# kayak racks/v bars



## kvin (Oct 15, 2008)

Hi, a motorhome novice here, just bought a swift gazelle F63 mainly to use at, and to go to, kayak races. 

We use marathon/sprint kayaks (20 feet or so long) and transport them on V bars (aluminium bars about 7 feet long with a V at each end) which mount on to thule roof bars on the car. And I need to mount three of them on the roof of the motorhome. I can buy a ladder, and roof rails, and cross bars... but help please as to how I get on the roof to get the kayaks on and to strap the front of the boat in to the bars. I can't presumably walk on the roof... so how do you access a roof box for example....

We've only tried the motorhome once - the day after we collected it - but hopefully will be out and about during the winter!!


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Kvin

Welcome to Motorhomefacts.

I am surprised that we don't seem to have anyone around who carries kayaks...maybe your thread needs a bump back onto the front page ...

this post should do it :wink: 

Mike


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## trek (May 1, 2005)

I do not see any reason why you cannot walk on the roof of your swift gazelle F63


I certainly used to walk on the roof of my swift royales (older model) to carry kayaks & windsurfers.

JUST DONT WALK ON THE OVERCAB BIT

I seem to remember Swift plonking a small car on the roof of one of their coachbuilts at one of the shows some time ago I assume to demonstrate the strength of the construction.


For ladder & rack ideas start with the Fiamma brochure

though its easy enough to make some roof rails & crossmembers out of lengths of box alluminium , just make sure it is all sealed where you bolt through the roof (I would use Sikaflex not silicone to seal the holes) I think I would also have an extra support in the middle of the cross bars just to stop the bars flexing down when you have these 3 boats loaded.

Friends have even made up small frames that extend slightly over the rear of their vans to enable them to slide their boats up onto the roof, you dont need a roller just some tubing perhaps with some foam protection on it.

Oh and dont forget the extra height of the van when the v bars are fitted or the boats loaded, as you dont want to run into some of these petrol station canopies or low bridges


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## freestyla (May 28, 2008)

Hi kvin

I am a windsurfer and regularly carry 4 boards on the roof of my Rimor Europeo 5. I am 88kgs and walk around no probs to lash them down.

Many of my friends have MHs too and they store kit on the roof.

I emailed Rimor and they say that for walking around, their roofs are weight rated up to 100kgs.

Suggest you contact Swift for the party line.

Hope this helps :lol:


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## AndrewandShirley (Oct 13, 2007)

We have surf kayaks that are bulky and not that light.

We spoke to our dealer who put some cheaquer plate up to make sure all was well with the roof.

Next we designed some J as opposed to V brackets, but am stuck on how to get them up there in my own. 

Those who I have met with canoes etc have said that once you learn how to put them up the second time is easier.

Best of luck


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## kvin (Oct 15, 2008)

I had no idea you could walk on the roof....had this image of plywood and thin sheets of grp that would simply collapse (this of course, thinking for a moment , ignores the way it withstands hurtling along the motorway at 70 without flexing......).  

So if you have a roofbox in the middle of the roof you climb up the ladder and walk over the roof to the roofbox (please excuse my ignorance)?


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## OldWomble (Jul 6, 2008)

kvin said:


> I had no idea you could walk on the roof....had this image of plywood and thin sheets of grp that would simply collapse (this of course, thinking for a moment , ignores the way it withstands hurtling along the motorway at 70 without flexing......).
> 
> So if you have a roofbox in the middle of the roof you climb up the ladder and walk over the roof to the roofbox (please excuse my ignorance)?


Yup, do it all the time! Oh, and its a great place to put the chairs and sit and watch the motor racing or whatever...


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## AndrewandShirley (Oct 13, 2007)

I spend alot of time on my roof with the sun chair and a can or two watching motor or horse racing or just admiring the female beach volleyball players!!!


