I recently purchased a SUV with roof racks, my question is will these racks be strong enough to support my canoe and is it neccessary to tie to front bumper and rear bumper?
Hobo
A few years back my buddy asked me the same question.
I said “Nah, what for?”
…pulled the rack right off the roof going down a bumpy road
For some reason he still brings it up to this day.
If you use the factory racks tie down front and aft.
Also read Joe Hyde’s article on roof racks, there is a link on the front page.
I read Joe’s article so this is why I ask this question.
Hobo
Rain,Sleet and snow. bumpy roads, good roads and swampy roads the two held up well and the rack never moved.
Yakima rack with extention for loading the yak,side guides for the canoe and they never moved an inch. No tie downs in front or back needed. Bliss ny to the keys,Sarasota and Tamarac. Then back to Bliss.
Joe’s article hits it right on the nose.
Philip
hobo,
I personally have all sorts of problems with factory-issue luggage racks being used to carry canoes. Depending on the design of the factory luggage rack, some of my complaints can be solved but only to a limited extent.
Example: With some factory luggage racks the crossbars may be detached and removed entirely, leaving only the two mounting rails? For such designs Yakima and (I think) Thule sell crossbar mounts that connect very securely to the mounting rails. Next you build up the rest of the rack system by purchasing crossbars, gunwale brackets and tiedown straps.
Nevertheless, I’m personally unhappy with such adaptive designs. Why? Because those two parallel mounting rails of most factory luggage racks are simply not long enough; three or feet is the general rule. And without the parallel rails being six feet or longer each it is not possible to arrange the front crossbar and the rear crossbar FAR ENOUGH APART to achieve the separation distance required for a rock-solid boat carry.
If you ask me (and no one has) carrying canoes on factory-issued luggage racks creates a menace to society. Factory-issued luggage rack crossbars are made of hard metal and are so slick they might as well be Teflon-coated. A canoe riding on such a surface wants to skid around not just fore and aft, but also sideways plus yawing left and right. The designs of factory luggage racks do not allow the installation of after-market gunwale brackets that would prevent these boat movements.
Consequently, many people will buy an SUV after buying into those Madison Avenue BS advertisements showing canoes carried on top of the vehicle. They buy the SUV expecting to enjoy such an adventure, then are shocked when they discover how unstable their canoe rides once it gets tied to that Teflon luggage rack. Their only solution, at least initially, is to throw so many ropes across the boat, and run so many bow and stern safety lines to their front and rear bumpers, that once it’s going down the highway the poor canoe looks like Gulliver pinned down by the Lilliputians.
Which wouldn’t be so bad, I suppose, except that when you run security lines from your canoe’s bow down to your front bumper, those lines will physically rub across the paint job on your hood. And nowadays, where do you tie off those bow lines? Today’s bumpers are enclosed affairs – no gaps that allow a “tie around”. This forces you to tie off to some part of the front undercarriage, which could necessitate crawling under the vehicle to find an anchor spot.
The worst of it is that these technical hassles and safety hazards of carrying a canoe on a factory luggage rack are quickly recognized by vehicle owners. In too many instances, the result is that the vehicle owners begin finding excuses to NOT USE THEIR CANOE ANYMORE. And that’s a rotten shame.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
ummm yeah … I drilled and tapped holes on the front frame of the Windstar to put eyelets in so I can anchor the bow down. The aft frame had holes so I could clip the stern lines in. The canoe is long enough to stick out fore and aft of the van - so rubbing paint is no concern.
Yeah, I’m a Lilliputian I guess you can say. Bow tied, stern tied, and cross straps about the luggage rack. I’d rather keep the canoe on the roof than replacing it after it tries to dry-hyrdroplane on the highway.
None of which (to me) deters me from going … screaming kids however …
Darrell,
You must be like me – you buy a vehicle then keep it till it totally falls apart. Guys like us have the luxury of drilling permanent holes in our ride anywhere we take a mind to drill in order to install our favorite canoe or kayak carrying systems.
Methinks that amongst the folks who buy new/trade-in two years later/buy new again, there’s not very many hard core canoeists or kayakers in that group. Poor devils.
Joe
“Better small than not at all.”
Joe - yup its falling all right … ah a little tlc and they always keep on going. So there’s an extra 1/4" hole in the frame … the van weighs less, better gass mileage, and the canoe doesn’t need replacing 
Couldn’t see the sense in trading every 2 yrs … what - they can’t make up their mind … 
There’s a river (creek really) west of our place a few miles - low flow rates (summer flows of 1.5-2 cubic meters per second) - what a great place to drop the canoe in. Sure every mile to mile and a half (depending on how much winding the river does) you got to portage 100 ft to get across the road … few bridges along there. But its great in there. Quiet - tree lined banks … good area too for wood ducks flying NOE down the river. Add in a few hangers and sweepers - nearing sunset - beautiful. It’s about 85 miles in length - start to finish - and my plans over the next few years is to canoe the whole length. Why … just 'cuz.
Hardcore … eh … one word for it I guess. I just really enjoy it.
darrell,
Thanks guys for the input into tyeing down my canoe. Thanks Joe for the advice and I will look into a better system to tie one on (pun intended).
I love to paddle and have done so for nigh on 50 years and will as long as my health lasts (God willing).
Hobo
Hey Joe,
Do ya’ know a couple of those “vehicle owners…(who do) NOT USE THEIR CANOE ANYMORE” who might want to dispose of the canoes… cheaply?
Bowfin47
"Do ya’ know a couple of those “vehicle owners…(who do) NOT USE THEIR CANOE ANYMORE” who might want to dispose of the canoes… cheaply? "
Bowfin, Growning up my parents owned an advertising paper, there was never an Item we needed that a week or two of a wanted add didnt bring calls. Put an ad in your local shoper paper for a canoe. chances are someone who hasn’t used one in 10 years will have one for sale. I bought mine for $125 at a garage sale summer before last. its heavy but it floats.
Eric
Advertise for unused canoes…not a bad idea! Not a bad idea at all!
Now, my son and I already have a BlueHole white water canoe, Sawyer tripper canoe (a solo rig), a one man fiberglass piroque with an eletric trolling motor, and a bass boat… but ya’ can always use another boat.
You see, sit on top yaks and lake canoes are very nice for chasing reds down in the marsh.