Anyone here use a bed system for the rear of the canoe and a roof rack for the front? What do you do for the bed flex? Noticed any problems? I was looking at a way to carry a canoe with a travel trailer connected and 6.5' spread of two points of the bed only system on the back half of the canoe makes me leery.

 

How big is your canoe?

 

My dad used to do the roof rack on the front and hand built a rear support that attached to the rear of the bed. He had very nice hand built wooden slat canoes and never had any problems with bed flex. Use the little foam canoe carrier things and they will allow some play without scratching or stressing the canoe.

 

The foam may be the way to go. I once put some serious dents in the roof with a rigid carrier on the cab a separate one on the bed. However, I was traveling some pretty rough "roads" when this happened. Regardless, the safest option (IMHO) ... regrettably the most expensive, too ... is a frame on the bed that extends over the cab. You sometimes see them on work trucks for carrying extension ladders.

 

I've built a couple out of 2x4s that go in the holes in the top of the bed like the ladder racks. Just had to cut the boards down to fit in the holes and when I tie the canoe down I use the hooks in the bed to keep it all secure. I actually used the rubber "V" bumpers that would go in the front of a boat trailer and bolted them so that the canoe sits right in them. It's a little more difficult to get the sides of the canoe into the bumpers but when it rides in there it wont slide forward or backward at all, all you have to do is throw two straps over it.

 

Throw it in your bed hang a red flag off the end and strap it down!! Make sure it's upside down I lol at the people that have em on top of their minivan up right and it's poring ***** rain..

 

^^ I do that for a local trip but if I'm hitting the highway and driving I like it on top.

 

I have recently seen a good idea someone did around here on the Coast. They used one of these T-shaped bed extenders that plugs into your hitch, used for hauling long lumber, and strap it down. It gives an extra couple feet of support. Plus it lays flat. That's what I intend to do to transport one. Plus I need it for wood also. Plus I just found this on ebay for 90 bux.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TRUCK...#ht_3727wt_937

Hope it helps. Later

 

I thought about getting one of these http://www.cabelas.com/storage-trans...:referralID=NA

But never got around to it. It's cool cause you can put the one end up then it'll swivel while you carry the front end around. I forgot about it, I might build a front rack for up buy the cab and get one of these actually because i often load my canoe myself.

 

That one is identical but is cheaper and comes with the better adapter that lets you use the trailer ball too.