Rental cars and kayaks.

I have a rather old car that I use to transport my kayak around.  I'm not sure if I would want to use it for long range trips however.
Do rental car companies allow people to haul kayaks on the roof? I can probably get some of those portable transport pads in case rental agencies do not provide racks for the cars for this purpose.

Allow, schmallow.... what they don't know won't hurt them.   

I'm guessing if you ask, they'd think about it and say no.  If on the other hand you drove off and used those transport pads and later returned the car unscathed they wouldn't be the wiser.

One word of warning.  Sometimes if you're not careful you can get sand and grit on the bottoms of the pads which will scratch the top of the car.  You can also have problems with the tie downs rubbing on the sides of the car and leaving a mark.  If you return a car with scratches and marks and they see them, you'll end up having to pay for those repairs.

Brian

Allow, schmallow.... what they don't know won't hurt them.   

I'm guessing if you ask, they'd think about it and say no.  If on the other hand you drove off and used those transport pads and later returned the car unscathed they wouldn't be the wiser.

One word of warning.  Sometimes if you're not careful you can get sand and grit on the bottoms of the pads which will scratch the top of the car.  You can also have problems with the tie downs rubbing on the sides of the car and leaving a mark.  If you return a car with scratches and marks and they see them, you'll end up having to pay for those repairs.

Brian

Maybe I'll have to get the insurance then. 

With bsteves on this, don't bother telling the rent a car company. I've taken a few surf trips to New Caledonia (small island in the South Pacific) and brought my portable racks with me. If they knew I was gonna carry boards they'd either tell me no or make up some kinda tourist surcharge. You have the right idea, get the insurance, do your best to keep the car scratch free, and if something does happen claim innocence and it'll all paper-work out. Good luck!

In Hawaii, the kayak rental shops have a quick and dirty method to put kayaks on rental cars. Two pieces of foam sit across the front and back of the roof, the kayak is paced on them upside down. You open all four doors, use two strapdowns, and you're ready to roll. Why open the doors? Because you'll strap the doors shut if you do it with them closed.

I have done this in Hawaii many times, and it holds just fine. You can also get similar kits with fitted foam and straps at outdoor stores. If you are reasonably careful, you won't damage the car at all. If you have American Express, you can sign up for a free service. Any car you rent with the card is automatically insured for damages. Saves a lot of extra cost; now I always do that instead of purchasing the car company's insurance.