Touring Kayakers and Canoeists?

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I saw a Canoe Magazine photo of a brace of canoes that ripped the rusty rain gutters off an old Volvo. They just peeled up and over, landing on the pavement, still attached to the bars.

The secret is to avoid this is to always tie the bow and stern to the vehicle.

Have you considered gutter clips into the sides of the roof, using rain gutter style towers?

 

[Vic Harder]

WS, I had not considered gutter style bars. I think the camper roof's gutters are much weaker than the typical cars (rusty Volvo's excepted).

When we have the canoe mounted to the car (Mazda 3 with factory roof rack) the holding power is from the ratchet straps. They are hefty and tight! I use the bow attachement point just to keep the nose from swinging side to side and not under much tension at all, if any.

And, I thought that I'd seen pics on this forum where the canoe on the roof of the camper had no bow or stern attachment?

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Vic, the gutter clips bolt through the side of the roof, the towers sit in the clip. They’re very sturdy. I use them on my truck canopies. I believe there are a couple of members that have done that with good results.

Regardless of what my boats are on, the bow and stern are always tied down.

 

[Vic Harder]

hey, that does look good. I think this is the product, right?

https://www.etrailer.com/question-175903.html

I'm having trouble visualizing what this would look like mounted to the camper roof, especially on the inside. Anyne have this type of clip installed and got pics to share?

Vic

 

[ckent323]

We have two custom made Pygmy Wooden kayaks. They were built by a lifelong friend who unfortunately passed away 7 years ago in an auto accident.

He lived in Snohomish Washington next to Lake Roesiger. He and I used to go kayaking in the Puget sound and in local river estuaries during my annual trips up there over many years. I bought the boats from his Widow 2 years after his passing.

We have full length Yakima racks on the FWC camper as well as on my bed topper. I use Mako paddles and Hully rollers. I bought but have not yet installed a Showboat Loader for the camper.

Now that I am retired I plan to use those a lot more - probably mostly near us in Morro Bay.

 

[DavidGraves]

hey, that does look good. I think this is the product, right?

https://www.etrailer.com/question-175903.html

I'm having trouble visualizing what this would look like mounted to the camper roof, especially on the inside. Anyne have this type of clip installed and got pics to share?

Vic

Hello Vic

I doubt you want to mount that product directly to the camper roof....they need a fairly solid base to mount on.....

Full length Yakima tracks are mounted directly above a longitudinal roof frame.

The gutter mount brackets work fine on verticle or hoizontal mount on a canopy/truck cap.

David Graves

 

[Vic Harder]

That's what I was thinking David, but Wandering Sagebrush seems to think you can mount those receiver clips onto the roof, like you would to a truck cap/canopy.

I don't have the Yakima tracks, and have successfully mounted my 265W solar panel to the roof without them by locating each of the roof supports (easy to do when they all have screws in them - a benefit of the older roof style!) and mounting to those.

For the canoe supports, I was going to do the same, but for tie downs, I want more strength, so I was doing to put down a 2" wide aluminium flat bar horizontally, and screw/glue into the roof supports all the way accross. And then use that to attach tie downs to. No less strong than the Yakima system, I would think.

WS's solution is more elegant, but I would think I would need aluminum flats on the inside of the roof to anchor/support those little bracket/clips.

Thoughts?

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Vic, the clips come (or at least mine did) with a metal plate (looks cadmium plated) for the inside of what ever you’re mounting to. What I don’t know is if you have to open your headliner, or if you have enough room below that level to attach the plates and nuts. A caveat, as the towers curve inward, if the clips are too low, you have interference between the towers and a vertical mounting surface. I messed up when mounting the clips on my utility trailer.

BTW, there are usually multiple craigslist ads for rain gutter type towers.




Apologies for orientation, I’m being lazy.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Vic, another thought if using gutter clips. Prior to Yakima and Thule towers, Quik-n-Easy was the tower that many in the canoeing community used. Aluminum, and better vertical clearance to get past a roof edge. I don't know if they are still made, but there are often ads for them in Craigslist, etc. The downside is they don't lock. I just used 2x4s for the cross bars.

