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Justin
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2005
Posts: 335
Location: PNW
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 Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:20 pm Post subject: Boat On Top |
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Anyone tried hauling a 12' aluminum row boat on the roof rack? Is that too big of a boat to be slinging up on to the roof?
-Justin |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52690
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| With the right racks you can haul half a ton or so up there, amazingly it doesn't seem to affect handling much at all. I have hauled a couple of different 16' wood or glass boats on mine over the years, and daily hauled piles of construction materials. Admittedly my racks custom were way sturdier than anything you are likely to be able to buy off the shelf. |
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krimpoo
Banned
Joined: December 06, 2008
Posts: 355
Location: gabriola island
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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try it and let us know.
Personally i have had a 250 pound glass rack (sans glass) mounted on the side with multiple ladders on the roof and tools in the back when it was a work vehicle. Whats the worse that can happen? |
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Emily's Owner 
Samba Member
Joined: January 18, 2004
Posts: 1031
Location: Canby, Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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I have Thule racks on mine and haul an 18' cedar canoe or a 14' Laser (sailboat) - don't see why you can't haul a rowboat, just don't expect your mileage to improve any....
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Lil Lulu
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2007
Posts: 1790
Location: Mouth of the Columbia
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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No question- providing you have a rack rated for x pounds and it's properly attached and your boat is less than x pounds, it will carry it.
Hey Jus- How's the wind around you? In my experience, it has been harder to control a light aluminum boat than either wood or glass atop any vehicle.
Still, I see Bays with every conceivable type of craft, drive around the windy headlands like a rocket.
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Joey
Samba Member
Joined: August 12, 2005
Posts: 5376
Location: Nova Scotia - Canada
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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15.5' canoe (80lbs) on my '74.
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Justin
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2005
Posts: 335
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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Man, thanks for all the responses. I guess it should work great. For those of you who haul boats, is it tough to get them up there by yourself?
-Justin |
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Patrick199
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2006
Posts: 550
Location: Menlo Park, California, USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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A trailer would be a hell of a lot easier, not to mention safer.
Unless you have some sort of tricked out rack, with some elaborate loading accessories, you'll never get a 12' aluminum boat on top of your bus without breaking something - the bus, the boat, or yourself. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52690
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I would think that a 12' boat would be very difficult to so by yourself without one of those special swing dollys they sell for such purposes. I can do a 16' canoe by myself, but it is probably lighter and the extra length lets me set one end on the racks at a time. |
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Anchovy
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2000
Posts: 2994
Location: San Diego, CA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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I saw a really cool roof rack arrangement on a 60's Travelall for hauling an aluminum boat. The system allowed you to load/unload by pivoting the boat up onto the top from the rear end of the car. The rack system was manufactured in the 60's, not a home built. Sorry I don't recall the name of the unit.
Here is the modern equivalent that uses a wench system. The old one I saw did not use a wench, just leverage from the pivots:
http://www.roofrackcity.com.au/site/boatLoader.asp
Last edited by Anchovy on Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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werksberg
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Joined: February 08, 2005
Posts: 2164
Location: Green Valley, AZ
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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There was a boat custom made for the top of a VW Bus that I remember seeing in the PNW shows back in the 90's...
It looked like a Westfalia top....
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josh
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Joined: July 13, 2003
Posts: 1773
Location: laid back in the tall grass
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Patrick199 wrote: |
A trailer would be a hell of a lot easier, not to mention safer.
Unless you have some sort of tricked out rack, with some elaborate loading accessories, you'll never get a 12' aluminum boat on top of your bus without breaking something - the bus, the boat, or yourself. |
I've carried and loaded 12' aluminum boats on top of the Westy top numerous times with only foam blocks and straps. I've also carried an 18' Coleman canoe on top with only the the foam blocks and straps.
I've never managed to break anything doing this. The only time I've been able to damage the Westy top is by flipping a bus upside down. That did crack the fiberglass.
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dcketh
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Joined: April 19, 2006
Posts: 436
Location: Tionesta, Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:53 am Post subject: |
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When I was in HS we used to haul a 17 ft canoe on the top of my friend's '66 beetle. We layed a big truck inner tube on the roof, put the canoe on top of that and cinched both ends down tight to the bumpers. Got some pretty funny looks on I-80 but it worked. 
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theizzardking
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Joined: June 13, 2008
Posts: 2097
Location: seattle
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:19 am Post subject: |
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if you got a descent garage you can do like i used to do with my k-5 and jeep tops just hang it in the rafters by a few pullys back the bus in and lower it on.
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werksberg
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Joined: February 08, 2005
Posts: 2164
Location: Green Valley, AZ
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:34 am Post subject: |
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IF your garage door is very HIGH! 
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babysnakes
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Joined: August 19, 2008
Posts: 7169
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't think it is a matter of the rack to hold the boat, but how will your bus handle in a stiff side wind. I am still driving on the crappy car tires that came on my bus(I'm saving up for the right ones), And it is all over the lane in high gusts. With the right tires and good suspension, probably not an issue. |
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WhirledTraveller
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Joined: January 09, 2008
Posts: 1414
Location: Cambridge, MA
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| theizzardking wrote: |
| if you got a descent garage you can do like i used to do with my k-5 and jeep tops just hang it in the rafters by a few pullys back the bus in and lower it on. |
That's a good idea if you have a two-story tall garage door and all you want to do is drive around with a boat on top. Presumably at some point he'll want to take it off the bus while close to the water. 
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theizzardking
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Joined: June 13, 2008
Posts: 2097
Location: seattle
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| WhirledTraveller wrote: |
| theizzardking wrote: |
| if you got a descent garage you can do like i used to do with my k-5 and jeep tops just hang it in the rafters by a few pullys back the bus in and lower it on. |
That's a good idea if you have a two-story tall garage door and all you want to do is drive around with a boat on top. Presumably at some point he'll want to take it off the bus while close to the water. |
well of course!! it used to work fine in my old garage where it was a normal garage with a loft type thing in the top which was really just rafters with plywood on them,
this was on my jeep wrangler with a 3.5 lift on it and thule rack, i do admit no thinking about it the doors where rather high compared to the doors i have on my new garage.
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jah_B
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Joined: March 18, 2008
Posts: 1147
Location: Tempe, AZ
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Anchovy wrote: |
| Here is the modern equivalent that uses a wench system. The old one I saw did not use a wench, just leverage from the pivots |
I tried to get the wench to do it, but she didn't think much of me sitting back drinking a beer while she did all the work. Had to buy a winch. Women, I tell ya.
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