How To Transport Canoe with Airstream?

[Trowbridge]

We tow a 1964 Airstream Sovereign 30' with a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel Quad Cab short bed.

We have a 19' canoe with moderate bow and stern uprise. Without the trailer, we just put the bow pointed up on a rack behind the cab, with the back on the tailgate but the stern about 5' back and 2' below the top of the tailgate.

But this won't work with the Airstream's propane tanks in that space.

Before I have custom racks built to hold the canoe level and push the bow forward over the cab, does anyone else have a similar situation who can recommend a solution? Manufacturer, model, etc.?

Thanks...

[kidjedi]

You'll cause a lot of drag if the canoe goes over the cab. What's the distance from back of cab to front AS window? Can the canoe start in the bed and angle up over the propane tanks?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Getting the canoe up on top of the racks "over the cab" is going to get tiring after a while. Been there / done that .... ugggg .....

Bob

[AlanMcD]

I know you don't want to hear this...but...I had a 17' aluminum Grumman and found it easier to just leave it home and rent a canoe at our destination. Plus the rental places transport you. As I got older I found humping that behemoth battleship up & down on vehicle roofs was getting harder and harder. Another option is to buy smaller plastic molded kayaks that are shorter and much lighter weight.

[smithcreek]

We use is a TracRac with the extension going over the cab. Would something like this work? There's at least two feet between the canoe and trailer even though the picture looks closer.

[cliffcharb]

Nothing fancy, just some bumpers and rope/ ratchet straps.
I actually get better MPG with this on.

[Trowbridge]

Our canoe is just too long to stick out the back. Good question though. Thanks for thinking outside the box.

[Trowbridge]

Re other posts:

* Our canoe is quite lightweight (is actually 15' - I was wrong in initial post). So it's not too much of an ugh behemoth :-)

* I like the look and simplity of just strapping it to pads on the roof, but don't like to inflect the roof metal.

* The TracRack idea is what I was thinking, and like the over cab extension for stability. I would prefer not to have to mount a solution to the tops of the bed rails...so may have custom racks like those built which slide down and lock into steel tubes that are in the corners of the bed.

Let me know if others have different solutions...these are great so far!

Thanks...

[perryg114]

Get a roof rack. With a quad cab you probably won't need anything at the back of the canoe but that is an option or you can put a topper on it and put a roof rack on that as well. If you are going to run rivers renting might be better because they still charge you to bring your canoe back.



Perry

[drbrick]

We gave up on "hard" kayaks and canoes and went with a professional inflatable tandem kayak by Innova...

[DRBusse]

Buy a pack-canoe. Fits in the back seat of an SUV, bed of a pickup truck or the cargo compartment of a deHavilland Beaver. Did several hundred miles in AK on pack-canoes in all kinds of water. Worth considering.

[billrector]

Originally Posted by trowbridge

we tow a 1964 airstream sovereign 30' with a 2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel quad cab short bed.



We have a 19' canoe with moderate bow and stern uprise. Without the trailer, we just put the bow pointed up on a rack behind the cab, with the back on the tailgate but the stern about 5' back and 2' below the top of the tailgate.



But this won't work with the airstream's propane tanks in that space.



Before i have custom racks built to hold the canoe level and push the bow forward over the cab, does anyone else have a similar situation who can recommend a solution? Manufacturer, model, etc.?



Thanks...

[VT Wanderer]

We have a cap on our F250 and have a roof rack for our 2 kayaks - 16 footer for my wife and 18 ft. for me. Works great for all our highway driving, both with our 27 ft. FC and without.

[Trowbridge]

Everyone:

Thanks for your suggestions. We found the rack that will work - - a Thule TracRac but it has an extension out over the cab of our truck. This will allow my wife and me to put the canoe's stern on the front rack and slide it back to the tie down position...with plenty of room to spare to miss the front of our trailer.

That removes the difficulty of trying to load from the back of the truck (while possible by turning the truck sharply so canoe could miss the trailer, but still a pain loading/unloading in a campsite, etc.).

The rack is about 6" higher than the truck cab, which will provide plenty of room in the bed for easy storage of our trailer storage bins, generators, bbq, chairs, etc.

The rack can mount into our full size truck bed with clamps (not screwed or bolted in), thus making it easily removable when the canoe isn't traveling with the truck. Side bars allow secure tie downs...including the front of the canoe, without having to attach any rope or strap to the truck itself.

I'll hit our Lowes for pipe insulation foam split on one side, with black Gorilla tape wrapped around, to cover the front and rear support tubes. That will protect the canoe's gunwales from dents/scratches and provide a padded base for secure tie down.

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions, especially the person who recommended TracRac. Here's the photo of what we're going to buy:

[perryg114]

I bet that costs as much as the canoe.



Perry

[SuzyHomemakr]

This winter, I plan to build a Geodesic Aerolite 16 double-blade canoe to replace the two heavy kayaks that we always carry on trips. Should weigh in at under 25 lbs. Popping baby up on to the racks will be no problemo!

I think that you're going to be unhappy with the pool noodle, as the gunwales are going to chew it up. Or it will fly off, leaving your boat bouncing along under the now too long straps. Probably the best solution would be a Yakima KeelOver or at least the the covered cushions that tie onhttps://www.yakima.com/collection/boat)

A pair of Hood Anchors, which close under the hood of the truck, or a DIY similar thing, is also a good idea. You can then push your boat farther forward, and securely tie down the bow. Just imagine how upset someone would be if they had your boat sticking out of their windshield!

[smithcreek]

A piece of old inner tube wrapped around the bar once or twice and zip tied in place is a good cheap cushion.

[gregwall]

There are lots of racks made for pickups. TracRack is a good one, but there are others. Might consider ones that are adjustable in height. If you just have the back rack, there are some great canoe pads now, as cliffcharb said. We carry a canoe, or kayaks or a combination of those.

[drmox]

We have a similar setup. I tow a '76 Sovereign with a 2003 Dodge 2500. I just bought a used topper off Ebay that happened to have rain gutter style roof rack mounts riveted to the top. I just bought a universal ladder rack, and have a perfect spot for my 12 ft. kayak.

I stumbled into some good luck obviously, but the whole deal cost me $300.

[undermoo]

Well I use my Ram if I would bring my conoe with me. I can't set it up on top of the trailer so I place it on top of the truck with a Thule roof rack. Have this https://www.ramsareus.com/sku/tccan819.html.