I’m in the market for a new vehicle, would like to spend no more than $25,000. Looking at the Toyota RAV 4 and the Honda CRV. Anyone have experience with kayak racks and bike racks on these vehicles? Or anyone recommend a vehicle in my price range for hauling kayaks and bikes? Thanks!!
I’d suggest a small pickup along the lines of a Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger. In my experiance, I have never seen a bike rack that wasn’t at least a minor pain in the butt and for my money nothing beats the convienence of being able to just toss a bike in the back. And with a topper on it, you can very easilly strap a kayak on. The extended cab versions of these can haul the same number of passengers, although not in as much comfort.
Also, if you do much in the mountains on bad roads, a truck-based vehicle will handle them better than a car-based vehicle such as a RAV4 or CRV.