Putting a canoe up high on my trailer – side winds. (1 Viewer)

[peteinjp]

I have this awesome little sailing canoe and my four-year-old is begging me to get out into the water. My BJ 46 it's a soft top and that I have plans to make a roof rack at the moment I have no way to put the canoe on top of the truck. So I'm thinking to make a temporary rack to go on my in my m416. Ideally the canoe would be centered on the rack which would put the nose up over the roof of my car.

My one concern is having the canoe up that high that side winds my tip the trailer if there's no load in the trailer. I'm not going to be on the highway but there are some bridges which have Crosswinds that are pretty strong. The trailers all stock. You can see in the second pic how far the canoe sticks off the back of the trailer as well as how high I have to raise it to get it up over the roof of the truck.

Pete

 

[peteinjp]

Here's a pic of basically how high it would need to be. I could probably drop the rear a bit more though the front will need to be raised enough to account for the trailers pivoting up.

Think I'll grab some more rail and check it out.

Pete

 

[ozcrusier]

The draw bar looks short to me does the trailer get a sway up at speed or does it pull straight behind the cruiser. The trailer looks heavy so it will support the light canoe in crosswinds but the unknown is the trailer set up correct.

 

[titanpat57]

Probably too much tail wait...the tail wagging the dog so to speak. Add tongue weight.

 

[peteinjp]

Its a stock military trailer so it's set up right. It does have a short draw (a bit of a pain to back up comparatively). There's no load in the trailer aside form the canoe and its not enough to concern me offset like that. I just don't like having it stick out so far....

Empty weight 670lbs.

Pete

 

[croozy]

I myself wouldn't tow it sticking out the back that far. I don't think it would be a problem on some racks on the trailer though. I have a rack system that I made on my soft top shorty & I use it for my kayak and other stuff

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I would want to have it on top of the rig, or on a longer trailer, lower down...cant you just strap a set of wheels to the back of the boat and tie the bow to the hitch?

 

[greentruck]

Add some weight in the front half of the trailer bed. Even just jugs of water, paving blocks, whatever. That should largely offset the issue of the canoe sticking out the back.

 

[peteinjp]

croozy- I took that your thread found your rack. It's identical to what I'm thinking of doing but with my BJ 46 being longer I'm a little concerned about the rack flexing in the middle. What gauge metal did you use there? And how is the flex?

Clearly roof rack is the best way to go. I'm not concerned about the weight hanging off the back of the trailer it's more the length of the overhang that concerns me. Lambcrusher I like your idea- ha. Or I could pull the reare doors and spare assembly off and use the trailer with the nose in the cab.

Pete

 

[peteinjp]

I'll be working on a rack for the roof but here's what I've got for this summer. Think I'll be okay with some crosswind?

 

[croozy]

croozy- I took that your thread found your rack. It's identical to what I'm thinking of doing but with my BJ 46 being longer I'm a little concerned about the rack flexing in the middle. What gauge metal did you use there? And how is the flex?

Pete

The tubing I used has a wall thickness of about 1/8th of an inch. I haven't had any problem with it off road when the vehicle is getting all twisted up.

It's been great actually. It hasn't even damaged the body at the rear & that was the part I was really worried about.

 

[ozcrusier]

Looking good Pete time to get the 4 year old cruising-sailing but I would mount the nose of the canoe lower then the tail to try and keep the wind from catching when touring.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

tie it down real good and go slow(cruise) and you should be fine...just don't go out in a gale...

 

[peteinjp]

Yeah I think it'll be alright. I'm just gonna take it easy. It would take a pretty damn hard last to knock that thing over. I'm not saying it is impossible..... But it's unlikely I'll be sailing on a day thats that windy.


Pete

 

[Living in the Past]

I would be concerned about any descent size dips in the road. With the rear wheels at the lowest point and the front wheels and trailer wheels higher the canoe would hit your soft top.

 

[peteinjp]

I'm accounting for that but I plan on testing it statically on a good slope i.e. river bank.

P

 

[peteinjp]

Worked out just fine even with some side winds. Thanks for your advice.