Carrying a canoe on top of your toad?

To OP,

Have you thought about using an inflatable? I have been looking at the Advanced Elements kayak. I'm thinking of trying this. They had an article on them in the Escapees monthly magazine for this month. Looks like a nice setup. One of them weighs 32# and fits into a duffle bag. You could stow this in either the back of the dingy or in a storage compartment in the MH. All reports I have seen are the people are liking them. They have a frame and then the skin is inflatable.

Just another thing to consider.

trikepilot wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:

Make sure it doesn't extend far enough to interfere with turning your rv.

Thanks for all the good info.

I pull a motor glider behind my motor home currently and the wing rack holds the 21 ft wing sections with 12 bungies. Occasionally when I have to brake hard, the bungies allow the wing to slide forward a bit. I start off my trip with a foot of clearance between the wing tips and the rear mounted spare tire on the RV and sometimes end it with scuff marks on my tire cover because the wing has slid forward so much. I finally mounted a rear view camera just to keep an eye on the wing.

Sliding forward...lol, know that challenge. Hard to control with items that can't be stressed by very tight ratchet straps.

I have used a bungee style cargo net. It can be secured over the end of things like dressers, drywall, insulation rolls, styrofoam, or maybe even wing tips ;)

As long as it is secured not to fall off, it can help keep things in their place.

Lining your supports with nonslip/cushioned material helps, too. Non slip drawer liners can be used in a pinch.

Our canoe is a Madriver poly. It will stretch in the sun if you tie bow and stern lines too tight. That added to our sliding problem before the new racks. Once you find a good way to secure the craft mid ship, the other lines are mostly guides to offset side winds and stresses.

I still check all straps at every stop- especially in rain ;)

Good luck, there are a number of carriers available, some in the many hundreds of dollars. We looked in the $80-$180 range. Think we ended up around $120 or so.

mockturtle wrote:
The only craft you should probably not carry on your car top for long periods are those softer plastic types. Sun and excessive heat can warp them.

I suspect you mean polyethylene as opposed to plastic laminate or fiberglass composite hulls. Thanks for the info. I am still trying to decide which is the right material for me. Polyethylene is inexpensive, which I like, but I would hate to have to keep answering the question, "what is that on the roof of your Jeep?" after the sun warped the canoe into an unrecognizable shape.:W

DiskDoctr wrote:

Make sure it doesn't extend far enough to interfere with turning your rv.

Thanks for all the good info.

I pull a motor glider behind my motor home currently and the wing rack holds the 21 ft wing sections with 12 bungies. Occasionally when I have to brake hard, the bungies allow the wing to slide forward a bit. I start off my trip with a foot of clearance between the wing tips and the rear mounted spare tire on the RV and sometimes end it with scuff marks on my tire cover because the wing has slid forward so much. I finally mounted a rear view camera just to keep an eye on the wing.

Dutch_12078 wrote:
That minimized the view obstruction for the driver, as well as allowing near normal access to the rear lift gate.

Exactly what I am hoping to find. A rack that will allow access to the rear of a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the least amount of hassle.

robsouth wrote:
Can't be rocket science as she has had no prior experience in such endeavors.

I have no experience towing a toad, selecting a canoe, or securing one to the roof of a vehicle. I do actually work with a bunch of rocket scientists here in New Mexico so if it gets too complicated I know where to turn for help.:)

Other than increasing the weight of the toad, there would be no problem with carrying a canoe on the toad. It can be secured the same as when you are driving the toad.

I carried my kayak on my Honda CR-V toad. The only craft you should probably not carry on your car top for long periods are those softer plastic types. Sun and excessive heat can warp them. My carbonlite did just fine.

I carried 2 kayaks on my Odyssey van. I used Thule fold down racks. Thule are pricy but worth it, IMHO.

We regularly haul three yaks or a canoe atop our van using Thule racks. You should be fine. Check straps once in a while. Should not be noticable. Best of luck