[TonLoc]

Thought I would share some images and thoughts on Kayaks for the Ridgeline. I just discovered this community and joined today. This is my first Ridgeline and I love it! I picked up day before Easter. So much space, love the storage in the back seat and in the bed! We bike, kayak, hike, etc… so this truck works great! We bought two Delta kayaks, wonderful. We use the J-hook racks with locks and also use a DocksLocks lock cord to lock the Kayak to the J-hooks if traveling.

The Ridgeline is fantastic for the Kayaks. I can get in the bed and mess with straps easily. I use two small aluminum foldable steps from Harbor Freight on each side of truck to put Kayaks up and for strapping. Easy to use and tie down! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[orem]

Nice setup. I just let my 9.5' kayak sit on tailgate with tip down to front bottom of the bed, and rear up in air. It works but I wonder whether road vibration may damage the boat as the contact area with tailgate is a thin line.

 

[TonLoc]

This works great. This way I have my bed covered and locked with my stuff when traveling. Also very difficult for anyone to easily take them.

 

[Joe Aq]

Nice kayaks! I have the Delta 12.8 and a 16. What length are these?

 

[Grover]

Cool setup for kayaks. I just got a 2022 Sport Ridgeline, and I'm getting the rack system together to carry an 18.5 foot carbon fiber racing canoe to the river, 2 or 3 days a week to train. For the towers I need to put in the rear bed, Yakima and Thule don't have exact fits for this Ridgeline, and other model years too. But I'm gonna make it work. When I'm done I'll post a picture, and all the product numbers if anyone else needs a long span for carrying stuff. Was told by Yakima that because of a slightly different bedrail design on the Ridgeline, they can't or won't engineer it to meet some kind of safety guideline. I'm sure there's other reasons. Anyway, happy paddling.

 

[steveinmichigan]

Hello TonLoc, can you share more regarding photo 2 and the straps coming from the corners of the front hood? I am setting up our 2019 Ridgeline Sport for hauling kayaks. I have recently realized there are very few options to connect an S hook into a metal frame below the front bumper.

 

[Grover]

Hello TonLoc, can you share more regarding photo 2 and the straps coming from the corners of the front hood? I am setting up our 2019 Ridgeline Sport for hauling kayaks. I have recently realized there are very few options to connect an S hook into a metal frame below the front bumper.

Looks like it works ok, but that looks like a pain attaching straps under the front hood like that, and also the back tie-downs. I just ordered this Vantech rack, which has metal tracks that mount in the factory bolt thread holes on the bed rails. It's specifically designed for 2017+ ridgelines. The nice thing is you could slide the towers off the tracks when not carrying your kayaks. And tying it down is simple - just get some NRS (my favorite) or Yakima straps or any other brand, and strap each end of the kayaks to the crossbar - no tie-downs needed. Even comes with those side brackets which are a little like gunwale brackets. You would simply throw on your kayakes, strap them down and go. Much easier than all those tie downs and those bulky kayak mounts. I have not installed this Vantech thing yet, but as soon as it warms up enough to hit the river, I'll do it and take some pixs and post. I've been paddling and hauling my racing canoes on various small trucks for 15 years, so I'm used to the easiest way to get them on and off the vehicle. But what works for one person isn't necessarily the right option for someone else.

Vantech P3319 Honda Ridgeline 2017+ Aluminum Rack with 65" Crossbars - RackWarehouse.com

Vantech P3319 Honda Ridgeline 2017+ Aluminum Rack with 65

www.rackwarehouse.com

Amazon.com: NRS 1" Heavy Duty Tie Down Strap 4 Pack : Tools & Home Improvement

Buy NRS 1" Heavy Duty Tie Down Strap 4 Pack: Ratcheting - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Installation video:

 

[Piffy]

Hi, thanks for posting. Any chance you could give more info on which J rack you installed onto the OEM rails?

 

[Jeff130]

Nice set up! What brand are those J-hook racks?