Canoe Top Rack

[Hedgehog]

Sorry Hole I need to start blunt, not attempting to be rude (I was overly blunt, even rude in one of my threads and Hole rightly pointed out my rudeness.). I just want to attempt to keep the thread in line.

I am itching to get a used Crigslist canoe. I do have quite a bit of canoeing experience, but it has been many years since canoe access was possible. I don't want a kayak, won't even consider one. About the only other boat I'd consider would be a small John boat. Both would serve my purpose. What purpose? I live in Arizona, believe it or not we do have some lakes/ponds here. My childhood was in upstate New York where water was everywhere, some of it was mighty big water at that. In big water a bigger boat with a motor is nice. Here in small water Arizona a canoe would get the job done nicely, trolling motors can help. I'm not much of a fishermen, I really enjoy trapping crayfish which are a big problem here in hot Arizona. With a boat it's easy to get a few hundred in a day.

Why am I posting here? I'd won't be hauling the canoe on a trailer, it will be on top of the jeep. I will have front and rear receiver hitches along with front and rear recovery points. Using these I have some ideas on a rack, but I can be rather focused on them. So, before that happens I'm reaching out to the Jeep community for Canoe rack ideas to adapt to my Jeep.

 

[Sasquach]

Sorry if im missing someting but having the Canoe you want to build a rack for would be important. My aluminum Sears(gruman) has alot of arch for lack of a better word and carrying upside down is anything but simple, loaded on my trucks ladder rack with 3 cross bars the center bar is 6 inches from touching and this being the widest spot on the boat makes stability poor.

 

[Hedgehog]

Lookin' for a design that is really cool. Yes, I know for the final design I actually need the canoe in hand, but for a concept design I really don't. A friend said that he saw a design where the canoe was first placed on a hinge and the font was lifted in place. Naturally he didn't have any pictures and didn't explain it well at all. There might be a great design out there somewhere, if you have one you like I'd like to hear about it, oh and pictures would be nice.

 

[hole]

Thule 997 Goalpost - Thule Canoe Racks
Cabela's Canoe Loader and Rack : Cabela's

My parents live down the road from a small man made lake that the boy scouts have Jamboree 's(?) at, and I've seen the types of racks above in use to bring in canoes. I know 0 zip nada about canoe's other than they look like a good way to get wet often without some kind of training wheels on the back

 

[Hedgehog]

Excellent, both are similar to what I have in mind. At first I was considering the "T" type rack for both front a rear. Easy enough. Then someone mentioned seeing a rack with a pivot. Now I'm considering a rack designed to go on the passanger side, attaching to the front and rear recovery points. Rotate the rack down to the passenger side, attach the boat, rotate it up and use a bar arrangenment to attach to the other recovery point. Weight would be a factor with this design.

A canoe built for stability like the old Grummen design works really well for what I have in mind. Some of the other designs like the colemen fiberglass models can be frightening if your goal is to keep dry. They will turn turtle in a heart beat. Not true with a wide beam canoe like the Grummen design. I love slipping along in the water starting just before daylight, it's quiet and calming while you move around a pond or small lake.

 

[zilla]

I have some experience with Jeeps and canoes as I haul a canoe over a jeep trail a few times a year on my CJ5 . The rack i built is removeable and takes two people to load. But I saw another fella who made a similar rack that he can load by himself. He has a Tee piece on the rear built into a swivel, similar to a swing out tire carrier. He places one end of the canoe up in the swivel/tee portion and picks the other end up and walks it around to the front.

I can maybe post some pix when I get home if you are interested

 

[Hedgehog]

Yes I'm interested in pictures. Sorry for the delay, went back east to deal with my dad's estate issues.

 

[Hedgehog]

If there are pictures of canoe racks out there somewhere I'd sure be happy to see'em.

 

[DHugg]

If there are pictures of canoe racks out there somewhere I'd sure be happy to see'em.

Hedgehog, I cartop a 16foot kayak on a Honda Element. Two criteria come to mind..... the rear crosspiece needs to have a roller (I use a 3ft section of pool "noodle"), and there must be serious side-braces to counteract wind loads from 18-wheelers.

My CJ7 hasn't enough distance between windshield and roll bar to keep a long load from tipping fore-aft from pitching moment of short wheel-base over rough spots. The best idea I have had so far is removable square racks affixed to front and rear bumpers. The fore-and-aft square racks must bolt into longitudinal braces on both sides, otherwise forest trails are gonna bend the square racks from brush-burn.

Now that I've completed a boat trailer, I have tools and handling experience to build such a rack. When I begin, I'll post to you.

I agree about kayak vs canoe... when I catch a fish, I got no place to put it.

 

[Hedgehog]

We are on a similar track ..... Had an Element, thought it would be great for may needs. 6 months into it I hated that car. Mostly the computer controled accelerator and brakes .... then there was the huge blind spot in the windshild pillar and behind the seat. Traded it for an Xterra, GREAT vehicle with about the same MPG and 262 hp. Had to get rid of it due to my divorce. And I digress.

A front and rear Tee arrangement using my recovery points as side load stabilizers is and was my first consideration. Now I'm considering the Tee for the rear and a mid vehicle rack similar to a roll bar running up the outside in front of or following the line of the windshield. But I do like the K.I.S.S. method too. Thanks for the roller advice.

Zilla (or anybody else) - do you have a preferance for canoe length on a Jeep? I'm seeing them between ~13' and ~18', a wide beam adds stability.

 

[Petescj]

Im just lurking this thread and seeing what comes up. Interesting and thanks for bringing this up.