Transportation strategies for W/C Canoes

[white cedar]

Hi All: Input is needed on which vehicle would be appropriate for hauling wood canvas canoes. I need to purchase a newer vehicle which has the ability for attaching racks and the suspension, HP, etc to handle the weight and aerodynamic drag. I have considered small size pickups with a topper, small SUVs, etc I have a few canoes, 18', 16' and a 15'. Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated!
Thanks,

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Will attach a picture of our Subaru Forester with two canoes on the Yakima rack system. For two canoes, there are longer poles (pictured)... we have the shorter ones on all the time, for carrying one canoe.

I'll also attach pictures of the things you can make yourself for tying down the front.

Kathy

 

[pklonowski]

Careful with the Subarus! They put re-designed roof rails on the 2010s (except the Foresters, which get the new rails as 2011s). The new design cannot be made to carry two canoes -- I'm not sure I'd trust it with even one.

I didn't even see a reasonable way that Yakima, Thule, or Malone would be able to design aftermarket parts to carry two canoes. It's that bad!

I did buy a Forester, but let the dealer and Subaru Corp know that, if they don't get two-canoe capacity on their future rails, this is my last Subaru.

What fun!

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Well, I hate to say this,
but mini vans have about the right length top and can carry a fair amount of gear. The trouble of course is that they are a bit light on the underside.

I used a E150 for many years and that was good too, just a bit high.

I have a full size pickup now, with a topper, and it's too long on top.

No matter what you get, be sure to always tie to the car, and don't depend on the rack to stay put. They are all on the weak side.

Dan

 

[MGC]

Volvo of course

We run a small fleet of Volvo's. Several of them have rail mounted systems attached to the roof rails. The V70 wagons are the perfect width, height and length to carry a canoe. They are wagons so they are easy to load for a trip. They run and ride real nicely. The Porsche designed 5 cylinder with the turbo will haul the car, gear and canoes with no effort. I see that R.R. runs the same rig.....850 though. Our smaller V50 is OK for two canoes but the roof is a bit shorter so it's not quite as good as the V70.
On our older Volvo's (sedans) we have one set up with the gutter mounts and another with the Yak Q towers. On Volvo the Q tower clips have a pin the locates into a hole in the door jam. That is a nice security feature. Never the less we tend to go easy on the Q towers and are more comfortable loading up the rail mounts. I have a set of 88 inch bars I use when I have big canoes or if I carry more than two. The rest of the time I run the shorter bars that carry one canoe and a couple of bicycles.
I swear by Yakima rack systems. Others like Thule. Once you pick one, you are locked in forever. I have Yakima rack parts from 1980's that are still being used. All of that said and having run mini vans and trucks with canoes, a good wagon with a nice long roof line is the perfect canoe hauler.Mini vans are too tall. You get that concept the first time you fling one of your bikes off of the roof (after hitting a low hanging branch) while cruising down a road or while trying to adjust the racks or get the straps attached when you have two or three canoes up.

Good luck....2003 -2007 V70 would be my suggestion.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

The trouble with Yakama is the round bars, if you set a canoe with wood rails on it a bit too hard, you will get perfect 1/2 round dents in your rails.

Dan

 

[MGC]

The trouble with Yakama is the round bars, if you set a canoe with wood rails on it a bit too hard, you will get perfect 1/2 round dents in your rails.

Dan

I suppose that would happen if you did park canoes on the bars. I never do. I use the gunwale mounts. I can't imagine putting a canoe right on the bars if only to keep them from sliding around. As I mentioned, I have some Yakima parts that are very old, the gunwale mounts are one of those parts.

There are reasons why we are loyal to one rack system vs. another. In my case it's quite simple. Thule was not a player when I bought my first Yakima racks and for skis and bikes I prefer the Yakima mounts. The Thule bike mounts have never been as good as those offered by Yakima.

I agree that if you mounted your canoe right on the bars that you could dent the rails. Don't do that!

 

[Dan Lindberg]

In the case I mensioned, I believe it occured as they were setting the canoe on the bars, before adjusting it to final position. I don't believe it was from the clamp load applied during tie down, as there is only 1 dent and not 4.

In this case, the canoe was loaned to folks who should have known better, but it came back damaged.

