Carrying Four Kayaks On A 2003 Chevy Tahoe

Published 05/10/2021

Question:

Were a 4 person family of kayak beginners. 3 kayaks are 8foot and one is 10. how many Thule The Stacker do I need to transport 4 kayaks? I understand the two stackers in the middle one front, one back. Im not clear what I need on the outside of the kayaks to hold them in place. Also, how wide do my cross bars need to be to accommodate all four? Do I need any additional accessory packs?

asked by: Mary

Helpful Expert Reply:

Let's see if we can get you to the water safely using just one vehicle. The Thule The Stacker, part # TH830, will accommodate up to four kayaks; two per side. You will be using two sets of straps for each of the stackers, two for the stacker on the first crossbar and two for the stacker on the second crossbar. You will need a minimum cross bar spread, that is the distance between your crossbars, of 24".

Your bars need to be wide enough for two kayaks on each side of the stacker with enough room to run your straps from the stacker, around the kayaks, to the inside of your towers, around your crossbar. Your crossbar length will probably not be the limiting factor, the weight of the kayaks will be.

If your rack is an aftermarket rack the weight you can carry on the roof of your vehicle would be your rack's weight limit - the weight of your rack = the weights of your four kayaks and tie down straps.

I have attached a video below

expert reply by: Mark Smith