Can 4 Kayaks be Carried on a 2013 Chevy Traverse with Factory Roof Rack

Question:

I have a 2013 Chevy Traverse with the factory crossbars. I’d like to either be able to carry 3 Kayaks 1 tandem and 2 single or most likely 4 single kayaks. Any recommendations or kayak length I need to consider?

asked by: Greg V

Helpful Expert Reply:

I did some checking and according to the owner's manual the 2013 Chevy Traverse factory roof rack has a 200 pound capacity. That is really good for a factory roof rack! What that means is that the combined weight of everything loaded on the roof rack cannot exceed 200 pounds. If you do not already have kayaks then keep this number in mind.

Getting 4 kayaks on a roof rack, especially a factory roof rack, will require every inch of space available on the bars. Ultimately you may find that you can only get 3 on there but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Basically you will have to carry the kayaks on their sides. So if you add up the height of all the kayaks the total will have to be less than the overall useable length of the crossbars.

Since you want to carry at least 3 kayaks I recommend using the Thule Stacker # TH830. It can support up to 4 kayaks. You will also need some additional bow and stern tie downs, # TH855XT, since you will be carrying multiple kayaks. I have linked video reviews of the Stacker and tie downs for you.

expert reply by: Michael H