Laser: Cartop on Volvo Wagon?

Pygmalion

New Member
Has anyone ever driven there laser cartopped on a volvo station wago (2003)? If so, does it fit etc. and do you have any tips? I have a roof rack already. Thanks.
 
I asked the local Volvo dealership (my family has a 2002 V70), and they told me not to, that it was just on the verge of being too heavy and not worth the risk. I wish I was able to, i'd be able to go to a lot more regattas if I could cartop my boat :(
 
If you search here (roof rack cartop for example) and also search the laser list archives, you'll find this topic a bunch. You may not find the your particular model/year discussed, but you will come across threads where the dealer/manufacturer load ratings are lower then the weight of the boat, yet many people cartop without problems. I would also suggest looking into aftermarket racks, either by Thule or Yakima

The link to the old list archive is here
http://www.laser.org/m/_general/mail.asp

FWIW, I have been to regattas in the best couple of years and seen a number of Lasers on Volvo wagons. They fit w/o problems, and the owners were using the factory rack with Thule cross bars.
 
See people do it all the time. Get a good aftermarket rack as mentioned above and throw it on top of that volvo.
 
David said:
I asked the local Volvo dealership (my family has a 2002 V70), and they told me not to, that it was just on the verge of being too heavy and not worth the risk. I wish I was able to, i'd be able to go to a lot more regattas if I could cartop my boat :(

Your dealer may have been a (flunked) lawyer, thinking about legal liability. As has been written by others, I see laserites carrying their loved ones on cars that are less sturdy than a V70. Just be sure the boat is tied down securely on a proper rack (see the other posts) and read the Volvo manual, just in case. Stay close to the speed limit and watch out for strong cross winds.
 
Yeah I have a thule rack, thanks for all of your help guys. today is the day i try it! i have to drive down to the NJYRA Smythe event (2 hours away) tomorrow morning with the boat on the car, so I'll let you know.
 
We just drove 6 hours away to New Jersey for ACC's with a laser on top of a 2000 Volvo wagon. Thule roof racks, bar pads and ratchet straps and that rig can go anywhere.
 
macwas16 said:
Thule roof racks, bar pads and ratchet straps and that rig can go anywhere.

With ratchet straps and tieing the bow to the front bumper with a "V", the boat is well-secured to the car.
 
We just car topped a laser from Texas to Maryland and back (1500 miles each way). We drove a Honda Pilot. Yes an SUV, but the maximum the racks could be spread apart was only about 38 inches. This looks very close and made me have some concerns but we had absolutely no problems. It was just strapped down to the racks and some fore and aft lines and also to the front under carriage of the SUV. We went through rain storms and the lines did not stretch nor did the boat shift. I disassembled the dolly and strapped it to the racks. The one thing I was not expecting was the amount of whistling we experienced. It got pretty loud at times but no problems. The only other thing I did was I got some wire ties and just wire tied the masts to the racks. This made assebly and disassembly a lot quicker. The best $5 I ever spent. The only other thing I would make people aware of is at lest on our SUV, once the boat is up there you can't really open the hatch. It will hit the boat.

After this experience I certianly prefer cartopping to a trailer.
 
My ex-gf put her boat on her volvo. I was planning on buying a volvo for the purposes of cartopping my laser. With a good roof rack you can put just about ANYTHING on a volvo.
Incidentally, we put our laser on a 2 door hyudai accent with a roof rack. Looked kinda funny (like a turtle) but worked for our 200 mile treks back and forth to regattas.
 
torrid said:
I've heard of 470s and 505s being cartopped on Volvos.

I know back when they had rain gutters, that was done, we were putting Finns (260 lbs hull weight) on the roofs of cars with rain gutters). Do you know if they are throwing them up on new models w/o the rain gutters ?
 
WestCoast said:
See people do it all the time. Get a good aftermarket rack as mentioned above and throw it on top of that volvo.

Haven't bought a laser, yet, but getting close. How do you "throw" it on top of that volvo? Is it a two man job? Do you have to be a linebacker?
 
i have a V70 volvo wagon and I cartop my laser everywhere. I have 78 inch thule bars, and it works perfectly. it uses the holes in the doors to hold the racks on. easy on, easy off. you can also get spar holders from thule so that you can put your upper and lowers masts and boom on top of your car as well.
 
If you do a search you'll also find a lot of tips; like how to mount your Laser onto the roof single-handedly.

I don't think you'll have any problems cartopping on a Volvo, as long as your roof-racks can hold the weight. Looserlu has no problems cartopping with his little car which is a Ford Laser, or something similar.
 
JacksonAUS said:
If you do a search you'll also find a lot of tips; like how to mount your Laser onto the roof single-handedly.

I don't think you'll have any problems cartopping on a Volvo, as long as your roof-racks can hold the weight. Looserlu has no problems cartopping with his little car which is a Ford Laser, or something similar.
:D Yep. It´s a Ford Escort Turnier 1,8 Diesel from 1994. It has no rain-gutters and no rails on the roof. Cartopping the Laser on such a car works with a special rack from Ford where the beams are screwed to the ""A"-pillar"-area of the car.

The Ford Escort "Laser" was my 1st car and I often think in our days, it would look very cool to drive a car that has the name "Laser" with a Laser on its top :) But, Ford stopped to produce this special modell in the mid of the 80ties.

Also, I would be proud to cartop a Laser on a V70-Volvo. Already a V50 would be perfect for me. Also on the 850 or 950 Volvo´s cartopping works well.
It´s true, that only one person (in good athletic condition, of course) can cartop a Laser on the roof of a car. I started doing this already in the end of the 70ties (to cars that were made as small like the VW-Polo Opel/Vauxhall-"Kadett-Kombi"), works perfect if you use the right technology. If you do not do it in the right technology, the Laser makes it´s spercial "notes" to the paint on the roof... (often from the deck-currycleats and the camcleat for the traveller) and its expensive to repair that damages at the car, especially for a Volvo, I guess. In reason of that, I do not advice "alone"-cartopping to not experienced Laserites.
Take a fellow Laserite, that helps you to put the hull onto the cars roof. Its easier for you, better for your car and your back and is faster than doing it all alone.

But if someone else want to try the adventure of "alone"-cartopping the Laser, you may search at the "compensation-sites" of drLaser_org-Websites and there in the "FAQ"´s. There is a good descripiton for it.

Maybe, Merrily or Bradley, can you make a link to this text, please? Thanks
LooserLu
 

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I use 2, 2" x 4"s with UBolts to hold them down to the roof rack and those "Pool Noodles" as padding. I car top on a Jeep Cherokee and Chevy Tahoe using the same 2 x 4"s, (just different holes in the 2 x 4's for the width difference between the different racks). I secure the boat with ratchet straps I got from Wal-Mart and a line on the front that secures the bow, (just in case) the mast pieces are secured w/2 bungee cords. I'd say my whole roof system cost me about $30.00. I"ve gone up to 90 mph with it and well over 3,000 miles so far w/0 problems. As for getting it on and off the car, once you're at the regatta site there is no shortage of help and I can load it myself using a step ladder. I place the ladder beside the car and prop the bow on the top rungs of the ladder then I pick up the stern and press it up, over my head, on top of the car. Once the stern is on I move the bow over. It's very easy and I prefer the car top over a trailer.
 
Well I have cartopped my Laser on a '62 Beetle and drove for 1,200 miles each way, so I can't imagine a better way of doing that than with a Volvo !
 

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