Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos
Another member suggested a new forum section with new products but it doesn't look like it will be feasible. So I thought I would post this here under General RVing Issues. If enough people post (even...
Forum Discussion
Just thought I would share my homemade canoe rack. I shared it in it's own thread, but I would love to memorialize it here as well! ;)
The placement of the canoe was done carefully to make sure that it would fit safely while towing, without hitting the front panel of the TT. I didn't really want to spend the $$ on a very expensive setup, and this one took only time and about $60 worth of material, but a lot of time.
Here are some pics:
The frame work is all 2x4 and the front to back braces are secured with hex bolts, lock washers, and t-nuts.
The carpet is to protect the gunwales/wood. The PVC is covering a wooden strip that sits right against the inside of the gunwales keeping the canoe from being able to yaw once strapped.
Here is the canoe loaded, but without the straps, which go over the front and rear and attach to the tie-downs in the bed of the truck. The PVC on the side rails of the rack are there to slide the canoe up on when loading/unloading.
Finally here is a close up of what I think is the best design element, the strips that ride inside the gunwales. The wood strip is under the black PVC pipe (you can just see the ends of it in the second picture above). Since the piece is angled to fit precisely, the canoe cannot yaw at all. Also, since the seat brackets hold the gunwales in, the canoe cannot move forward or back, as that would require the gunwales to spread. This eliminates the need for bow/stern tie downs, since (barring the straps failing) the canoe cannot lift up, twist, or move front or back.
A lot of thought and time went into this, but it works well. The whole thing is coated with exterior enamel and spar eurythane. To disassemble, remove the eight bolts holding on the front to rear supports, and lift the front and back sections out of the core holes in the bed rails of the pickup. Very simple. I searched around for a while and never found any design like this, so maybe this will help someone else like me, who wants to take the canoe along, but doesn't want to pay a bunch for a rack. This rack is extremely strong and could also be used to haul ladders, wood, or anything else too long to fit in the bed.
I have more pics, so if anyone is interested, feel free to contact me privately and I can email them to you, along with more detailed descriptions.
The placement of the canoe was done carefully to make sure that it would fit safely while towing, without hitting the front panel of the TT. I didn't really want to spend the $$ on a very expensive setup, and this one took only time and about $60 worth of material, but a lot of time.
Here are some pics:
The frame work is all 2x4 and the front to back braces are secured with hex bolts, lock washers, and t-nuts.
The carpet is to protect the gunwales/wood. The PVC is covering a wooden strip that sits right against the inside of the gunwales keeping the canoe from being able to yaw once strapped.
Here is the canoe loaded, but without the straps, which go over the front and rear and attach to the tie-downs in the bed of the truck. The PVC on the side rails of the rack are there to slide the canoe up on when loading/unloading.
Finally here is a close up of what I think is the best design element, the strips that ride inside the gunwales. The wood strip is under the black PVC pipe (you can just see the ends of it in the second picture above). Since the piece is angled to fit precisely, the canoe cannot yaw at all. Also, since the seat brackets hold the gunwales in, the canoe cannot move forward or back, as that would require the gunwales to spread. This eliminates the need for bow/stern tie downs, since (barring the straps failing) the canoe cannot lift up, twist, or move front or back.
A lot of thought and time went into this, but it works well. The whole thing is coated with exterior enamel and spar eurythane. To disassemble, remove the eight bolts holding on the front to rear supports, and lift the front and back sections out of the core holes in the bed rails of the pickup. Very simple. I searched around for a while and never found any design like this, so maybe this will help someone else like me, who wants to take the canoe along, but doesn't want to pay a bunch for a rack. This rack is extremely strong and could also be used to haul ladders, wood, or anything else too long to fit in the bed.
I have more pics, so if anyone is interested, feel free to contact me privately and I can email them to you, along with more detailed descriptions.
