One of the reasons that I own my 945T is that I want to carry two large kayaks on the roof, 17 and 21 feet long, combined weight about 130 pounds. I am currently geting set to re-rack the car, which is going to be one of this winter's projects. I spent some time talking to the folks at Yakima and Thule regarding about the loads that various cars can handle. The Volvo 945 roof is rated for 220 pounds, the highest of the cars that I am aware of. The 700 wagons might be similarly high.

The standard Volvo rack, however, according to the owners manual, is only rated at 70 pounds, inadequate for my loads. Also, the factory rack does not take advantage of that long flat roof. Yakima indicated that their racks could be placed 75 inches apart on the 945, which is larger than any other vehicle I know, and is important for my very long kayaks. Yakima and Thule racks, if I recall correctly, are rated for 165 pounds.

As I said, the roof itself, however, is rated for 220 pounds when the racks are attached via the rain gutters. Many rack manufacturers have factory made racks that can attach to the rain gutters. One of the simplest and best is the Qwik-N-Easy mounts made by NRS. They provide the mounts, you fabricate the cross bars using wood or pipe available at local hardware stores. The advantages are that you get a custom fit for your load, and it is likely to be quite a bit cheaper than other popular racks - Thule, etc. run $200 to $400+ depending on the accessories you need.

One person detailed their custom made rack using Qwik-N-Easy equipment on the FAQs, viewable at:

http://brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/RoofRack.htm

The Qwik-N-Easy mounts are available mail order from Altrec:

http://www.altrec.com/shop/brand/nrs/128/

If you decide to take off the old rack (mine is going to come off), you can close the screw holes in the roof with a kit from IPD that cost <$20:

http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.aspx?CategoryID=389&NodeID=847&RootID=629

If you would rather buy a factory made modular rack, Thule and Yakima are hard to beat. Dealers are plentiful, mail order discounters exist online. Online fit guides are available at www.thule.come and www.yakima.com.

Because I have special loads, like to build things myself, and am really cheap, I am going to build a custom rack using the Qwik-N-Easy mounts. Strong wooden crossbars will be fabricated with custom cradles and tie down points for my wooden sea kayaks.

Hope this helps.

Steve C
1992 945T 115K