Any of you tow a TT and carry a boat above truck bed/cab?

[Baja_Man]

Let me start by saying.....

I am very undecided about my plans for our next camping rig.
Family of four....me, wife, DS 17yo and DS 12yo (with Autism)

I like boating/fishing. My 12yo loves boating and I am going to teach him to fish.

Travel up and down CA, with vists to AZ, NV, and NM. Stays range from 3-8 days. Not all places will have water/lake access for my boat, which is OK.

Class C

We think we'd like to have the ability to leave on a Friday and return on Sunday for a quick weekend get away. Class C would work well for this and for towing our boat. However, no tow vehicle once we get to our destination (we like to explore the areas we visit). Cost is about $30K for used in decent cond.

I have a really nice 17'CC boat and the only want to take it with us is with a motor home or truck camper. TC was way to small for my wife's liking.

TT: I can tow with my truck, has plenty of space, can sell my current fiver (which is a little small for us) and get a 28' TT, have a vehicle for sight-seeing, and can possible carry a 14'-15' alum boat on a rack above my camper shell. Cost: $12K (plus funds from sale of my current 5er). I like the TT as it also provides the use of my truck bed for secure storage (with camper shell). The 14'-15 alum boat will not be as nice as my 17' boat (nor as safe... its gunnels are not as deep as my 17'), but it will allow me to get on the water and fish with my boys.

Any of you tow a TT and also a boat on one of those over the bed/cab loading racks? If so, can you comment on its use, how big of a boat, type of boat, any kids with you on boat, etc..

This is one of the carriers/boat loaders I am referring to:

Boat Loader

[JD_and_Beastlet]

We often bring our kayaks with us. Because we have a tonneau cover we wanted stake pocket racks. We couldn't find any we liked at a price we were willing to pay so we designed and built our own.

[boosTT]

Just winch it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYCyEq3NE-0

[Downwindtracke1]

I use a boat loader for our 12' tinny. I click on four hooks and press a button. I've got to design a hoist for the outboard one of these days.

[Mr__Camper]

TucsonJim wrote:
We're planning on carrying a 12' Porta Bote on brackets we'll be mounting to the roof of our FW. If you're open to a new boat, check out Porta Bote.

Jim

I'm also looking at the folding boat since my wife bought an inflatable Mirage kayak. I just want something to get me off the bank/piers and out to the deeper water where the fish are in hot weather.

[DutchmenSport]

Current truck with the same construction shell we've had for years and years now. Lots of bed floor space, ladder rack on top to carry the canoe, and the side panels with 2 shelves the full length of the shell provides lots of storage accessible from outside. We use to carry only the canoe stuff on one side, and hardware items in the other. Worked great! Easy access. Here's the bed as we're using it now. Not in photo is our sewer tote, generator, and fire wood:




Previous truck and camper with the same construction style shell we are still using:






Our first truck and first TT. I made the rack for the canoe myself out of chain-link fence pipe.





Even older: First TT when we towed with our Suburban:



Unfortunately, we do not use the canoe as much as we use to. But I still refuse to part with it.

[Dirtpig]

Similar post already on the forum from a few days ago. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28819962/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm

Easily doable, if the boat is light it can be tossed up by hand, if its heavy you may need some type of help. I use a winch.

[TucsonJim]

We're planning on carrying a 12' Porta Bote on brackets we'll be mounting to the roof of our FW. If you're open to a new boat, check out Porta Bote.

Jim

[scrubjaysnest]

We carry a 17' canoe, easier for us old people to handle then the jon boat was. Carry it on roof rack made from boat bow rails.

[lawrosa]

Im a plumber and awlways have had a pickup truck in one form or another... Pipe racks as I usually have or a cap with racks is a good choice for a boat of some type..

An oldtown canoe has served me well for 21 years so far... Easy to carry and lift onto the racks. Seats two and I put my youngest son in the middle on a small beech chair when we are 3... ( They make a middle seat for it but im too cheap to buy it... LOL..

Its great at our boondocking site we go to. Our site as well as many others are right on the lake... Easy acess for us. There is a boat ramp for when we cant get the site on the lake...






Boondocking...



Just carry the canoe this far from the picnick table LOL...







A childs happiness... Priceless...



Chess anyone?



The site is HUGE!!!! $ 20 bucks a night...



Our campsite is up on the right about 1/4 mile up the lake.. This is where we go to swim...




Hope this helps your decision....

[Oasisbob]

My 12 foot aluminum rides atop our van on a Thule brand rack. I camped next to a guy who had the rack system you describe. He had a fairly large aluminum boat on a trailer that rode above his truck bed & cab. I watched him load & unload. Seemed fairly simple. He had no complaints. Loked a tad top heavy IMHO. I think the brand was "Eddie Loader" BTW We fish three nicely out of our car top aluminum using an electric trolling motor

[donn0128]

Eide boat loaders have been around for a long time. Don't see too many of them any more

[the_bear_II]

There are some great inflatable boats that perform as well or better than a hard sided fishing boat.

Check out www.seaeagle.com

For fishing I like the Foldcat or one of the Runabouts.

[Jebby14]

I used to flip the 14' aluminum onto the pop up. this worked well. now that I have a tt its just too much to put up. a good old canoe comes along when I bring the tt now. my way is pop up with the boat wifes version is tt. compromise is wife gets her way I get my canoe and um........ stuff....... that happy wifes are more willing to do. I'll take that deal all day long

[RedRocket204]

I do not have a boat like you, only kayaks, but know based upon my roof loading kayak experience, your roof loader would be the way I would go.

I am contemplating some changes with our RV situation once the kids have flown the nest. So, TCs are high on my list but that would be only for the wife and me. No way would I consider a TC, even the larges TC, for a family of four adults. And the nicest and largest TCs are VERY heavy. Some going over 5000 lbs. loaded and many 4000 lbs loaded. Also, the class A/B/C would be difficult too for towing a boat trailer if you had to break camp to put-in, take-out. So for me, class A/B/C would be a no.

I feel you are on a track I would take with the TT and roof loaded boat so long as there were rollers and even a hand winch to help with loading.

For what it's worth, you are going to have to compromise on something. Only you can decide what is the easiest compromise for you.