Outdoor atorage

[squid013]

Anybody have any opinions about the Magellan rack that academy sells? I need to store my two boats in my backyard.

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[Neumie]

I think they are great for the price and was going to purchase one, but ended up building something in my garage with shelving for my camping gear.
Only limitation may be is how well really wide kayaks sit in the rack. I also wouldn't install the hooks for the paddles.

[impulse]

I'm not a fan of racks that support kayaks in 2 spots, especially out in the sun where they'll get hot and warp (oilcanning). Driving around Sea Isle, I see lots of kayaks stored outdoors that are completely ruined by heat and warpage. It's especially bad when the kayaks fill up with horizontal rain and get very heavy.

For half the money and an hour with a circular saw, pressure treated 2x4's and SST deck screws, you can build a sturdier frame with a cradle to hold each kayak along an 8' length to avoid deformation from pressure points. If you can't do it yourself, enlist a handy neighbor or 2 and do it together over a 6 pack.

[Neumie]

I'm not a fan of racks that support kayaks in 2 spots, especially out in the sun where they'll get hot and warp (oilcanning). Driving around Sea Isle, I see lots of kayaks stored outdoors that are completely ruined by heat and warpage. It's especially bad when the kayaks fill up with horizontal rain and get very heavy.

For half the money and an hour with a circular saw, pressure treated 2x4's and SST deck screws, you can build a sturdier frame with a cradle to hold each kayak along an 8' length to avoid deformation from pressure points. If you can't do it yourself, enlist a handy neighbor or 2 and do it together over a 6 pack.

The Academy rack uses 2" webbing to support the kayaks, which is sufficient. Depending on the kayak hull design a cradle of 2x4's may not offer sufficient support.
Also, depending on the manufacturer supporting the kayak in a cradle or runners like you describe may void the warranty. I know a lot of Hobie owners use 4"-6" PVC pipe to store their kayaks on, but in the Hobie Owner's Manual it explicitly states not to do so and it will void their warranty.

[squid013]

Ill be storing a cuda 14 and an older hobie . I may throw some pvc slides on it to rest them on. They will also be under covers to protect from the elements

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[impulse]

Here's some photos of a yellow Hobie and a red flat bottom expedition kayak on my 2x4 racks. (Sorry if the photos are sideways) You'll notice that over time, the 2x4s bend to conform.

You'd have a hard time convincing me that 2 points of lift by 2" wide straps would offer better support over the long haul when the Texas sun is heating up and softening the hulls.

I used to store my kayaks upside down (to keep water out) across 2x4's perpendicular until I saw how many kayaks were absolutely ruined in the Texas heat here in Sea Isle.

I can see where Hobie would deny warranty claims if you stored one on 2 crosswise PVC pipes since 2 perpendicular cylinders makes a tiny point of contact, and that basically describes the Hobies' protruding bottom laid across a PVC pipe. But if the pipes were lengthwise, I don't see a problem. Good news is that none of our kayaks are under warranty anyway.

BTW, I'm assuming the OP isn't on a canal, because nothing steel lasts very long down here in the salt air. I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. Just offering up inexpensive options that work well for me. One of my racks is actually built on the platform required to keep the A/C higher than Ike, so it just required a few 8' 2x4's and some deck screws. That's the side with the Hobie.

[squid013]

Here's some photos of a yellow Hobie and a red flat bottom expedition kayak on my 2x4 racks. (Sorry if the photos are sideways) You'll notice that over time, the 2x4s bend to conform.

You'd have a hard time convincing me that 2 points of lift by 2" wide straps would offer better support over the long haul when the Texas sun is heating up and softening the hulls.

I used to store my kayaks upside down (to keep water out) across 2x4's perpendicular until I saw how many kayaks were absolutely ruined in the Texas heat here in Sea Isle.

I can see where Hobie would deny warranty claims if you stored one on 2 crosswise PVC pipes since 2 perpendicular cylinders makes a tiny point of contact, and that basically describes the Hobies' protruding bottom laid across a PVC pipe. But if the pipes were lengthwise, I don't see a problem. Good news is that none of our kayaks are under warranty anyway.

BTW, I'm assuming the OP isn't on a canal, because nothing steel lasts very long down here in the salt air. I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. Just offering up inexpensive options that work well for me. One of my racks is actually built on the platform required to keep the A/C higher than Ike, so it just required a few 8' 2x4's and some deck screws. That's the side with the Hobie.

That is the long and short of what i has planned.

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[impulse]

The reason I'm so adamant about good longitudinal support for long term storage is because this is what happens to a Hobie that's stored outdoors on 2 crossbeams instead. It's on a 2x4 longitudinal cradle now, but the damage was done years ago before I built the cradles. This one belongs to my sister and it was on loan to a neighbor when I posted those other photos. It's a tandem barge so I doubt the "dimples" slow it down much, but they certainly affect resale value. I see this kind of thing all over Sea Isle and obviously not just on Hobies.

I cartop mine on crossbeams (saddles, actually) because there's no real good longitudinal options, but not for long term storage. Especially in the Texas heat.

[squid013]

The reason I'm so adamant about good longitudinal support for long term storage is because this is what happens to a Hobie that's stored outdoors on 2 crossbeams instead. It's on a 2x4 longitudinal cradle now, but the damage was done years ago before I built the cradles. This one belongs to my sister and it was on loan to a neighbor when I posted those other photos. It's a tandem barge so I doubt the "dimples" slow it down much, but they certainly affect resale value. I see this kind of thing all over Sea Isle and obviously not just on Hobies.

I cartop mine on crossbeams (saddles, actually) because there's no real good longitudinal options, but not for long term storage. Especially in the Texas heat.

Leave it bottom up in the sun and itll probably pop itself back out.

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[impulse]

Leave it bottom up in the sun and itll probably pop itself back out.

That sounds like a reasonable plan, so we've tried that. No bueno.

I've thought about building a temporary bulletproof cradle for it, filling it with water and leaving it in the hot sun, hoping the temperature and weight of the water would do the trick. I'm still open to that possibility if anyone has experience they can share. Maybe even start out with pre-heated water.
But I have this fear of making it even worse by overstressing the scupper holes and really screwing the pooch.