Canoes. How do you haul them? (1 Viewer)

[mgrs]

My kids love canoeing. I don't mind it either so I bought a cheap Lowe 17' aluminum this weekend. No dents, damage, missing rivets, just a little bit dirty. Flotation is still good. It's probably a 1980s build.

I brought it home on the truck roof with blocks and ratchet straps, but realized in doing so that I have no desire to manhandle that 80lb+ canoe up on to the roof without damaging the truck, and then living with the wind noise and vibration which is significant above 50 mph. We could put it on cross bars on the 4runner roof rack, but that really is not any better.

How do you transport your canoe or large kayak? I am thinking cheap harbor freight trailer, either one 4x4s and set it up with a canoe rack only, or or one the 4x8s set up with a deck and stake bed plus rack on risers for the canoe.

 

[StaleAle]

That looks like a rebranded Grumman. I used to have one...great rugged canoe that kids will have a hard time doing anything but add a few scrapes and minor dents...at least until they get behind the wheel of a car.

The tongue on a standard inexpensive Harbor Freight trailer will probably not be long enough for carrying a 17' canoe. You do not want that canoe to be anywhere near your tailgate or it can damage the towing vehicle while making a tight turn (or learning to back-up the trailer.).

Companies like Yakima make loading bars for putting canoes and large kayaks on roof racks. They can extend from the cross bars (I have this set-up for my current canoe, a 17'9" Old Town Trekker.). You lift one end up onto the extended load bar and then switch ends and push the canoe forward while lifting from the lower end and then sliding the boat across onto the center of the cross bars. It's awkward the first time you do it, but much easier once you learn how.

The other easier option is the receiver hitch T-shaped load bar where you load from the back in a similar manner (the Yakima Long Arm does this when in the 90 degree upright position). Lift the bow onto the rear crossbar, then pick up the stern and shove it forward onto the cross bars. Reese also makes a hitch mount canoe loader. (Reese Towpower | 7018100 | Hitch Mount Canoe Loader - https://www.reesetowpower.com/product/7018100_canoe-loader-trailer-hitch-mount)

A hybrid approach might be to add a receiver hitch to the rear of your Harbor Freight Trailer and use an extender-style load bar such as the Yakima Long Arm to give you another support at the rear so you can slide the canoe back on the trailer body and compensate for the short tongue problem. Yakima LongArm - https://www.rerack.com/yakima-longarm/

Canoe trailers are great, but are harder to store than just the canoe. IMHO, I would have to use the canoe at least once a month to justify the cost of a trailer and the hassle of finding a place to store it that can be accessed by the tow vehicle. Manhandling one of those trailers across a yard gets old quickly, and don't forget that the trailer bearings, wiring and tires need constant attention/upkeep to avoid mishaps that can ruin your fun when something fails from neglect while on the road. You won't believe how quickly wheel bearings degrade when trailers are parked on grass or subjected to over spray from lawn sprinklers.

 

[ace10]

Yeah, that's a beast. As mentioned, reminds me of Grumman from scout camp a million years ago. That hunk of aluminum will likely outlast human civilization.

 

[mgrs]

We're 2-3 blocks from the potomac; nearest free place to put in is a 8-10 minute drive.

@StaleAle - excellent post- informative and sticky-worthy. The hitch and rack mounted loading assistants look great; this boat is cumbersome. Seller lost control and dropped the gunwhale on the b pillar while we were 2-man loading it. Wife is 5'; we got it off the truck OK pivoting 90* and stair steeping it off the bed.

Wife's pretty uninterested in putting it on her 4runner, so I think we're in trailer territory unless I install a roof rack or ladder rack on the tundra. Concur; any modified trailer would require extending the tongue. I could store a HF 4x8 folder indoors on a garage sidewall without much trouble. I think I could fabricate a cross-shaped bolt-on extension out of 2" or 2.5" square tube without welding, and a square u-bolt mounted riser with cross bars on the front and reach deck frame cross members for the canoe. Bonus, trailer could go behind the 40.

No matter what, the transport piece is going to be the costly part. I am in the canoe, 3 paddles, 5 life jackets, and a folding boat dolly for about the cost of a nice pair of roof rack cross bars.

 

[ace10]

Still manufactured. Now under the Marathon brand.

Grumman 17' Double-Ender Canoe | Marathon Boat Group

Trust the canoe that has been guiding wilderness and family quiet water and river canoe trips for over 75 years. The longest of Grumman’s three double-ended canoes, this is perfect for carrying extra paddlers and gear on extended trips and adventures. Durable and rugged, this boat is designed to...

www.marathonboat.com