Canoe on Roof?

gastip · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 2:36 pm

Hi All,

Does or has anyone ever carried a canoe on the roof of thier Liberty? I really want a canoe for camping and river tripping and I would like to carry it on cross bars on the roof. However, after measuring out about 16' (about the size canoe I'd like) beside the Liberty, it looks like the canoe would extend to the front grill. I've read some other posts regarding canoes and roof racks, but my concern isn't about the strength but rather the length of the canoe vs. length of the liberty and being able to see while driving.

Anyone ever done this (better yet have pictures) or am I kidding myself?

Thanks in advance for any info!

Blue KJ in PA · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:15 pm

Closest I could find...

Not quite the length of your canoe...could you get one of those truck extenders that fit in the trailer hitch to add length for a canoe? Like this...

VTNomad · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:13 pm

The picture on the Liberty is just for show. No way you could go down the interstate like that.

First off, the canoe should be upside down, its more stable. It also prevents debris (and bird crap) from falling/blowing in.

The canoe should be centered between the bumpers and secured to both bumpers. Tow hooks work great up front, and a hitch or the spare tire make for a good tie down point in the rear.

Here's a generic pic from the net:

jeepskate · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:58 pm

I wouldn't say that first picture is just for show. I've never seen that kayak rack in person, but it seems clear from the shape of the rack in the photo that it's meant to carry the kayak upright. To be sure, I've never seen a canoe carried any way but upside down. But that kayak rack is a real product. I think Mopar makes a canoe rack too. I'll see if I can find a link.

EDIT: Here's the Mopar canoe carrier.

Jparts has it for $122.85. Site says it's for 2002-2008 and requires crossrails, but it doesn't say if it works or doesn't work with a Renny: http://jparts.com/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=114&osCsid=019c0cd3bc1d04882b97dd441802b383

VTNomad · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:35 pm

I was talking more about the position between the bumpers, than its uprightedness. That Kayak is sitting WAY too far back. I'm guessing it's positioned there so you can see the whole windshield, so it looks better?

stick · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:37 pm

Any cross bars, Yakima, Thule, etc. spaced as far as you can. Then tie down the canoe to each bumper or tow hooks and hitch as mentioned above. It will be fine. A 15-16' canoe would be no problem. I have a buddy who carries two 17' kayaks on his roof.

DryBones · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:44 pm

You need to distribute the load evenly over the bars so that kayak is correctly positioned on the rack. Canoes and kayaks are really 2 different loads and may vary on how you load them. Also, there are many,many racks designed for kayaks and canoes both upside down and rightside up, just depends on the rack.
I have debated whether to buy a 15.6 foot canoe myself because of not only the length but also the width at center. Ihave my eye on a nice wide and stable canoe at D1ck's Sporting Goods but I fear it's just too dang big for the KJ and I can't afford the trailer I would want if I were to buy a trailer (combo kayak and canoe tandem trailer).

PS: take a look at some of Dog_Party's kayak pics! He has some of 2 tandem kayaks on the top at the same time. Those Thule Hull-a-Ports J-racks are nice. Want to buy a set, I have a couple! :lol:

gastip · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:55 pm

Thanks for all the replies. I'm just going to build cross rails out of uni-strut and ubolts. Then ratchet strap it to the rails and tie the ends to the tow hooks.

Thanks Stick. I think you're right if your buddy can carry two 17' kayaks, I think it will be ok.

Should be funny looking going down the road though! :shock:

501 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:44 pm

My Grandpa use to carry a 16' canoe on top of his cadilac. He had four, 6-8" thick pieces of foam rubber that was about 8" long with a grove in the middle. You put the foam blocks on the opening of the canoe and positioned them as a spacer on the roof of the car and then he tied it down with rope to the front and back bumpers. We'd take the conoe all over the place like that. It worked great!

Liberator · **Joined:** Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:42 am **Posts:** 397

Blue KJ in PA wrote:

Closest I could find...

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I have this Mopar rack but not used it yet... Another user said it works well but it is just 4 each - 45 degree corner mounting brackets that sit within the Mopar crossbar channel and some straps so he just put 2 kayaks facing each other w/ a foam pad in between and straps them down tight.

MaineSleddah · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:50 pm

I purchased Yakima low rider mounts and the 58" Yakima cross bars. I haul my 14 foot canoe many places. I am sure the 16 footer would be a non issue. As far as visibility, you don't even notice it. It's well above your "road" field of vision.
Yakima part # are;
Low Rider Mount- 8000114
58" Cross Bars- 8000409
Gunwale Brackets- 8005007
Bow & Stern Lines- 8004031
Heavy Duty Straps- 8005006
Shop around online and you can get some decent prices. I then took those prices to the local dealer and he almost matched them and beat them when you added shipping :!:

I have carried my canoe on very rough trails and at 80 mph on the highway!
The picture below was on top of Ossipee Hill in Maine. :lol:

KeswickDave · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:12 pm

501 wrote:

My Grandpa use to carry a 16' canoe on top of his cadilac. He had four, 6-8" thick pieces of foam rubber that was about 8" long with a grove in the middle. You put the foam blocks on the opening of the canoe and positioned them as a spacer on the roof of the car and then he tied it down with rope to the front and back bumpers. We'd take the conoe all over the place like that. It worked great!

