We recently crossed a milestone at our house. We are no long a minivan family after almost 18 years of having one. This makes the wife quite happy and she really likes her new Kia Soul.
However, I lost my way to haul stuff home from Lowe’s.
So, I got to thinking and looking. I just can’t justify a truck…
So I decided to see what I could do with my roof rack on my Kia Rio. I have a rack that I use for my kayaks, so it was just a matter of ripping a 2×6 I had laying around in half, drilling a few holes and and using some of the rack hardware. I added some small pieces on the end to be an extra tough agains the plywood sliding.
Worked great on it’s maden voyage.
3 sheets 3/4” plywood and 4 2×4’s safely home. I even got a complement from someone in the parking lot on my ingenuity. Load was very solid.
However, I do only live about a mile from my nearest Lowe’s, so my top speed loaded was only about 40. But I think it would perform at highway speeds, as long as the sheet good were thick enough to not “flap” in the wind.
-- Grace & peace, Chris+
8 comments so far
Roger
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9482 posts in 1001 days
#1 posted 157 days ago
All you need is a rocker up thar…. Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. It works.
-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net
HerbC
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782 posts in 1057 days
#2 posted 157 days ago
I used to use a Subaru sedan (back in the early eighties) to haul 16’ 1×12 whitewood 40 miles on Interstate 95.The most we ever hauled was twelve of them strapped to the top of the car. It could get a bit scary at moments. I had a few times I thought we were going airborn…
Be Careful!
Herb
-- Herb, Florida - Here's why I close most messages with "Be Careful!" http://lumberjocks.com/HerbC/blog/17090
Bigrock
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169 posts in 1160 days
#3 posted 157 days ago
Please watch the load and speed.
I have had to look at too many pictures of accidents where people have been carring stuff on top of cars and vans.
redryder
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1616 posts in 1299 days
#4 posted 157 days ago
I’m impressed. You have tie downs I usually just have the family hold the stuff down with thier arms out the windows. Sometimes they can be such a bunch of whiners…...........................
-- mike...............
Chris Moellering
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206 posts in 845 days
#5 posted 157 days ago
Thanks all. Yes, I’m careful. 3 sheets of 3/4” is the limit of what I’d put on it. I’ve been hauling stuff on roof racks since I got my license. I only ever had one mishap, carrying some folding tables once and had to get on the brakes hard for something. of the three tables I had, the one in the middle slid significantly forward. Lesson learned.
If I was going to haul on this setup farther than the mile to Lowe’s, I’d probably add a strap from front to back just in case of such contingencies and to minimize any flapping in the wind.
-- Grace & peace, Chris+
Ross
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84 posts in 170 days
#6 posted 157 days ago
In reference to Roger’s post http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0_XAPku7SgE
-- "Man Plans and God Laughs"
clieb91
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2711 posts in 2132 days
#7 posted 157 days ago
Another good solution to a problem encountered by a LumberJock.
CtL
-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."
DIYaholic
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7575 posts in 872 days
#8 posted 157 days ago
Yeah, any further I would suggest strapping the front of the load to the front bumper, to prevent it from flying up and over. The car that is, it’s light!!! Lol. Serious about the strapping!!!
I happen to have access to work trucks: 1/2 Ton PU, a 1-Ton PU and a dualie Dump Truck, along with 16’ & 22’ trailers. But should I need to, your arrangement would work on my “Cute Ute” Mazda Tribute.
-- Randy-- I may not be good...but I am slow!
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