View topic - Canoe on roof rack: Need front & rear tiedowns if . . .?

It is currently March 18th, 2024, 11:14 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 80 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: August 16th, 2017, 7:07 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: December 30th, 2003, 11:36 pm
Posts: 1801
Location: Kitchener Ontario
Yep....web loops under the hood bolted to the front fenders keeps the up/down AND the sideways movement

We never tie down the stern

Just roof rack at highway speeds? Crazy.

_________________
Dave

"The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten." Sigurd Olson, 1956


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 16th, 2017, 8:12 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 8th, 2017, 9:14 am
Posts: 915
Also note that if you tie down only the front you risk damaging the roof racks at the rear. I learned that the hard way - popped one of the rivets out of the rear rack because of the constant pressure pulling down from front over a long journey (Nova Scotia to Ottawa). You need to tie down the front and back to prevent that.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 16th, 2017, 8:33 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 19th, 2017, 3:09 pm
Posts: 129
Prospector16 wrote:
Also note that if you tie down only the front you risk damaging the roof racks at the rear. I learned that the hard way - popped one of the rivets out of the rear rack because of the constant pressure pulling down from front over a long journey (Nova Scotia to Ottawa). You need to tie down the front and back to prevent that.


THAT's an interesting and important observation! I have noted in reading the loading and tiedown instructions on the canoe manufacturer websites that they caution that you while you should tighten the web straps around the canoe pretty snugly(while not cracking the canoe!), you should NOT overtighten the front and rear lines. They should merely have no slack in them. They say that is important to not stress either the rack or the canoe.

Jim G


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 7:34 am 
Offline

Joined: July 27th, 2009, 1:12 pm
Posts: 60
As I said earlier, 3M protective film on any area that the strap contacts. You did get a clear car bra for your Merc to protect from paint chips, right? Use a small strip of the same material on the edge of the hood where the strap would otherwise touch your paint.

Use these closed in the side of the hood:
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5022-901/ ... -Tie-Downs

A small 1.5" x 3" strip of clear protective film wrapped around the edge of the hood where the straps touch the paint is all I used. It is invisible.

Down the road you can remove it if you like and the paint will be perfect underneath.

Problem solved.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 8:00 am 
Offline

Joined: May 19th, 2017, 3:09 pm
Posts: 129
KipawaRob wrote:
As I said earlier, 3M protective film on any area that the strap contacts. You did get a clear car bra for your Merc to protect from paint chips, right? Use a small strip of the same material on the edge of the hood where the strap would otherwise touch your paint.

Use these closed in the side of the hood:
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5022-901/ ... -Tie-Downs

A small 1.5" x 3" strip of clear protective film wrapped around the edge of the hood where the straps touch the paint is all I used. It is invisible.

Down the road you can remove it if you like and the paint will be perfect underneath.

Problem solved.


Yes, I have a pair of those "quick loop tiedowns" (the ones with the rubber hose at the "trapped" end) and a pair of the "hood tiedowns" (that have a web loop instead of the rubber chunk at one end). The "hood tiedowns" work with the hood, and the "quick loop tiedowns" work greta at the trunk.

Your solution of the 3m protetive film strip "works" in the sense that the paint is protected against abrasion, BUT when you later take the 3M film pieces off, their former locations "show" clearly as a different "shade" in the paint, due to the reduced UV transmitted at those locations. I'm thunking it might be better to use a chunk of foam wherever the hood tiedowns touch the hood paint. The foam is only on when actually hauling the canoe, and so does not affect the color of the paint over time.

Jim G


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 10:42 am 
Offline

Joined: May 6th, 2005, 12:52 am
Posts: 128
Location: Ottawa
Jim it sounds like you are building up a set of options and solutions - and I commend you for not just saying "it'll do" and hitting the road. Both the canoe and the car are worth too much to mess around - to say nothing of safety on the road.

For those who do use the factory rack: at very least talk with the service manager at your dealer or *body*shop* to find out just how solid it is. Sales folks will read the manual and tell you "150 pound maximum" but will gawp helplessly at you if you ask about upward pull if the wind gets under a canoe.

While most factory racks are more firmly attached now than in years gone by, I still remember when I asked a service manager about using them to haul a canoe. After recommending against, and pointing out that they were just riveted onto the roof panel, he told of a car that came in after wind ripped a canoe off the roof of a car - and tore out the factory rails. I can still hear his high-pitched and nasal voice "Pulled them out like zipperszz, just like two zippersszz. Yup, made a mess, had to replace the whole roof."

_________________
It is amusing how people hate taxes -- but love the things taxes provide. TANSTAAFL
Fitness program designed for men over 40: https://www.fitnessin10formen.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 11:23 am 
Offline

Joined: May 19th, 2017, 3:09 pm
Posts: 129
I figured out how to post photos, so here is what my situation looks like:


Attachment:
2017-08-15 View ofloaded canoe from front of car.jpg



Attachment:
2017-08-15 View of loaded canoe - LF profile.jpg


You can see the problem in trying to avoid touching the body paint at the front of the car.

Jim G


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 4:31 pm 
Offline

Joined: October 9th, 2009, 9:52 am
Posts: 877
Location: Toronto Beach(es)
So what about applying little tabs of sacrificial white duct tape at the contact points on the hood. Fold a little ear onto the tape before applying for easy removal. Peel the tabs off when you get to the ocean. Should be no residue after the short trip. Reapply to come home. Extra 30 seconds to load. Viola!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 5:01 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 8th, 2016, 10:37 am
Posts: 97
Location: Northern Alberta
Sacrilege! The canoe is supposed to match the car!
Those are contrasting colours, sir!

