Handirack – Fixing inflatable leaks

I used to use these Handiracks years ago for fly/drive kayak trips etc when using hire cars.
I sold my set to a colleague eventually and recently have thought about buying them back from him to use for SUP/canoe shuttling etc.

One of the inflatable bars has a leak which seems to be coming from almost everywhere underneath along a stitch seam.

Just wondered if anyone knew of a good way of fixing inflatables like this? Is there some sort of Stans type stuff for this, or are the racks for the bin? (Maybe I should try Stans…🤔)
I assumed that they would be a bit like airbeam tents and perhaps have an inner bladder, but no, I think the chamber is as it is, and just stitched and seam sealed.

While we’re here, any Handirack users found a good way of preventing scratches to the car?
I remember this being a thing.

Cant hurt to give the stans a try…

I just bought a set of these for the same thing, to cart an inflatable SUP and kayak around.

The only thing with Stans it’s not really a permanent solution.
Not sure there is a permanent solution mind.

I superglue and bike puncture patch the canoe airbags, made of similar material. A bit of care and it never lets go again – I just wear another hole it seems….

I use Aquasure (or Stormsure, same product with different branding) to fix inflatable leaks. Apply a thin layer over the seam and leave overnight. Wipe the nozzle and inside the cap and put the tube in the freezer until you need it again, else the cap gets glued on.

I superglue and bike puncture patch the canoe airbags, made of similar material

Trouble with this is there isn’t a specific leak point as such. It seems to be escaping all along a seam.
I’ve emailed the company but I suspect it’s maybe not repairable.

I could try aquasure I guess, but again, difficult to do without a small area of leak.

Trouble with this is there isn’t a specific leak point as such. It seems to be escaping all along a seam.

I have seen seams burst – they are usually ‘welded’ these days with heat, and once gone they are gone. If you can glue all along the seam, it may work?

I gave my handicraft away and swapped to foam blocks when flying with my Jackson. Like these;
https://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/Kayak-foam-roof-bloack.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImJuDgYmw9wIVGu3tCh1JNQWiEAQYAiABEgLiu_D_BwE

Work well with a hire car. I try to order a car with roof rails which means I don’t need to strap under the roof but it sometimes is just pot luck what you get. You are limited to a couple of boats if that matters.

Oh and scratches do happen. Clean roof and rack is key but you know that. Have used microfibre cloths before and taken tiny squeeze bottle of tcut equivalent over the years. Now (bit more disposable income) would just get the full insurance as it the doesn’t matter about any scratches, bumps etc

I gave my handirack away and swapped to foam blocks when flying with my Jackson. Like these;

I can’t see how those work directly on the roof as they’ve got a channel cut along their length. That would mean the strap that you wrap around the roof and through the windows would pull out of the blocks Shirley?

Do you just lay the boat on the blocks and stick your straps around the boat AND through the car in one, so it holds everything together?

Incidentally, I emailed the company and a guy replied saying that they couldn’t really be fixed but that he’d do me a deal on a replacement which is good of them.

Not convinced on using them still though as it would be on my partners car and she might kill me if I scratch it.

you just lay the boat on the blocks and stick your straps around the boat AND through the car in one, so it holds everything together

Correct. Used to try and work out where the roll bar in the roof was and position at least one of them over that. But it all depends on boat length and car type. Thinking about it I used to secure the foam pads to the boat with a couple of short cam straps and then lift the hole package to the roof and secure with 2 straps over the top and through the car.

The trick I always found with the handirack was to fit (clean roof) and then inflate. That locked it down tight.

I’ve got these https://www.tooled-up.com/kincrome-universal-soft-car-roof-rack-luggage-bars/prod/481538/

Foam blocks instead of inflatable and seem secure enough. Can’t comment on scratching as have only used it a handful of times.