Show me your rack :)

[Rippy]

I've never thought about a pivot on the back ! I like it !
I'm getting older too !
Thanks Dave !

Jim

It works great Jim. I have a shoulder high rack in the garage. I walk under the canoe and lift it off using the portage yolk, walk it to the truck and shove it between the brackets on the rear cross bar and step out from under it. I have a rope from a thwart to the rear rack so when I pull the front ropes I don't pull the canoe forward. I open a truck door and step up on the sill holding on the grab handle with one hand and set the canoe down on the rack with the other hand. Dave

 

[Jim Dodd]

A better pic of my rack's intended use.

Jim

 

[daveo4]

Rippy,
I have always heard that the cab and rear end of a pickup will move differently (flex?), and having a canoe or kayak supported and tied down like you show in your photo is not so good for the boat. Have you noticed any issues? Has anyone else ever heard this?
Regards,
Dave

 

[Rippy]

Rippy,
I have always heard that the cab and rear end of a pickup will move differently (flex?), and having a canoe or kayak supported and tied down like you show in your photo is not so good for the boat. Have you noticed any issues? Has anyone else ever heard this?
Regards,
Dave

Yes it (the canoe) does move around some. Mostly because the rear rack slides loose into the receiver and rocks side to side a little. Especially when you meet big trucks on two lanes. The rear does most of the moving with the canoe pivoting only slightly on the front rack. Bothered me at first but I have learned to ignore it. I have hauled my Kevlar/Spectra NC Pal over 5000 miles this way so far and haven't seen any damage to the canoe. A solid box mounted rear rack could provide a twisting effect against a cab mounted front rack and I could see that this might cause damage to a canoe. My rack is free to move a little in the hitch and this may be a good thing to keep the canoe from binding. Dave

 

[bcelect]

No Title

I waited for Thule to make an adapter to fit their load bars to a Saturn Outlook but they never did. I had to make my own.

 

[Robin]

Inspired by Jim Dodd in post #11 I went down to the metal shop and purchased some steel, my son cut it up with his chop saw and welded it up, then I spent a day painting, drilling and mounting.
Total cost, $60 for the steel, $40 for SS hardware and some quaility drill bits to drill the mounting holes, some left over canvas and a couple spare 2x3's

Thanks Jim Dodd for posting that picture, really inspired me to ditch the cap and go topless. My days of commando camping in the North Bay, Ontario Walmart or along the side of highway 11 in northern Ontario under the cap are over.

The new style Tacoma plastic bed created some issues, the racks can come off but the amount of time it will take to remove/replace them makes this system pretty much a year round attachment.

The rear rack could have been a skosh lower, my 15' Chum with curved ends came close to the cab roof, so I mounted the cross member 2x3 to the back of the upright rather than the top. The bolt holes are the same and the cross bar can be easily moved to the top if I end up finding a real 16' Chestnut Prospector some day.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Nice rig Robin !
I love mine !

One word of warning ! If you take it off, Nobody will know you ! HA !

Jim

 

[Robin]

Nice rig Robin !


One word of warning ! If you take it off, Nobody will know you ! HA !

Jim

Yes, already most of my friends don't recognize my truck without the cap, the racks will be my new identity in town!

 

[Thatsapaddlin]

For everyone out there with tonneau covers, here's my design. There are a couple of flaws. 1) It'd be nice if it was wider and could accommodate two canoes and 2) the loops/links should probably face outwards rather than backwards. Recently I've covered the bare metal in pipe insulating foam so I can slide my canoe forward from the back when I load it up myself.

 

[Canotrouge]

No Title

That is our new rig, just got it last week. The rack was already on it but I did add some 1.5x1.5 inches aluminum bars to be able to carry 3 tripping canoe side by side. The black stuff on top of the bars is fire hose cut length wise and turned inside out so the canoe will be on the rubberized side of the hose!!

 

[Muskrat]

No Title

Looking at this thread and the other vehicle thread makes me want a new truck. Mine works fine though and still has some life left even without a bumper. A topper is a must for me. I can leave stuff back there without it getting wet and its a pretty comfy place to sleep when it's cold or rainy.

 

[Jim Dodd]

I thought that was my first Kevlar canoe sitting on your rack for a minute

Something about an old truck ! I'd take one anyday over the new ones !

Jim

 

[Guest]

Yes, the cab and box of a pickup move differently as the cab is rubber mounted and the box solid to the frame, but I have transported composite canoes thousands of miles fastened to a cab yakama rack and the back of my cap over some real real touugh terrain at times with no problems..
Smiling turtle

 

[Canotrouge]

Same here Turtle, and never had a problem, some time with 4 canoes on the rack... As for old truck, look like 2006 will be the newest I will get since the 5.9 cumins is no longer available and I wouldn't go with anything else!! I wish I was more of a mechanic, I would stick to old rig myself, but since I suck at it, I get some thing a bit newer and hope for the best!!