Carrying a tinnie or kayak on a roof rack

Short answer

Commercial Max and Oval Steel racks take the removable boat roller pair for a tinnie; there is no dedicated kayak carrier, so kayaks carry flat on a platform with tie-downs. The roller pair is a Commercial Max/Oval Steel accessory: Wedgetail Adventure, Core and Trade do not list one, and there is no Wedgetail boat loader. Oval Steel includes racks for ARB and Ascent canopies, and the boat, rollers and rack all count against the rack's dynamic rating and the canopy or vehicle roof limit.

Specs from Wedgetail product data, updated 15 October 2026.

Tinnie

Removable boat roller pair on Commercial Max or Oval Steel

Kayak

No Wedgetail kayak carrier: carry it flat with tie-downs

Ute canopy

Oval Steel racks for ARB and Ascent canopies

Off-road

100% of the rating, no derating

The shortlist

1. 
   Tinnie on a ute canopy

   Oval Steel canopy rack

   Steel racks made for ARB and Ascent canopies, listed for the Ranger, HiLux, D-MAX, BT-50, Triton, Navara, Amarok and Colorado. They take the removable boat roller pair. The canopy maker's roof rating applies as well as the rack rating: use the lower.

   Rating

   100 kg dynamic (350 kg static), 100% off-road

   Warranty

   5 years (3 years on 4)

   RRP inc GST

   $2,675

   Vehicles

   8 models, 27 solutions

   Add

   Removable Boat Roller Pair $625

   Shop Oval Steel
2. 
   Tinnie on the roof

   Oval Steel roof rack

   Zinc electroplated steel, powder coated, for cab roofs on utes, wagons and vans. Takes the same removable boat roller pair, which comes off when the boat stays home.

   Rating

   100 or 150 kg dynamic (350 or 525 kg static) on most fitments, 100% off-road

   Warranty

   5 years (3 years on 2)

   RRP inc GST

   $1,590 to $2,675

   Vehicles

   51 models, 116 solutions

   Add

   Removable Boat Roller Pair $625

   Find your Oval Steel fitment
3. 
   Work van or service body

   Commercial Max

   Galvanised steel, powder coated, listed mainly for work vans and Caddy Storage service bodies. Takes the removable boat roller pair.

   Rating

   100 or 150 kg dynamic (350 or 525 kg static) on most fitments, 100% off-road

   Warranty

   1 year (5 years on 1)

   RRP inc GST

   $1,155 to $5,200

   Vehicles

   78 models, 211 solutions

   Add

   Removable Boat Roller Pair $625

   Shop Commercial Max
4. 
   For a kayak

   Wedgetail Adventure platform

   There is no Wedgetail kayak carrier. A kayak carries flat on the platform, held with straps through tie-down eyelets. The full rating holds off-road; check the kayak and everything else on the rack against it.

   Rating

   100 or 150 kg dynamic (350 or 525 kg static) on most fitments, 100% off-road

   Warranty

   10 years

   RRP inc GST

   $1,525 to $5,905

   Vehicles

   58 models, 138 solutions

   Add

   Tiedown Eyelets Pack Of 4 $60

   Add

   Ratchet Straps Pack Of 2 3.5 M $41

   Shop Wedgetail Adventure

What Wedgetail has for boats and kayaks

A tinnie on a ute canopy

• Check both limits and use the lower: the rack's dynamic rating for your fitment and the canopy maker's roof rating (on a cab roof, the vehicle maker's roof limit instead).
• Weigh the whole load: the tinnie, the roller pair and anything else on the rack. As an illustration, a 70 kg tinnie on a rack with other gear needs a rating comfortably above 70 kg, not just equal to it.
• Canopy fit: Wedgetail fits ARB, EGR Gen 2, Maxliner Venture, RSI Evo, Utemaster Centurion and Ascent canopies; Oval Steel canopy racks are listed for ARB and Ascent. A canopy not on the list is not fitted.
• Removable rollers: the roller pair comes off, so the rack goes back to carrying other loads when the boat stays home.

A kayak on a Wedgetail platform

• Flat on the platform: lay the kayak on padding so the hull is not pressed against the crossbars.
• Strap it at two points: run straps over the kayak and through tie-down eyelets on the platform, one near each end of the cockpit.
• Bow and stern lines: on a long kayak, add lines to the front and rear of the vehicle so it cannot lift or swing.
• Recheck: check strap tension after the first few kilometres and after rough sections.

If you want a J-cradle or a saddle, Thule, Rhino-Rack and Yakima sell kayak carriers for crossbars. On a Wedgetail platform, the lip around the edge is there for strength; a 10 mm spacer lets third-party accessories fit, and there is no Wedgetail spacer kit. See do third-party accessories fit a Wedgetail rack?

Questions people ask

Does Wedgetail make a kayak carrier?

No. There is no Wedgetail kayak carrier. A kayak carries flat on a Wedgetail platform with tie-downs, or on a third-party carrier fitted to the crossbars.

Which Wedgetail racks take the boat roller pair?

Commercial Max and Oval Steel. The removable boat roller pair is a Commercial Max/Oval Steel accessory; Wedgetail Adventure, Core and Trade do not list one.

Can I carry a tinnie on a ute canopy?

Yes, if Wedgetail lists an Oval Steel rack for your canopy and the tinnie is within both the rack rating and the canopy maker's roof rating. Oval Steel canopy racks are listed for ARB and Ascent canopies.

How heavy a tinnie can I carry?

Up to the rack's dynamic rating for your fitment, less the rollers and anything else on the rack, and within the canopy or vehicle roof limit. Use the lowest figure; the rating for each fitment is in the shortlist above and on the product page.

Is there a Wedgetail boat loader?

No. Wedgetail has the removable boat roller pair for Commercial Max and Oval Steel, not a boat loader or winch system.

Do third-party kayak cradles fit a Wedgetail platform?

Yes, with a 10 mm spacer where needed. The lip around the platform is there for strength, and a 10 mm spacer lets third-party accessories fit; there is no Wedgetail spacer kit.

Where can I buy and have it fitted?

At any Wedgetail stockist: every stockist sells and fits. See where to buy.