Systems to unload/mount Canoe or Kayak from Roof

[KMac]

I have a Hawk on order with their Yakima System and Solar Panel factory installed.

Do any of you have a special setup to mount and easily get your canoe or kayak off the roof?

My canoe is a 14 foot rowing canoe weighing in at 70 lbs so it's not a light boat.

I am trying to avoid trailering behind my truck.

Thank You.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

KMac, I just flip the canoe, and put the bow/stern on the back bar and push the boat onto the rack. Our boats are in the 17-18 foot range, and similarly heavy. Gunwale brackets on the bar keeps the boat from slipping sideways as I push the boat up.

 

[LookyLou]

I added a Yakima Boat Loader to my crossbars. It's a light weight rod that slides into the crossbar. To load/unload you extend it. It allows you to load the canoe/kayak from the side versus the rear. Hopefully the YouTube video will load.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I have one of those as well. It's a good assist, but it's not hard to just slide it up over the back of the camper.

 

[DesertDave]

I use two of the Yakima boat loaders in the rear bar. The bars are 78" wide so they will accept a boatloader on each side. I also use a 5' step ladder in order to lift the front of the kayak and tie the front down. The rear is easy to tie by standing on the rear bumper. The height of your vehicle plays a significant part in how much effort is required to load a boat. My bars sit over 8' off the ground.

I was surprised/dismayed by how much solar charging was lost by the shading caused by a single yakima bar - which matters when you are using your boat and hoping to charge the batteries. You will probably not get any charge when there is a boat on top.

I use two bars on the rear track spaced about 52" apart for all types of boats, from 7' ww playboats to 17' sea kayaks. I use a thrid bar set on the front of the front bar to provide a bow tie down spot for the longer boats. None of these bars shade the factory solar panel on my camper.

Hope this helps.

 

[KMac]

Thanks folks for the great suggestions. The biggest issue I have is the canoe sliding as I push it up and over. This happens a lot even with my trailer hitch slide in T-bar especially when the truck is on an angle on sloped ramps, paths, banks. etc.

 

[LookyLou]

I was surprised/dismayed by how much solar charging was lost by the shading caused by a single yakima bar - which matters when you are using your boat and hoping to charge the batteries. You will probably not get any charge when there is a boat on top.

Not to hijack the thread, but I removed the factory mounted hard panel and installed two flexible panels turned long edge running from front to rear and offset to the left side so their not under the kayak. One panel is mounted to two Yakima crossbars and the second uses the left side of the original mount. No more shading from the crossbars or kayak.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Thanks folks for the great suggestions. The biggest issue I have is the canoe sliding as I push it up and over. This happens a lot even with my trailer hitch slide in T-bar especially when the truck is on an angle on sloped ramps, paths, banks. etc.

Mac, that's why I have the gunwale clamps. They limit the amount of side slip as I am lifting the back end of the boat. Once up, slide them under the gunwales and tighten them down to keep the boat aligned on the bars.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks folks for the great suggestions. The biggest issue I have is the canoe sliding as I push it up and over. This happens a lot even with my trailer hitch slide in T-bar especially when the truck is on an angle on sloped ramps, paths, banks. etc.

I have posted my idea before,but don't know where to find it.
It was posted almost 5 years ago,so I will give my method.

We have a 12' Old Town fiberglass 40" beam canoe.It weighs in at about 50+ pounds.
It's fairly easy to carry and load and unload from out Bobcat.

I have the factory rack that I added a "guide channel" fore & aft to.
With stops at the front screwed to the cross bar and another set on the rear part of the rack that get removed when the canoe isn't on the roof.They slide to the gunwales and a ratchet strap over the canoe holds the rear part,and another ratchet strap on the front.
Secured in place the canoe can't move side to side.
We have carried it on many trips of thousands miles and not had any problems.

I load it from the rear,like Wandering Sagebrush does.
We both lift the canoe on each side by the gunwales and place the "bow" on the very rear bar and push forward.
Oh I forgot to mention I have a 2" wheel on the bow that rides in the channel.
Works like a snap.

