My husband and I are wanting to purchase canoe pads with backrests. I have been to various websites, but most seem to snap under the seat. The Coleman Ram-X has plastic seats that touch the bottom of the boat. Does anyone have any suggestions? Seats that are compatible with this canoe, thanks!
Try bleacher seats
Our coleman hasn’t been in the water since I purchased a real canoe in 2002. But before then, I found that a seat cushion and backrest that I had bought for watching my son’s basketball games was more comfortable in the coleman that the bleachers. One problem with this was that the seat cushion raises your center of gravity at least an inch or more, which tend to make the canoe more tippy.
Real canoe
Then why don’t you donate it to someone who can’t afford a “real” canoe.
Real canoe
I have paddled some of the more affordable canoes and the Coleman is by far the finest of the “reasonable” brands. Don’t be so snobby about boats, you may find your behind being dragged out of trouble one day by somebody in a Coleman or worse, a Rogue River. They get folks out on the water and that is what matters.
Coleman backrests
Coleman made a backrest specific to its models. It was a one piece design which clipped to the seat frame, and when not in use folded flat and clipped to itself. It was made for the original style coleman ram-X with flat seats and aluminum tubing frame. It probably would not fit the later double-hulled Pelican style interior or the later style Coleman with the box style seats that went down to the floor and did the work of the aluminum frame. Check the Pelican website.
Bill
I
I didn’t know anyone actually paddled Coleman canoes more than once.
Truly a large capacity floating trash can!
I had a RamX17 for about 15 years
Yes it is heavy and not performance designed but if it gets you out on the water “GREAT”- it works just fine albeit slow.
The 92 model was well made although the newer ones look much cheaper in their design and framing so i cannot comment on the newer ones. When our 2 kids were little - it was a godsend and I have fond memories of it - sold it a few years ago as we paddle kayaks separately now.
We have seat backs from coleman (kept for the grumman canoe we still own)- plastic clip ons and they work fine although we would cover them with towels as hard plastic just isn’t comfortable by itself but you can get creative! They are available still - or at least a couple of years ago as i checked for pricing.
I kept my old grumman 15 for others to use that dont fit or are afraid of our kayaks or to fish from!
A
A friend of mine has a Coleman. It has a sharp metal thing on the side that scrapes your hand if you’re not careful.
I
You didn’t know because the last time you were on the water is when your mother had to change you. What is it with some of you people. Does trashing what others paddle make you feel superior? I’d love to see you paddle up to someone(that’s if you ever would take that off your car and put it in the water)and trash their boat. Get a life!
Tom
Why I haven’t given away my coleman?
Nobody I dislike enough wants it.
trashing junk serves a purpose
I would never look down my nose at another person’s canoe, boat, or other equipment, to make me feel superior, but feel obligated to warn them of the pitfalls of paddling junk. I no longer buy the argument “well if it gets them out on the water. . .”. That’s like telling a kid to play on the railroad tracks and then saying “well it gets him outside.”
I recently helped a friend sell a Pelican Navigator. The seller had used it three times–had gotten wet twice and concluded that canoes are tippy and unsafe. Fortunately he didn’t drown before he reached that conclusion.
My friend asked me to try out the Pelican with him. Ten minutes was enough for me before we beached it and I clambered out and kissed the ground. I helped sell it to another friend for pulling duck decoys behind his boat, but I regret aiding and abetting that transaction–even duck decoys have some pride.
So if I offend anyone by dissing your craft, I am sorry–but I make no apology for preserving your life, safety, or interest in canoeing. In my opinion, some canoe manufacturers do a great dis-service to those on a low budget who simply wish to enjoy the outdoors with their family without spending a lot of money on equipment. My advice to those people is to save until you can buy a good used canoe, or feel free to borrow one of mine.
COLEMAN CANOES
We have had a coleman canoe for 25 years traveld on multi day trips with our boys all over the state.Both boys wrote about their adventures in the green canoe in their college essays. You should be ashamed ! You don’t have to have a fancy boat to have fun !
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Well,…
Unfortunately you just learned NOT to ask questions on this board. The elitist yuppies live here, and trash anyone that has a canoe costing less than $2000.
They dont realize, through their own narrow-mindedness, and stupidity that they drive people away from this site, and the paddle sports rather than be helpful and pull people into the sport.
How stupid does someone have to be to not realize that just because they’re completely shallow and materialistic doesn’t mean the rest of the world is. THOUSANDS of people enjoy countless family days and fishing trips in their Coleman canoes, and other inexpensive boats every year. Coleman, and cheaper poly Old Towns suit MANY people just fine…for years and years. I grew up in an old Sears and Roebuck fiberglass Canoe, and have many fond memories of fishing with Dad in that boat. We fished, camped, duck hunted and thoroughly enjoyed that old canoe. Recently I saw one just like it on the roof of a car…it had to be over 40 years old and still going.
Try not to listen to these idiots on here. I’m sure your old Coleman is a nice boat, and it obviously helped your two kids enjoy the outdoors. I just hope the “elitist” attitude on here cant spread to others, because it needs to be gone from this sport. It’s a sickening trait to have.
Stereotypes not always accurate.
All cheap canoes aren’t =.
All expensive canoes aren’t =.
You assume that Coleman and Pelican canoes paddle the same, though you’ve only paddled the Pelican. For that matter, you’ve only paddled one model of Pelican. From that amount of experience, you can only draw conclusions on that one sample of that one Pelican model, not all Pelecans or all cheap canoes.
Obviously, you’re no scientist.
People get thrown from expensive canoes all the time.
People get scared from the “tippy” feeling of expensive canoes all the time.
I’ve never paddled a Coleman or pelican, so I don’t have any feedback on them.
Besides, the OP wants info on seat backs, not canoes.
You trashed the boat first.
Coleman canoes
I’ve used the 17ft version of the Coleman for many years hauling gear and hundreds of lbs of moose. Are there better handling canoes out there? I’m sure there are. I commute in a Honda Civic, are there better handling, faster, sleeker, more precision built cars out there? Yep, does the Civic serve my purpose? Yep. My Coleman takes what I throw at it, keeps the water on the outside and if loaded correctly, is stable enough. I have two of them and will be lining them upriver in a few weeks to make more good memories. I’m no paddle snob, I created a profile just so that I could reply to the jackwagons that look down their noses if you dare own anything other than a “so and so”. Pound sand, I love my crappy Coleman. And don’t bother with a “smart ass” reply, I won’t be back on here. HA!
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