Options for Transporting Kayaks on 2014 Chevy Equinox with Raised Roof Side Rails  

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We can help you with options for transporting your kayaks on your 2014 Chevrolet Equinox that has front-to-back roof rails but not crossbars.

If you are looking to take the two kayaks just down local roads to a nearby pond, for example, you may want to consider the most inexpensive option, foam block type carriers that do not even require a roof rack. These rest directly on the roof and are a great cost-effective solution if you're not doing highway driving with the boats and so long as they are not very large fishing or ocean kayaks. Foam carriers also offer the distinct advantage of being very lightweight, so almost all of the car's roof weight capacity remains available for your kayaks; an aftermarket rood rack and two rack-mount kayak carriers could easily weigh 40-lbs in total. If your boats' total weight is close to the car's limit then this matters.

For example, Malone's Foam Blocks # MPG152 features non-skid blocks that provide a platform to hold your boat hull side down. All such foam carriers are shown on the linked page.

On the other hand, if you're doing a 100-mile highway drive to reach your kayaking destination, or if you have very valuable kayaks, you will want to consider installing a roof rack and using a more stable rack-mounted carrier like the Thule Stacker # TH830, one of which can hold from 1 to 4 kayaks.

To mount the Stacker on your roof you will also need to install crossbars. For your roof configuration with raised side rails only you can use the Thule Wingbar Evo kit consisting of parts # TH711200 and # TH710401. These specialized aerodynamic bars make much less noise than basic round and square bars and they work great with the Stacker. This rack offers the highest weight capacity for your vehicle, 165-lbs. All roof rack options are shown on the linked page.

I also include a helpful article concerning kayak carriers that may be of interest.

Last, I suggest you might want to consider a simple accessory step # TE97FR which gives you a foot of extra reach to make loading and unloading your rooftop cargo a lot easier. It's also a great garage accessory when you're home.

expert reply by: Adam R

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