How to carry canoe on F150 Supercrew short bed with trailer?

[Gamma1214]

The good old days of pushing a car and bump starting it was great.

That's one of the reasons I keep fixing my old Ranger. I think the only company still making a truck w/ a manual trans is Toyota. Side benefit of the manual is that I can leave the keys in the ignition and 80% of the people can't steal it.

 

[yknpdlr]

I just replaced my old 2016 Subaru Forester with a new Wilderness model. While I really like it, what I dislike the most is the dang bulky keyless entry and start system. I had always left the key in my old car cup holder when I parked it in my attached garage at home. No reason not to do so when the garage is secure. Can't do that with the new key, as it will run the battery down in the key fob. I have to hang the key in the house and remember to pick it up before heading out to the car now. How many times before I stop swearing at that process? Before, whenever I parked the car somewhere public, I would lock it with the old simple key fob and was in the habit to then test the handle to see if it was securely locked before leaving. But now, placing my hand in the door handle is how it is unlocked with the bulky key fob in my pocket. Also, I can't now hide the key on or anywhere near the car when I leave it at a trailhead. Oh, I long for the days of carrying a simple small metal key in my pocket. Why is life so complicated now?

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I had always left the key in my old car cup holder when I parked it in my attached garage at home. No reason not to do so when the garage is secure. Can't do that with the new key, as it will run the battery down in the key fob. I have to hang the key in the house . . . .

I'm not sure hanging the key in the house saves the key fob battery unless the car is completely out of the EM range of the fob. I keep my MB car in my driveway and hang my two electronic key fobs by the front door, but the fob batteries drain pretty fast. I'm sure it's because the fobs are close enough to the car to keep communicating with it, for if I open my front door, the fobs will lock and unlock the doors easily from that range--maybe 10 yards.

Also, I can't now hide the key on or anywhere near the car when I leave it at a trailhead.

You could if you used a Faraday cage:

Faraday cage for shuttle car smart keys

As one with 20 year old shuttle vehicles, I've always just kept a $1 spare mechanical key on my PFD zipper to open my vehicle at the end of a paddle. Today, however, newfangled cars like my Mercedes have expensive electronic keys -- up to $500 to replace -- that allow automatic unlocking...

www.canoetripping.net

I don't, so I have to carry my smart key when I use that vehicle on my PFD in a waterproof case:

 

[GeoBoy]

I just leave my key fob on top of my wallet in a drawer. Shouldn’t drive your car without you drivers license and some cash/credit card. When I paddle the key fob goes into my dry bag.

 

[coldfeet]

I picked up the 60” Thule bars with attachments ( not the ones for the naked roof which I already knew) for $100. Great price, seller was generous. But the 2 plus hour drive back home (only 50 miles) on the Merritt parkway in CT was horrible. Save myself some $ but I lost more years in the bumpa to bumpa traffic. Smart me I disengaged that stop/start engine gas saver feature. Now to order the stands and other thing to attach to the roof.
Best to all.

 

[Boatman53]

Man Dave I don’t miss that kind of traffic one bit. I’ve been in my share of that too.
But on the bright side you are closer to your goal.
Jim

 

[Simuliumvenustum]

Like Coldfeet, I have a 2017 Ford F150 Super Crew Cab with a short bed and tonneau cover. I have carried canoes between 12 feet and 18 feet (and kayaks) on Thule racks attached to the cab's roof without any problems on the three F150 Super Crew Cabs I have owned. I use square load bars of varying lengths between 60 and 78 inches, depending on the number and width of the canoes I am hauling. I use Thule Portage cradles to facilitate holding the canoes in place, but I do not feel they are necessary as long as the boats are properly secured. I also installed Thule Outriggers on the bars, which make loading boats alone much more manageable and easier on my back. Outriggers extend the width of the bar about a foot over the side of my vehicle, allowing me to lever the boat onto the load bars. The Outriggers slide inside the load bar for storage when not in use. Unfortunately, I do not think Thule carries Outriggers anymore. I also use the same rack to carry an 18-foot kayak but secure it in kayak cradles attached to the bars.

F150 Super Crew with 17-foot Swift Keewaydin

 

[SouthernKevlar]

Hi Coldfeet, nice to see another fiberglass RV'er in the crowd.
Last year I made the trip up to Minnesota to pick up my Scamp 16 footer with a Subaru and then up to Ely for a bit of BWCA exposure before a leisurely two week trip home. I upgraded to A Nissan Armada after I got home, it is tall and not to easy to load, but I've got long arms and it pulls the Scamp with better gas milage than the Subaru. I use Yakima racks on both.
I did have a "94 Ford Ranger stretch cab that I used to carry my boats on. I used two racks across the top and it worked just fine. Granted, mostly it was whitewater kayaks back then, but a few canoes got hauled on it too.
You should be OK with the roof racks, just spread them as far apart as you can.

 

[Black_Fly]

I used a T or U bar for years with a bar on the cab. The one bad thing about that setup is the cab and bed have separate suspension, puts stress on the gunnels.

 

[coldfeet]

Rack on. Ordered the “Bull’s Ring” for tie downs. Going tripping this weekend NY ADK’s.