Thread: Does anybody have body sliders.

Hi,
I used to use a cradle lashed to the roof bars. Straps were built in to the cradle and the buckle end strap had a loop of shock cord sewn in to hold tension.
I would add a bow rope if going any distance, and a stern rope if anticipating a highway run.
A securely mounted, well fitting cradle makes loading a breeze.
Cheers

A friend has a Seabear II Packhorse that he puts on an old patrol ute, he uses a cradle because the boat has so much rocker in it, it's quite hard to get off just racks. Every time we paddle together they take so much longer to get their boat from car to water to car. Perhaps they need to tweek their design a bit more.
I've thought alot about a cradle but I can't come up with a design that doesn't give me the same access problem when I need to tie the frame to the roof bars. The other thing that concerns me is that fully loaded with kayak and camping gear I am around the 100 Kg mark on the roof, the technical limit is 150 Kg (MY13), but the car just sways about so much I'd like to get some weigh off the roof.

My problem is when I have to tie off a boat on the drivers side, these body rails will give me the access I need and they are no narrower than the bumperettes that I swing off all the time. Despite the web site saying you can walk on them I'm not sure they won't buckle the side panel out when they are walked on.

Anyway as someone's by line says, "Keeping it simple is complicated".

Cheers Glen

I agree, despite the website claiming they are great for standing on, I reckon you are certain to end up with panel damage by doing so. I have similar frustrations carrying my wood-strip canoe on my 130, the rear canopy is probably 150mm higher than a 110 roof. getting the canoe up there is not so bad but tying it down involves acrobatics. I've taken to carrying a small stepladder when I am just out for a canoe outing but when I want to carry the canoe on a camping trip where the car is already full it is a real dilemma. A lightweight folding ladder that can be carried on the spare wheel would be great but anything that can be quickly deployed can also be quickly stolen.

I made my own cradles because everything commercially available was designed to fit roof racks, which I don't have on my canopy. I've put a ring on each side of the cradles so I can reach over the kayak and hook the tail of a short ratchet strap to one ring, and the business end of the strap on the other. I repeat all this on all four points to secure both kayaks.They are held rock solid and have been taken many thousands of k's. The little ladder is all I need to reach.
Don.