Car Topping a Laser 1 with Launch Trolley?

L

LuckyJack

Member
Hi All, going to pick up a laser on Saturday and just wondering the following
I am planning on car topping it and have read through the threads on here about doing such however cant figure out whether or not you car top with the launching trolley/dolly or not.
If the laser is upside down on the rack (I bought some 1" think foam pipe lagging to fit around the roof bars on my car) an then the gunnel hung trolley sits on top.
I can then strap around the entire thing both fore and aft. This means than am only applying pressure where the the trolley would normally hold the dinghy.

Or is this a serious bad idea, is there any chance of the boat slipping out and me just being left with a trailor?

I am relatively experienced with roof racking rowing boats (which over hang each end of my car by a fair bit and is a bit unnerving driving through Edinburgh city center in rush hour)

Thanks in advance
 
If I understand you, your question comes down to - "with the boat and dolly rig upside down on the car rack, is tying down the dolly to the rack enough to keep everything in place?" If that is the question, my opinion is No - not really. The amount of down force needed to make me feel comfortable with a cartop tie down exceeds the weight of the boat, so could overpressure the contact points. More importantly, it very much reduces the contact patch area, a key concept in keeping things glued together.

But as always - it depends! Are you going across town on a 20 minute city speed jaunt? Or on a 2 hour motorway long haul? If the former, you can get away with it. If the latter, do a real tie down job. Boat to rack, with fore and aft ties that prevent slippage fore and aft. Nothing is so exciting as hitting the brakes and having your load beat you to the stop sign. And a dolly to rack tie down, which can be less rigorous due to its lack of mass/inertia. Doubtless a small car, but is there anyway you can fit the dismantled dolly into the car?

Just my two bits worth.
 
I place my boat upside down on the roof racks and tie it secure - both to the racks and the bumpers. I then place the dolly upside down on the boat and secure it with bungees. It
is secure to the boat at the bow, and to the roof rack along the sides. The dolly is lightweight aluminum, so it doesn't take much to hold it in place.

Also, I remove the wheels from the dolly. Cuts down on the drag and helps with the gas mileage (a little).

I'll send you a picture of my cartop rig.
 
Thanks Guys, thats fantastic, you have pretty much the same car as you Torrid so is very helpfull seeing that pic. Would probably under sling the mast section though (think it would fit)
I might be pushing a little as my bars aren't as wide as yours but think should be OK if I support the boat around the rear of the cockpit (I believe there is a support there and it is designed to take a persons weight on theat area, the front bar should be able span to the gunnels) It should only be on top for max 2 hours and can avoid motorways.
 
Glad I could help.

I you plan to cartop a lot, I would definitely get wider bars. Helps with loading up the spars, but you've got to watch your head when walking next to the car.
 
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