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## kvin (Oct 15, 2008)

Splendid - I can see I have the right place to ask questions over the next few months!! Many thanks for the very helpful replies and information. I have an appointment to go see our local dealer (Webbs in Warminster) to discuss Fiamma bars and ladders (and new bike racks) and shall consider not even taking the credit card, to reduce temptation.


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## Senator (Apr 24, 2008)

Hi Kvin

As a fellow K1 (Jaguar) paddler I would be interested in how you get on with your dealer.

The thing that concerns me is that the car roof racks are generally stronger than the cross bars on motorhomes (certainly mine) and don't have such a wide span to cope with. When my boat is in the 'V' rack on the car roof, the boat is held firm. I would imagine that with the 'V' bar fitted to the M/H rails the boat and rack would move from the buffeting effect of the wind over the luton? So in your situation where you want three K1's up there the cross bars need to be fairly rigid.

I don't really need to move my K1 on the motorhome as my family think it is a selfish boat only suited to me, whereas they would prefer to have our Canadian on the roof. This gives me problems due to the shape of the boat when carried up-side down with the raised bow hitting the M/H roof. It's also a dam sight heavier to get up there! So I don't!

As others have already said I am sure you can walk on your roof, I do so on mine but only wearing flat soft soled shoes (trainers). Just don't venture past the luton to roof seam or you might end up inside the van!

Are you looking to carry K1's and K2's? Presumably with the K2 there would be a rear overhang as you will be limitied in position by the roof rail locations and the front of the boat hitting the Luton? So, do you need to put a red flag on the boats rudder when it's that high up?

Best regards
Mark


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## kvin (Oct 15, 2008)

*Carrying kayaks*

aaargh - having made several trips to Webbs, still no luck. It transpires that they can't find anywhere that they regard as secure enough to even mount the roof rails to put the kayak racks on.

They contacted Swift to see if they had plans that would show suitable mounting points and were told the van was too old (1999) and they didn't have plans.

So - does anyone out there have experience of mounting roof rails/roof bars on a Swift Gazelle F63? I might have to post a new message to check this out as unless and until I can mount some rails I haven't got anything to fix cross pieces and v bars to!

Any information gratefully received.

In the meantime we've had out first trip away in the van in wales and enjoyed the snow on the Brecon Beacons. Glad to report the heating worked well!


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## kvin (Oct 15, 2008)

*Carrying kayaks*

An update in case anyone is interested - thanks to this forum we got in touch with Marquis in Chievely (Newbury) and took the van to them to look at and they have fitted roof rails and bars to which we can attach the kayak racks. Plus a ladder to get up there. All very neat and secure and we have had a weekend at the National Sprint Championships in Nottingham, travelling there and back with a racing kayak on the roof and no problems.

This coming weekend is a bigger challenge, supporting a crew doing the Devizes Wesminster Kayak race, 125 miles. As its a junior crew they do it over 4 days so we will be with them with the motorhome though they have to camp overnight. Hope the weather is dry and not too cold!


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## Senator (Apr 24, 2008)

*Re: Carrying kayaks*



kvin said:


> An update in case anyone is interested - thanks to this forum we got in touch with Marquis in Chievely (Newbury) and took the van to them to look at and they have fitted roof rails and bars to which we can attach the kayak racks. Plus a ladder to get up there. All very neat and secure and we have had a weekend at the National Sprint Championships in Nottingham, travelling there and back with a racing kayak on the roof and no problems.
> 
> This coming weekend is a bigger challenge, supporting a crew doing the Devizes Wesminster Kayak race, 125 miles. As its a junior crew they do it over 4 days so we will be with them with the motorhome though they have to camp overnight. Hope the weather is dry and not too cold!


Thanks for the up-date!

Would be intrested to see any pictures you might have!

Good luck with the DW at Easter, done the race myself 3 times and support car about 10 times!

Mark


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## 112162 (May 12, 2008)

Oh how my support crew would have loved a motorhome when I did the DW as senior ladies K2 1987. They wouldn't have had to nip home (Maidenhead) to top up the hot drinks.
I will be thinking of you all out there in the dark.
Enjoy it - it is great!


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