Another thought, since you have a screwed down type roof is go with tracks in front and back or placed to avoid your solar panel, then get a set of Yakima or Thule landing pads, towers and bars. The shortest they make is 42", but I would make the tracks as long as possible. This is going to probably be the most expensive way to go, but you have the screw holes in the roof already, so why not?

 

[DavidGraves]

That's what I was thinking David, but Wandering Sagebrush seems to think you can mount those receiver clips onto the roof, like you would to a truck cap/canopy.

I don't have the Yakima tracks, and have successfully mounted my 265W solar panel to the roof without them by locating each of the roof supports (easy to do when they all have screws in them - a benefit of the older roof style!) and mounting to those.

For the canoe supports, I was going to do the same, but for tie downs, I want more strength, so I was doing to put down a 2" wide aluminium flat bar horizontally, and screw/glue into the roof supports all the way accross. And then use that to attach tie downs to. No less strong than the Yakima system, I would think.

WS's solution is more elegant, but I would think I would need aluminum flats on the inside of the roof to anchor/support those little bracket/clips.

Thoughts?

Vic

If you distribute the load ACROSS the roof framing you might be fine.......

I have mounted lots of the Yakima gutter mounts on my various vehicles over the years....

The very first thing you need to know is what length cross bars (pipe) you are gonna use in order to determine placement of the mount.

Note that the Yakima towers "draw up" the length between mounts as you tighten the tower......I mention this in relation to your finding a way to secure them to your camper roof.

Another point it that the Yakima cross bars are strong but damn heavy !

On Ski3pins notion, I bought and cut heavy wall aluminum cross pipes. They are expensive but strong enough and perhaps one third the weight.

Sure you want to carry a canoe : ) ?

PS there are two height towers FWIW.

David Graves

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I have may posted these photos many years ago.
This is the system I've used to carry my 13' canoe.
I don't carry it any more I now have a inflatable kayak.
The reason for no longer using the canoe is age.
Don't want to heart ourselves getting it off/on.
Younger age wasn't a problem.

The canoe has a roller wheel that rolls along the track.
There are stops in front that keep the canoe from shifting side to side.
Also on the rear roof rack are stops that do the same.
I use ratchet straps to hold the canoe in place.
There is a short chain up front that acts as a safety tie down.

My system has worked very well and with the 40# lifters the top goes up OK.

Frank

 

[Taku]

Thanks for posting them again. that is a creative way to load a canoe. I have the parts to make that work already. Just as soon as I finish all the other projects!

 

[Vic Harder]

what is the central channel made out of?

 

[Lighthawk]

I don't carry it any more I now have a inflatable kayak.

What sort of inflatable did you get, Frank?

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Andy several years ago I purchased an "Advanced Elements" tandem from AirKayaks.com out of Napa.
It's the "convertible model "blue" #AE1007DS. REI used to carry that brand but don't think they do any longer.
I got the basic kit about 1000$. It includes paddles lumbar seats and a "ridged" floor.
There is a less expensive model but doesn't come with the same ridged floor.
It's a two person and you can also get "skirts" if you order the next upgrade kit.

There are some pictures of it in my travel blog. Go to 2013 "new kayak on Union Lk.
We really haven't used it much but it is a great alternative to the canoe or a hard kayak.
One other reason we don't carry the canoe.In traveling out of state it's a real pain to stop and get it inspected.
Several states after leaving Ca. require you to have your boats inspected.And may charge you to just carry it through their state.

I am all for the non spread of invasive critters but it's still a pain to go through the "hoops" when you are just traveling.
Frank

 

[OutbacKamper]

My new Delta 12-10 kayak on Hidden Lake, BC this weekend:

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

The Delta looks like a nice light touring boat. Congrats!

 

[OutbacKamper]

Thanks, I am enjoying it so far!

 

[OutbacKamper]

Sugar Lake, BC.

 

[DavidGraves]

New Boat for us!

After many years lusting after same, we bought a Grumman Sport boat....a flat transom, high capacity aluminum boat that can be rowed. sailed and motored.....15-6" X 44".

We have owned/enjoyed Grumman canoes for 40 years and this new member of the fleet promises to keep us entertained with some lake fishing and hopefully some multi day canoe camp trips.

Hurray !

David Graves