Re: [Paddlewise] vehicle for sea kayakers

I've been watching this discussion for a while and thought I'd mention,
again, the option that I settled on after quite a while of loading boats
onto vehicle roof racks. There are various systems for loading onto the
roof that can make it pretty easy. The problem is that anything on a
roof rack increases the drag of the vehicle due to increased frontal
area and also increases the effect of side winds on vehicle stability.
Wind resistance (drag) increases as the square of the speed increase. At
60 wind resistance is 9 times what it is at 20 mph. On a long trip on
freeways the drag is really, really significant in the effect it has on
gas mileage. Most of us have noticed the effect of a 20 mph headwind on
our paddling energy expenditure. :-) 

A while ago I decided to quit doing that and bought a SportRig trailer.
It is light, has an excellent long travel suspension that handles
freeways and jeep trails equally well. It travels in the "Draft"
position behind your vehicle and doesn't cause any noticeable effect on
your gas mileage. You never have to lift the boats over waist high and
you have a net load limit of 250 lbs, roughly 4 kayaks. I used to pull
two kayaks behind my Honda del Sol and didn't notice that they were
there except when I looked in the rear view mirror. There are lots of
suitable trailers, the SportsRig just happens to be the one I chose
because of weight and suspension considerations. Any low trailer will
have the gas mileage advantage over a roof rack. Granted, those who
ferry would have to pay more and backing is difficult for some. Any time
I'm in a really tight position with the trailer I just pickup the rear
end and move it sideways! If you want to look at it behind my del Sol
see my site, below.

Fair winds and happy bytes, Dave Flory
--
Speak softly, study Aikido, & you won't need to carry a big stick!
See my photos _at_ <http://homepage.mac.com/dflory> 
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