Is The Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer Suited For Long Trips/Highway Driving?

Updated 05/18/2026 | Published 04/30/2026

Question:

I have the Yakima Rack and Roll with the added tongue extension. I carry 2 fiberglass sea kayaks and one fiberglass solo canoe. That’s about 140 pounds total. Plus a spare Yakima tire mounted to the frame. So around 20 pounds. I’ve had it for about 5 years, purchased from e-trailer. I love, love it! I’m planning a trip from Raleigh NC, to Albany NY. All expressway driving at 65 mph. I’ve made my own light extension system, tied into the trailer lights. Is that too long of a trip for the trailer? BTW love e-trailer! You might recognize your light strips. lol.

asked by: Jim R

Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer
(click to enlarge)

Expert Reply:

Hey Jim, thanks for writing in, and thanks for the pictures, I love what you've done with that trailer! Oh and thanks for your kind words, we love you too.

You’re well within what the Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer # Y08107 is built to handle. The Rack and Roll is designed for highway use and long-distance travel, and what you’re carrying is actually a pretty light load for it. Even with your boats and spare, you’re still comfortably under its capacity, so from a weight standpoint there’s nothing about that trip that’s going to stress it.

At that point it just comes down to making sure everything is dialed in before you go. Check your tire pressure, give the wheels a quick once-over, make sure your straps and mounts are tight, and verify your lights are working clean with that extension setup. If all that looks good, a Raleigh to Albany run at highway speed is no problem at all for that trailer.

Are you going to be doing any fishing? Or more just leisurely kayaking?

expert reply by: Jesse M

Jeff H.

5/5/2026

I agree with the expert - we took ours loaded with 2 bikes and 4 kayaks (or something like that) :) from Ohio to Assateague Island National Park on interstates the whole way. My daughter was pulling it with her Pathfinder at highway speeds and never had any issue with with trailer at all. I was pulling our travel trailer separately. Highly recommend it!

Bob G.

5/5/2026

I've had my Yakima Rack and Roll trailer for over a year now with great success. My wife and I have 2 17+' sea kayaks and take them often to local N FL springs, some times with the addition of friends' boats. I mounted two Yakima Big Stack folding towers along the center line and lash the kayaks on their rails (the edge), deck towards the outside, bows up front. I always use NRS 1" straps w/metal buckles to secure the load from the Big Stack and under the cross bar. I removed the cross bar and cut a foam pool noodle length to fit, then carefully sheathed the cross bar with the noodle, placing the Big stack in the center and reattached the cross bar - works like a charm! People often come over to look the trailer over at boat ramps and remark on the great design. One word of caution - if the trailer 'lives' outside (mine is garaged), you might want to store your spare under cover. A friend who originally turned me on to this cool trailer, had a flat tire one time only to find that the hub bearings of the spare were corroded and had seized up. And remember to bring a jack and 21mm wrench to remove the wheel. The trailer handles very well at speed and we often use Interstates for travel. Just be careful with potholes and bumps as the light weight of the trailer may cause wheel hop. Happy paddling!

Jesse M.

5/5/2026

@BobG Thanks for sharing all that detail, Bob, that’s an awesome setup you’ve got dialed in. The pool noodle trick on the crossbar is a great tip, and it’s good to hear how well the Rack and Roll is handling those longer kayaks and highway trips. Really appreciate you calling out the spare tire bearing issue too, that’s the kind of real-world insight that helps a lot of people avoid headaches down the road. Sounds like you’ve got it figured out, happy paddling!

Himr

5/17/2026

@JesseM thanks for your replies everyone! This is a great thread to keep going ! I’ve dialed in and ready for the trip in two weeks! I did remove the axle bolts and greased them. Minor adjustments to weight distribution, my tongue weight is 49 pounds. Improved my DIY lights to bring them even further aft. Cockpit covers. Flag in case my lights don’t grab drivers attention. I went with 37 pounds in my tires and spare . I did increase the shocks 2 notches tighter. Now it rides extremely well. I’ll let you know how it goes! Keep this great thread going!