I have a 4 door extended cab truck. So far I have been carrying the 17 ft canoe in the truck bed. I want to carry it on the rack in the back of the truck. But the problem is the bow is right over the cab and instead of sitting on the rack, the canoe sits on the cab.
Anyone else carry a canoe on an extended cab truck with a bed rack? What do you do?
Thanks in advance.
LTF
Two Choices As I See It
I added padding to my Rail-n-Rack and solved the problem (I have '94 Silverado with extended cab). I had considered buying rack to attach to cab. I believe Oak Orchard in N.Y. will sell you one rack for this purpose. WW
what kind of padding?
What did you put on as padding? I added closed cell foam that is used as kayak/canoe car top carrier.
The boat eventually settled down through the foam.
LTF.
What is the problem?
I have logged thousands of miles in a ford sport trac of my buddies with the 18.6 foot canoe hanging overhead mounted on the rails that come with the beast. I personnally like my canoes there. They act as a sunvisor.
Charlie
Only way I know
For the last 5 years I have drive a Ranger. I built a simple frame that slips into the slots on the bedrails in the back. Then I just put foam blocks on the gunnels where they lay on the cab. I would crank the canoe down with a few ratchet straps and be off. I have carried from 15 to 18.5 foot canoes this way at speeds of up to 80 and in semi crosswinds and all the bad weather I can think of. The only time I had any problem was when someone was nice enough to remove a 5 mile an hour turn sign on an umframiliar country road. It was very early and I did not see the turn till it was too late. i hit it at about 45 or so. Even with slamming on the brakes and a crazy semicontrolled slide the canoe stayed on the truck. It slid forward so that the pads came over the cab and I got a few scratches but everything survived. Now I have a blazer and do not worry about it anymore.
Home built rack
Look here:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/111686474/111686966yTmjUD
This pic shows a 16 ft Mad River Freedom on the rack. It looks like it is hitting the cab roof but is actually clear by about 3 inches.
Two canoes can be carried when the extension bars are bolted on top of the rack.
Paul
Spacers.
I use two spacers that bolt onto the rack with 1/4 X 20 SS bolts and wingnuts for easy use. The spacers are 1 by 4’s, the length of the rack width, stained dark mahogany (could be black, white, raw, etc) and varnished. I bolt these on the front and back rack posts on my stock shell rack, and this elevates the height of the upside down canoe so that the bow does not scuff the roof of my Chevy nor hang down in my field of view. It is however, visible by leaning forward and looking up out of my windshield so I can check on it occasionally.
Good luck!
Not familiar with …
…your vehicle or boat, but when I’ve carried up to a 16’, on a 4-dr sedan, I’ve ducttaped foam pipe insulation to the gunwales and put it directly on the cab. A few inches lower than a rack, and infinitely cheaper. Requires
tying down to vehicle rather than rack.
Got Some of the Pads…
…with the rack, bought some off someone on the board. They’re closed cell foam enclosed in cotton lining. Noticed some other good ideas here with foam on the cab, but if routinely hauling 17’ boat long distances, I think I would prefer the extra stability of a rack on the cab. None of the boats I presently own are 17’, although, I HAD 17’ MRC Revelation that I also hauled on this rack. but not frequently, or long distances. WW