I don't have a picture, but I have the same foam blocks with a groove which you speak of and they work fine, especially with the Liberty's stock rails (not crossbars) which allow to put a couple of straps over the middle of the canoe.

I use two "cam straps" (lighter weight "ratchet" straps) at the front, two over the middle, and one at the back. It's rock solid.

My canoe is 14' though so I can't speak to visibility out front, no problem with the 14 footer.

Dave

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:04 pm

My dad's got a 16' aluminum canoe with some big foam blocks with notches cut in them for it to sit on the roof securely while being tied down, and so it doesn't scratch the roof. Haven't transported it with the KJ, but have with my Mitsubishi Montero, two Exploders, a Trooper, and a couple T-birds. visibility has never been an issue with any of them.

Hell, he used to use his Pinto to carry the thing. Can't be that bad.

Every time I've transported it/aided in transporting/seen it transported, the front has been tied into a front bumper/tow hooks/frame/etc and ditto the rear. Guess we've never tried strapping the top.

gastip · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:43 pm

Thanks guys, I'll give it a shot and try and remember to post some pics of it. I'm going with the cross bars regardless just to prevent scratching the crap out of the roof while putting the canoe up there.

501 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:47 pm

Here you go, these are like what I'm talking about:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___58607?CS_003=2477120&CS_010=58607

DryBones · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:50 pm

501,
Those are the ones! I had a set of those years ago when I had an Astro van with no racks. my 14 foot canoe went up super easy and stayed put with those.

dog_party · **Posted:** Wed Jul 09, 2008 4:58 pm

I've loaded just about everything you can load on the smallest cross-bars that Yakima makes. I got the shortest cross-bars because I did not want them to stick out on the sides. If you need to put something larger up there, get ones that stick out a bit on the sides. Just take them off before you go off road or you'll be snaggin' everything.

I've had one tandem 12.5' kayak loaded up there, water side down, and gear bags secured in the cockpit.

I've had a 12.5' tandem and a 13' tandem up there, water side against my Yakima Kayak Stackers (strongly recommended if you have sit-on-top, or "ocean" kayaks). I do not recommend these if you have a sit-in kayak (they also don't work for canoes).

I've maxed out the short Yakima crossbars and Kayak Stacker by putting 4 kayaks up there (shortest about 9' and longest about 11').

Here are the Yakima Kayak Stackers, with no kayaks on them...

I've also had my 13' white-water canoe up there. It does hang off the back quite a bit. Center it over your cross rails, not the bumpers. It will stick out the back a lot, and will barely reach the front bumper (if at all). The main tie-downs should be under the rails and over the body of the canoe.

Don't use the bow and stern lines to hold the canoe to the truck. If you do this, you will bow your canoe. And, while a good amount of rocker is suggested in a white-water canoe, this is not the way to get it. The bow and stern lines are for emergencies only. They keep the canoe from launching and killing someone, should the main straps fail.

Measure the Gunwhales (top edge of the sides) at the midship thwart (wooden bar that goes across the center of the canoe), at the stern thwart, and bow thward. You will most likely be tying down around the stern and bow thwarts, so this measurement is of incredible importance. Get a set of Yakima LowPro cross rails that are wide enough to handle this measurement (with a bit of excess on either end) and you'll get an amazing set of tie-downs (at least, my Yakima LowPros came with quality tie-downs).

Here's a little chart to help anyone who doesn't know canoe parts...

I'll post some picts of my 13' white-water canoe on the KJ tonight. I lose a decent amount of foward vision because my canoe has a lot of rocker. But most every other canoe has less rocker than mine, and less bow and stern lift, so you will most likely have more visibility than me. And I do fine.

stick · **Posted:** Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:20 pm

Dog...how many kayaks do you own :shock:

I don't know what it is, but I love to see a Jeep loaded down with gear like that. It's what a Jeep should be used for. Off road and heading into the great outdoors.

Edit: while we're posting pics of kayaks and canoes, here's my XJ with two 9.5' kayaks on the roof using Yakima 58" cross bars and Yakima Stacker.

DryBones · **Posted:** Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:29 pm

going to make me go put the kayak on the roof now aren't you? :lol:

dirtykj · **Posted:** Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:19 pm

DryBones wrote:

going to make me go put the kayak on the roof now aren't you? :lol:

It's ON, baby!!

Canoe on Roof?

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