In search...canoe rack ideas/photos

[FAW3]

I just bought a nice used '09 Tacoma 4 door long bed with a color matched fiberglass cap. I need to get some ideas as to mounting a roof rack that would support a 16' canoe and at other times a 12' kayak. Looking at the options...I don't like the idea of a simple two bar mount on the cap as the pole supports would only be about 5.5' apart...leaving IMO too much unsupported front overhang with the 16' canoe (assuming a reasonable amount of rear overhang - say just 2-3'). I do not want to use a hitch type load extender as it will conflict with bike rack and/or access to cap.

My first thought is a standard mount on the fiberglass top and having the "front bar" able to be remounted on the cab as needed for longer loads.

If anyone has any photos of canoe mounts on the Tacoma or similar rigs - love to see them.

 

[surlydiesel]

I guess my worry is the Bed of the truck moving independently from the Cab of the truck. I would not want that twisting motion on my canoe. I have a 14 footer that I carry on a Reg Cab with only 2 bars on the cap and I don't really feel like there is too much overhang in the front. That aside, I would look into the Kargo Master style undercap ladder rack. They sit low to the cap and extend past the cab for longer loads. That is what I would do if I were starting fresh and I would not put holes in my fiberglass cap. They might not leak tomorrow or a year from now but someday, those holes will leak. I did not put the rack on my current truck, came that way but if I had to replace the cap, I would get a ladder rack for under the cap.

-jorge

 

[Louisd75]

Here's how I did mine. Kayak is just over 20' long if I remember right.



My shell came with Yakima tracks, the front cross bar is set up with the clips needed to mount to the door flanges under the weather stripping. The front crossbar doesn't have a lot of adjustability fore and aft wheras the tracks on the shell let it move almost the length of the shell roof. I set the distance between the crossbars for my tandem bike since that's up there more than the kayak.

 

[piratexpress1369a]

i mount mine to my roof basket

 

[Flagster]

not a great pic but I have yakima 1 a towers on the shell and some q towers on the cap...4 crossbars and they work great with my 15' and 17' grummans

 

[CDNTaco]

Hello FAW3,
Similar to Louisd75 andFlagster I would recommend putting one crossbar on your cap and one crossbar on your cab.
Here is my kayak set up. My canoe set up is similiar, except I use the cab mounted bar and the front cab mounted bar instead of the back.
I have yakima tracks on my cap and I would highly recommend them.



I would not worry about the twisting action of bed vs. cab unless you go rock crawling with your canoe mounted.
This set up has worked well for me for many years.

Thanks
Corey

 

[FAW3]

Thank you all for the ideas and photos...I checked the web and after some time...you start figuring out these rack systems and options. This type of rack is new to me and I appreciate the help.

I think a Yak or Thule system that allows placement of the "front bar" on the cab or cap depending on the length of the load is something I'll try to mock up and see how it works.

Our '79 Old Town Penobscot 16 (sold via LLB) with wood gunnels is one of my loves - and I want to rig it right on this new truck...you canoe folks "get it" :

 

[Martinjmpr]

I think 5.5' between crossbars is plenty. We have a 17' Grumman aluminum canoe and I've carried it many times on the factory (4runner) rack. (I've also carried it sans rack using foam blocs, but ultimately didn't like that because when I torqued down the straps, it made the sheet metal flex and I didn't want to damage the sheetmetal on the roof.)

Two good straps across the top at the crossbars, and then a bow and stern strap (I use ratchet straps) seems to hold our canoe just fine, even in heavy wind. When I was a kid back in the 60's and 70's, my family drove all over the country in our Chevy or Ford wagon with that same canoe strapped to the roof and I know the roof bars were never 5.5' apart.

 

[vicali]

We've made sure to have rack plates added when we ordered our canopy for our Doublecab, I'm concerned that our 16ft Prospector is going to touch the cab unless we figure something out..

Options would be either add a rack to the cab up front, add hi-rise towers on the canopy, or find a basket for the cap and mount the canoe to that.
Interested to see what other expos have done.

 

[Flagster]

I have also started using the Yakima gunwale kit as it eliminates the need for front and rear tie downs since the curvature of the boat prevents forward or rearward sliding. Two good tiedowns over the top and I'm set.

https://www.yakima.com/shop/water/roof/gunwale-brackets-

 

[2scars]

Maybe these?

http://www.usrack.com/turbo_rack.php

They seem like a kinda cool alternative, Made in the USA too.

Brandon

 

[Slow Mo]

Factory rack up front - used a Yakima crossbar w/ Railgrab towers so that I could fit the Yakima accessories. Could just go with the factory rack otherwise. Yakima crossbars in back.



I've heard that the factory rack whistles; Yakima rack definitely does, loudly! I added a fairing - pricey for what it is, but it stopped the whistling. I've been told that wrapping some rope around the bar might also solve the noise.

 

[Slow Mo]

Forgot to add - I initially tried it with just racks on the cap - the curve of the canoe meant that it made contact with the front of the cab, unless it was raked way back on the bars. You'd need risers or something if you wanted to go that route, I think.

 

[nat]

Here's my setup



back before I finished all my expo mods.

Canoe mounts on a bed rack I made and uses the factory roof rack as the front bar. The canoe is a 14.5' woodstrip I made, I also have a 16' Wenonah.

 

[tanglefoot]

Ooh--nice canoes!

I agree that it helps to have one bar on the cab and another on the shell.

I used to use those rack bar brackets that mount lumber 2x4s as crossbars. Recently, we've been using our little cars to carry the canoe, using those foam canoe blocks that sit right on the roof. They work well.