I popped the original pin out of the hinges and replaced them with high grade stainless steel bolts. The hinge holds my weight at 220lb. Also, that little bit of an extension really was all I needed. It also gave me an additional place to strap the kayak down. I strap it like I would to any other roof rack. I'm an engineer. I though of everthing
The sliding tube was my first thought, but coating it to prevent rust was an issue, since the paint of the smaller tube would continue to scrape off