My rack perference is good old fashioned 2x4's, bolted solidly to adapters that are solidly attached (bolted) to the car. I cut the edges at a slight angle, to increase the contact area with the gunwale, and then it's covered with carpet. It looks ugly but it's good for the canoes.


Unforcanately, this wasn't an option with the current vehicle, truck, and I had to buy/use the aftermarket stuff. Definitely a poor second choice.

Dan

 

[MGC]

In the case I mensioned, I believe it occured as they were setting the canoe on the bars, before adjusting it to final position.
In this case, the canoe was loaned to folks who should have known better, but it came back damaged.

My rack perference is good old fashioned 2x4's, covered with carpet. /QUOTE]

Dan,

That is a story that was concocted by someone that borrowed a canoe and dinged it up. I have put my boats up on my racks hundreds of times, usually by myself and I have never done that. I almost always place the rails on the cross bars and then slide or lift them into position or slide the gunwale brackets into position. The rails slide on the crossbars without damage.
To damage the rail they either dropped the canoe or tied it down without getting it into the bracket. There is no other way....

With respect to your preferred racks, I have also used these and I agree that they offer great protection for canoes. That said, they are only good for that one purpose. We also use our racks for our other hobbies.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

"they either dropped the canoe"

Yup, this is what I was trying to say, when I said, "a bit too hard".

As for the story, I'm just relating what I saw and suspect happened.

It is my canoe, the dent wasn't there when they picked up the canoe, and it was there when they returned it, and they had Yakama racks. (I don't remember if they had the brackets.)

I suspect the folks who borrowed the canoe don't even know it happened.

As for the 2x4's, I don't know, I've tied lots of stuff on them and it's never been a problem getting stuff tied down.

Dan

 

[jenshenliu]

Buick 1996 Roadmaster Wagon provides un-obstructed access to the cargo space while the canoe is on the rack. The tailgate can open down or left, and the glass opens up. Sleep two (with gate closed) if you like. Ride great, and looks even better with a stripper. And, made in USA - like your canoes.

 

[MackyM]

Is it possible to carry two canoes on a Ford Explorer? I have two sets of gunwale brackets, but the cross bars are 58" long. These are made by Yakima. I can get 66" cross bars. It seems like I can carry two canoes that have an average beam of 29". What am I missing here. I can ge a 12' length fo stainless tube and cut it in half. This would make two tubes 72" long. Is this how others handle this?
Thanks, Macky

 

[pklonowski]

I have the 78: crossbars from Yakima; they can carry two tandems no problem. They can even carry three solos, with some creative tie-downs...

 

[davelanthier]

Love my Yakima racks. Yakama has lot of accessories including " load stops". These are a 90 degree nylon brackets with a flat surface that easily clamp tightly over the round bars and are adjustable to any width. The load stops lock the canoe in place and cause no damage to the canoe even on rough 4X4 roads.

 

[Fitz]

Explorer

I have a 2005 Explorer. The factory rack is rated at 200 lbs. and I have the Thule rack mounted on that with 78 inch bars. It has worked quite well with two canoes over the years. I also typically tie down front and rear.

 

[shelldrake]

We use a 4 door pickup with a topper. Yakima racks with L brackets. One rack attached to topper and one over the front doors of the cab. All of the camping gear etc goes in the truck bed where it is dry and locked. Suitcases, personal gear or passengers in the back seat. This system easily carries two canoes and is a very comfortable way to travel. Approx 19-20 mpg in highway travel.

Matt

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Peter,
How long is the tongue from the leading edge of the box?
Denis

 

[pklonowski]

The tongue opn my trailer is 8'6" (not a Slikryder). The crossbars are 7'5" apart, FWIW.

 

[MGC]

I use a Slick Ryder trailer.

I'm curious if the canoes fill with road grime thrown up from your car?
It seems like that would be the shortcoming of using this type of trailer.
When I haul my old Thompson behind the car it's canvas side down and covered so there is no concern about grime from the road. It does get dirty, especially if the roads are wet after a rain.

I always carry my cycles on the roof of the car rather than on a (supposedly easier to use) hitch rack because of the crud that gets thrown up from the road.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

I looked at the web site and no where could I find a weight capacity for any of the models,
do they list it elsewhere? Tough to buy a trailer without knowing the capacity.

And I just about fell off the chair when I saw the price list.

There is no shortage of nice $400 boat trailers here that would do a good job of carrying a canoe or 2.

Dan