Cheers! Bruce


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 5:24 pm 
Offline

Joined: March 23rd, 2006, 11:21 pm
Posts: 1298
Location: Burns Lake, BC
Your car, canoe, body, etc... will all get marred up eventually.
Accept it.
Small badges of honour. Hopefully you'll have a hand in it.

Does your car have tow rope attachments underneath the front?
...if so just tie to these with two ropes/straps and the marring will be on the front bumper. Out of sight to everyone except the unfortunate squirrels.

Perhaps your car has a removable eye bolt that can be screwed in for towing.
...if so then buy another and leave them both installed to speed up your departure time. This is the way my Rav4 is done. Your shins will toughen up.

Lastly, I would drill holes in the ends, line with a brass grommet, and install hull loops for grabbing and tying down.
This moves your tie down point closer to the end and is much stronger. It also acts as a buffer if the canoe does encounter abnormal stresses while being tied down on your rack. (imagine passing a large tractor trailer on a windy highway)

My two cents.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 5:34 pm 
Offline

Joined: December 9th, 2012, 9:57 am
Posts: 406
I must confess to being bias. I struggle to feel compassion for perfect paint jobs and blem-free canoes. But that's just me. In your case Jim I'd be sure to maintain taut (hood) bow lines. My brother and s-i-l slipped a couple of hood thingys that we made under the hood of their brand new car, but they weren't careful enough to keep the lines tight for a trip. He showed me the mild abrasion marks the straps left after a cross country (and back again) trip. I'd suggested slipping old bicycle inner tube sleeves over the webbing, but would be listen to me? Nooo. Not trying to play head games with you Jim, just saying be mindful of the nylon straps on the nice paint job. I don't know, maybe a soft chamois or sponge under that spot? I also wonder if there's a clever way to stiffen the straps to keep them a couple inches clear from the hood? But stiff hard things anywhere near a nice car body sounds dangerous I know. Even to me. BTW, no worries about the matching paint scheme thing, Pook has the right idea; I've seen cans of spray paint at Home Depot nearly identical to your canoe colour. 3 cans should be enough to turn that virgin white merc into a honey coloured babe. (Just kidding Jim).
One last thing, I'd be more nervous of the racking and unracking procedure than the travelling. Help with that? Sure thing. But if I were you I'd do the fastening all by myself. Oh, and anyone wearing belt buckles need not helpfully lean on my car. But those were the days before I developed my bias and drove a scratch-free car. Sincere best of luck.

ps . Maybe I'm being fussy but I'd be more comfortable with hood straps and rope over my perfect white hood than sharp metal ratchet buckles. Accidentally drop a length of rope on my hood? No problem. But those buckles are another thing. Sorry for sounding like chicken little, but sometimes ugly things do fall from the sky.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 5:56 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 19th, 2017, 3:09 pm
Posts: 129
open_side_up wrote:
So what about applying little tabs of sacrificial white duct tape at the contact points on the hood. Fold a little ear onto the tape before applying for easy removal. Peel the tabs off when you get to the ocean. Should be no residue after the short trip. Reapply to come home. Extra 30 seconds to load. Viola!


This is a pretty good idea! 2" wide 3M painters' masking tape might be the way to go, as it comes off easy after getting to the destination, leaving no residue, and yet keeps the tiedown from rubbing the paint. This is really worth trying! Thank-you. :D

Jim G


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 5:57 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 19th, 2017, 3:09 pm
Posts: 129
Pook wrote:
Sacrilege! The canoe is supposed to match the car!
Those are contrasting colours, sir!

Cheers! Bruce


Yes, but is yours "Pantone* matched"? :D

Jim G

* Pantone is the color identification and matching system used by graphic artists and designers!


Last edited by JimGnitecki on August 17th, 2017, 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 5:57 pm 
Offline

Joined: December 9th, 2012, 9:57 am
Posts: 406
Just moments ago I shared this with my wife, and as most wives are she annoyingly supplied a simple solution...she said "rent a car!"


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: August 17th, 2017, 6:02 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 19th, 2017, 3:09 pm
Posts: 129
Canoeheadted wrote:
Your car, canoe, body, etc... will all get marred up eventually.
Accept it.
Small badges of honour. Hopefully you'll have a hand in it.

Does your car have tow rope attachments underneath the front?
...if so just tie to these with two ropes/straps and the marring will be on the front bumper. Out of sight to everyone except the unfortunate squirrels.

Perhaps your car has a removable eye bolt that can be screwed in for towing.
...if so then buy another and leave them both installed to speed up your departure time. This is the way my Rav4 is done. Your shins will toughen up.

Lastly, I would drill holes in the ends, line with a brass grommet, and install hull loops for grabbing and tying down.
This moves your tie down point closer to the end and is much stronger. It also acts as a buffer if the canoe does encounter abnormal stresses while being tied down on your rack. (imagine passing a large tractor trailer on a windy highway)

My two cents.


Only ONE tow hook location, on the front passenger corner, and the amount of paint exposed to the tiedown there would be MUCH larger than at the hood.

I am very reluctant to drill any holes through the Kevlar bow or stern, even though I know others have done so.

I really like the "temporary taping" idea suggested above by Open Side Up! THAT sounds easy and non-destructive!

Jim G


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 80 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot], jmc and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group