But as we age we sometimes think about carrying it if there's a chance we won't use it.

We thought that an inflatable kayak would work instead,it does but we don't like it as much as the canoe.

I think if someone could search through the forum of All terrain campers you might find it.
I think the post is called .Carrying a canoe on an ATC camper.
Frank

PS. I did a search and found my post but that one didn't have the info about loading my canoe.

 

[Semyers]

I have a Hawk and a Native Watercraft Slayer Propel which weighs approximately 85 pounds. I have a bar that attaches to the jack bracket which is the same height as the Yakima rack on top. I lift the stern of the kayak up onto the bar, lift the bow up onto the Yakima rack in front and finally slide the stern over onto the rear rack and then tie it down. This attachment was made for me by Adventure Trailers in Prescott, who installed my camper on my truck. I do not have a solar system on top. I would send pictures, unfortunately I am sitting here in Tucson in 100+ degrees, and my rig is in storage in Anchorage. Fortunately, I am returning to Alaska on 8/15 and will be very slowly driving back to Arizona, arriving around mid-October.

 

[smlobx]

I would think the glass could be painted other colors with gel-coat but you would be adding additional weight to the unit.

My wife and I both kayak extensively and this has been one of our biggest dilemmas with buying a pop up camper.
As I understand it you have to remove the boats each time you want to raise the top. Is this correct??? I'd so, that's not going to work for us.

We have found an interesting trailer to tow the boats (plus some extra gear). It's called a Space Trailer and it might work for us as long as we don't go into a rugged area.

www.spacetrailers.com

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

You don't have to remove the boats, but you need to be strong... Or, have a speaker crank to help raise the top. We have a speaker crank.

 

[Lighthawk]

smlobx- We are able to lift out popup with two 50# kayaks up top. It takes both of us and we do have the lift assists mounted on the camper also.

Our system, which I've shared before, is Yakima Hully Rollers in back and Mako saddles up front. If I prethread the cam straps (12') over the front bar before I load the boats, I can snug down both kayaks using our three step ladder we use for the camper stairs. You can see the folded ladder on the back of the camper in the photo below.

It works best if both of us are loading the boats, but I can do it single-handedly with this setup.

 

[smlobx]

You don't have to remove the boats, but you need to be strong... Or, have a speaker crank to help raise the top. We have a speaker crank.

What is a speaker crank?
I've never heard of it....

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Oh I forgot to mention.We don't take the canoe off to raise the top,I have 30# roof lifters and if needed a lift lever to aid in the lift.
So far the lever hasn't been needed,but it is harder with the extra weight.
Can't see removing the canoe every time we needed to raise the top IMO every thing about our campers needs to be as simple and easy as possible.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

What is a speaker crank?
I've never heard of it....

It's a hand crank that FWC used to sell as a lifting device. Most of us bought through Guitar Center for under $100. A bit clumsy, but they do the job. Here's a Link...

 

[KMac]

I spoke with Yakima today. They no longer sell the Gunwhales but REI does: http://www.rei.com/product/665014/yakima-gunwale-brackets


The guy at Yakima feels the keelover canoe carrier is a better product to secure canoes: http://www.rei.com/product/849951/yakima-keelover-canoe-carrier.

Lots of great ideas from you folks to mull over.

 

[KMac]

Yakima also sells Loadstoppers for ladders etc that may work:

https://www.yakima.com/loadstop

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Mac, the keel over is just a fancier version of their old clamp, at a much bigger cost. The load stoppers are similar to the older clamp, and will do the job on round bars. I'd go for the REI set though.

 

[takesiteasy]

We carry our canoe quite a bit (we live in Minnesota). I just pop it up on the roof from the side, using our 3-step ladder. We have Yakima bars and just use ratchet straps with no special hardware or fittings. I have learned through experience that it is easier to pop the roof with the canoe on top if I undo the front and back straps first.