My Frontier is an extended cab (Nissan calls it a King Cab). My question is can I carry a 14’ canoe using the Thule rack system? Obviously the spacing between the load bars would only be 24" or so.
Appreciate advice and suggestions.
Better way
I have the extended cab also and am trying to visualize a 14’ canoe on the cab. Would not recommend it with such a short span.
If you do not have a topper on the bed you can mount a set of supports that affix to the Utilitrack rails. That’s what I would do except that I have a topper and intend to keep it.
hitch
Or get a hitch with a Thule T-bar off of the back.
put a ladder rack upright
To catch the rear of the canoe.
For a 14footer I’d say you can do it…
– Last Updated: Jun-15-15 8:16 PM EST –
....make sure the footings for the racks have a rock solid grip. Make your most bombproof tie the underneath tie from the thwarts to the bars and back again in addition to the overhead ties to the racks.
It's not the quickest and easiest tie to complete...but done well...it's the most momentum killer of all the ties.
Make sure you tie the bow and stern to the corners...but anything additional is a definite plus.
bed mounted rack
Oak Orchard Canoe makes and sells several rack mounts for pickup beds that mount Yakima and Thule bars that will support the rear of the canoe while a single bar on the cab supports the front. They are very well made and you can choose from mounts that on a bare bed or under a bedliner or with a cap. Their phone number is 585-682-4849. They are closed Tuesdays and have a website.
Bill
probably the most economical way
Would you just go with one crossbar on the cab?
I think you will appreciate having
some sort of cross piece in the back of the bed area, or coming off the tow hitch, or fastened to the side rail pockets (does that model truck have those?) to support that much boat length up there, on windy days going down the highway with truck traffic.
I am trying to visualize and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do what you are describing. I’ve put a 14’ kayak in the long bed regular full size pickup with the tail gate down and fastened to a lot of tie downs and a low cross bar in the back of the bed, for short trips, but up there on the just the cab… wow. Well, maybe I’ve seen it with short boats on smaller pickups, but there was a LOT of canoe hanging over the front and they tied down to the front bumper, too, besides being tied to the back bumper. Uh, no thanks when that Delta breeze comes up. CA’s likes their pickup bed racks. Of course, my area almost no one drives under 70 mph, so you can imagine what it looks like when you are the only vehicle going the posted speed limit, and traffic is weaving crazy all around. Some of these giant RV’s even blast by going 75+ mph and there is a lot of turbulence when they do.
or… with no rack, just a t bar:
http://s214.photobucket.com/user/jimmyboy1986/media/2006%20chevy/DSC00496.jpg.html
I was assuming he had
Bars on the cab.
I would prefer a full ladder rack with two uprights mounted on the bed rails.
I have the same truck and there were no off the shelf options for a cab rack without drilling the roof, and you can’t install a factory rack after it leaves the factory according to Nissan.
that doesn’t appear wise
wow. seriously?
What’s wrong with auto manufacturers?
I’ve seen the one-crossbar/one ladder rack method, it looks good enough and affordable. I assume you can get a ladder rack cheaper than the thule pickup uprights.
I agree the bed/t bar method does not look like a wise solution.
I have that truck
an 07 with a roof rack,and it works fine. if you don’t have a rack 4 foam blocks spaced as far as you can, a strap through the windows and one front and one rear will do fine
Thanks
For all the ideas. Starting to think a trailer may be the way to go.