canoe cartopping advice needed

[Andrew]

I've got a 17' aluminum canoe. I love to fish from it. My problem is a new one for me and that is getting it on top of my car (and off of the car).

I'm not as young as I used to be and I can't "grunt" it up to the top of my car - a Subaru Outback. My son is away at college... so he doesn't help anymore.

On my old car and my old jeep I used to be able to lift one end of the canoe up and rest it on the roof rack then just feed the canoe up. I can't do that with the Outback because the car slopes too much and the canoe hits the car before the roof rack. I don't have a hitch so that gizmo that Cabela's sells wouldn't help.

Does anybody have any ideas?

Thank you.

[Kytroutbum]

I run around most of the winter in Florida with a Tandem Kayak on top of my Ford Focus. We use an old comforter to protect the top and slide the 'yak onto the saddles.
Kytroutbum
Randall Sale

[BlueDun]

I'm not sure from your post if you are using the car's original roof rack or if you have an add-on. Yakima, and possibly Thule, make several options. My reply is specific to Yakima b/c that is the system we have on both of our vehicles (one is a Subaru Outback). First, there is a loading bar that you can add to the rack's supporting towers. It slides out on one side of the car. With our 17 and 18 ft touring kayaks, we can pull out the bar, rest the bow on the bar with the stern on the ground, then with part of the weight of the boat on the bar, move the back of the kayak into the rack. Then, with the stern resting in the rack, move the bow into the rack.

Another, and probably better, option was recently introduced in the last year or so - Yakima's version is called showboat (and at least one other company makes an add-on bar that is similar). The idea is similar to the sliding loading bar above, but instead of being on the side of the car, it slides out over the back of the car. Put the bow on the showboat bar and slide the boat into the rack. The other cool thing about the showboat is that you can move it sideways, depending on how the boat is centered on your car or for loading 2 kayaks. (these options can also be used for canoes.) We do not have the showboat system, but a friend has it and likes it a lot.

My husband has the side sliding bar on his 4Runner b/c that vehicle is so tall. Both of these sliding bar options will work on Subaru's. Since I don't have either sliding bar option on my Outback, I put a piece of carpet or something similar on the back of the roof. Then, with the bow on the carpet, I slide the boat into the rack - definitely the least expensive option!

One other note re: the outback since you did not mention which model year you have: when I traded in my 2000 Outback for my current, 2008 model, I requested information from Subaru about the weight limits for that stupid wing over the back window. The 2000 model did not have a wing and I wanted to make sure that the wing on the 2008 would support the weight of any boats I might rest on it in the future. Their maxmimum weight limit for the wing is 100 lbs, so it should support the weight of your canoe, unless you have the Queen Mary of canoes.

[shorthaul]

I had an outback and carried a super wide 17' stripper canoe without any problem---i made a roller setup by the wing and had aluminum tubes which fastened to the standard rack ---i would just carry the canoe to the car and put one end on the roller and roll it right up---fasten the ends and off you go---I have a wrx now and its going to look pretty silly with a 17' canoe on it.

[zhoyt]

I agree with Short and Blues suggestions. I have an outback as well and protecting the rear wing of the car is important. There are options out there though to help. Good luck.

[Normand]

I've got a 17' aluminum canoe. I love to fish from it. My problem is a new one for me and that is getting it on top of my car (and off of the car).

I'm not as young as I used to be and I can't "grunt" it up to the top of my car - a Subaru Outback. My son is away at college... so he doesn't help anymore.

On my old car and my old jeep I used to be able to lift one end of the canoe up and rest it on the roof rack then just feed the canoe up. I can't do that with the Outback because the car slopes too much and the canoe hits the car before the roof rack. I don't have a hitch so that gizmo that Cabela's sells wouldn't help.

Does anybody have any ideas?

Thank you.

would something like this rack work 4 u?

http://www.prolineracks.com/fulton-c...oe-loader.html

or get a trailer??

http://www.castlecraft.com/trailers.htm

[126barnes]

Seen a few diff version of this

http://www.directboats.com/borocarra.html

[Joe Hyde]

Andrew,


One idea is that you should think about how many people sit in your canoe when you take it fishing. If the answer is "only me most of the time", then I suggest you acquire a much lighter weight canoe (or kayak maybe).

The main issue here, in my opinion, is your concern about lifting your canoe and maneuvering it on top of your car. This is clearly a safety and personal health issue. Your technical problems with car-topping that heavy canoe are secondary compared to the risk you face of suffering personal injury. Remember, each fishing trip you will have to lift your boat onto the rack two times, and lift if off two times. Buy yourself a lighter boat, one made of fiberglass or kevlar or Royalex. Do this first and then work backwards from there to decide which rack system is the best one to install on your Subaru.

The lighter your canoe is, and the easier and more secure your rack system is, the more times you'll go fishing every year. That's what you really want, is to go fishing more often and not have your canoe punish you while you're doing it.


Joe
"Better small than not at all."

[Andrew]

This board amazes me. You guys are all so nice and prompt in replying with great advice. Thank you so much.

I found a store not that far from me that carries the roll on type attachment for racks. I'm going to check it out this weekend.

I may just go the inexpensive route though and try carpet to protect the car. I'm not sure why i didn't think of something that simple - like duh.

Buying a new lightweight canoe really isn't in the cards. I was drooling over a 13' wooden one.... but at $5K it's way over my budget. I just don't like Kayaks, hope nobody gets offended! I sort of grew up with canoes and just prefer them.

Thank you all again!!!!

[vonMunchausen]

It might be worth your while to get a bolt-on trailer hitch. With that there is a unit that fits into it that is a rotating post with a cross beam on top of it. You lift one end of the canoe, attach it to the cross beam, then lift the other end of the canoe and rotate it to sit fore and aft on the car top. I don't have the name of the unit here, but can get it to you by this weekend. I have a
16' canoe that weighs 76 pounds. It is now very easy to load and unload it, whereas before it was some kind or wrastle!