Boat Loader

[Fly Fisher]

Has anyone tried or heard of anyone putting an automatic boat loader on top of their FWC? The kind I have seen load and unload by using a 12 volt power winch. I know the roof would take the weight but would it take the torque of the operations. Where and how, to fasten the rails etc., would be my main concern. I have included the link for one that I am thinking of. http://www.loadmyboat.com/
I am most worried of tearing apart the roof framing. Naturally the roof would be down during the load or unload.
Any comments?
Fly Fisher.

 

[pvstoy]

I thought the roof should not have too much load and should have the latches loose enough to not pop open. The roof does move independently to the frame when the campers frame flexes. The roof can support weight but at what cost in the long run?

Maybe Ben can jump in and give you some advice because he would know about this more than most.

 

[OutbacKamper]

My advice is to carry the boat on a rack over the truck roof and hood (like many 5th wheelers do). The company you linked to ( www.loadmyboat.com) built a similar rack for me. The advantage is that you can pop the roof up and down even with the boat on the rack. Furthermore, even without the boat, the weight of the empty rack itself would make the roof very difficult if not impossible to lift up.
Cheers
Mark

This is a picfrom the website of a 5th wheel style boat rack

 

[benburnett]

We have looked at boat loaders in the past and decided that they would put too much strain on the roof in the long run. We would never mount one ourselves.

I know of one customer who did. I talked to him after about 6 months of using it and he claimed it was working fine. Now I didn't get to see how he set it up or how often he used it. I also never got to see the camper once the loader was on or after he was using it.

You might give Stan a call at FWC and see if they have done any over the past few years or ask NCF. He seems to know everything there is to know about aftermarket stuff. Probably has a pic or two with one also.