Anyone know if the stock roof basket on my '04 Renegade is sturdy enough for a canoe? It's the larger plastic basket that is attached to the rails and I don't have the crossbars.

Thanks.

Yes, I do it all the time. Just make sure you tie the back to your tow hitch or hook and the front to a tow hook or something similar ant then ratchet straps at least two...one on the front of the rack around the canoe and one on the back. It should be all good then. Have fun fishing:)

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I've been thinking about this and I'm pretty sure you can't do it. There would be no way to securely tie it down, and depending on your canoe, the plastic might not be sturdy enough to support the weight. I'd say, hit craigslist for used racks.

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Thanks for the quick replies guys. I was planning on doing the front/back tie downs and then two across the canoe. Guess we have a tie though - anyone want to cast the third vote?

I looked over the rack and it seems sturdy enough for a canoe on a short trip, but since the plastic rack attaches to the underside of the roof rack, I was concerned about it being unstable.

I say give it a try! just make sure it ain't going anywhere before you take off down the road!

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Drop what your doin, and go drive your jeep!!!!
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Alright. I was leaning towards giving it a try and now that the vote is 2 to 1, I'll go for it. Will probably be trying it out tomorrow. If the plastic looks weak in the driveway, I'll look for a new rack I guess. I'll check back in to let you guys know how it went.

Thanks for the quick replies.

I've been mostly lurking around here for a few months and have learned a ton. Unfortunately, my Renegade isn't a 4x4, but maybe once I'm out of grad school and have a real job, I can talk my wife into a new one to go crawling in.

Put my Sawyer Autumn Mist on my Sport all the time.

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You can always remove the Renny basket and use those crossbars inside to make a nice sturdy rack for yourself. Just use the clamps to secure them to the rails. I do this several times a year to mount my Thule M.O.A.B Basket and carry over 100 pounds of camping gear up there. It's sturdy as heck!

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I used to have a Rene foor basket, but replaced it witha Surco Safari Rack.

Make sure to tie the font and rear of the canoe to a hitch or tow hook. When I would tie camping gear up there, I would put the ratchet straps underneath the basket so that it went through the stock roof rails. That way, if the basket does break, the roof rails will catch the ratchet straps and the front and rear will keep it from sliding off.

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2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade - Silver
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I use JUST crossbars, and carry a PortaBote up there, all the time. I've driven with my boat for over two hundred miles, and haven't lost it, yet. [/url]

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