[mhicanders]

What is the best way to transport a kayak on a 2013 3 piece hard top wrangler?

Advanced Elements inflatable kayak in a hitch basket. Roof isn't designed to support any weight, I know people do it though so perhaps someone will provide pics/ideas.

 

[bberck]

Put a Yakima roof rack on mine for my bike racks.

 

[Espo78]

You will get a lot of differing opinions on this one. Do you want a permanent rack or something that can be removed? There are a ton of options out there depending on your budget. If you only plan on hauling a 60lb kayak then personally I would install some Thule or yakima rails into the top.

 

[LC Yakr]

Body Armor Rack w/Thule Rack

This was my setup on my 2007...which I no longer have. The only downfall is that it is a bit noisy.

 

[cc4005]

I use a similar setup to the Thule and Yakima tracks with load bars, although mine is Rhino-rack. I don't use kayak carriers for my low-end sit on tops...just ratchet straps. For a factor of safety, I also run a rope through the bow eyes and down just in front of the mirrors to the rock rails.

 

[hillshmill]

When I first got my Jeep last summer and didn't have a roof rack for it yet, I was able to just strap my kayak right on top of the roof. I have a flat-bottomed boat, so that made it really easy...just threw a few towels underneath and strapped it down tight. Now, I have a Yakima roof rack that clips in under the roof where the doors close. It's removable and I only install it when I'm taking my kayak or surfboard out. Of course, if it's a nice day, you can just take the entire top off and strap the boat to the Jeep cross bars. That's my plan for Sunday.

 

[Espo78]

Keep in mind that using ratchet straps will allow you to overtighten the strap and it could deform/damage your kayak. Use cam buckle straps to prevent this. I looked all over the web for some good cheap cam buckles but ended up finding the best deal at walmart of all places. $20 bucks for 2 cam buckle straps, 2 bow/stern ropes and some foam V pads for carrying on top of a car. All I'm using is the cam buckles but it still came out cheaper than anything I could find online with shipping added in.

 

[Bolter303]

Here is a link to the way i have to carry mine. It weighs around 100 lbs and is hard to lift by myself. Let me know what you think.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/transporting-a-kayak-on-the-jeep-592010.html