag and noise. I've attached an installation video of this rack on a similar Accent as yours for you to see the process.

One of my favorite kayak carriers is the Rhino-Rack J-Style Kayak Carrier, Folding # S512. This carrier will hold your kayak securely to the vehicle at a slight angle. The necessary bow and stern tie downs, as well as the kayak tie-down straps are included with this carrier. With the kayak properly secured to this carrier, you will be good to go traveling on the highway. I love how the uprights can fold down when you aren't carrying your kayak and that the carrier features built-in holders with rubber straps to secure your kayak paddle. This is the carrier I am planning on buying to carry my kayak around this summer. I've attached a review video of this carrier for you.

One caution I have about the Rhino-Rack Nautic Roof Kayak Carrier # RR570, that you referenced, is the antenna on the top of your Accent. Because of how high this antenna comes up, I worry that carrying the kayak flat may cause the kayak to contact this antenna. If the kayak is carried enough to one side or the other, it is likely the tail of the kayak will avoid the antenna. The J-style carrier avoids this possible issue since the kayak is only leaned partially down before resting on the carrier's back support.

One challenge you may run into is lifting the kayak onto the roof when you are by yourself. This is something I ran into when trying to load my similarly sized kayak on my small SUV's roof. Something to make this loading easier is the Rhino-Rack Universal Load Assist # RR-RUSL. This load assist will install on your Rhino-Rack crossbar and extend out to help load the kayak in more of a one-side-at-a-time manner. I've also attached a review video of this load assist so you can better see how it works.