Another Q: how to transport canoes?

[mainbutter]

I drive a 2007 impala. Do I have to get anything like those rails installed on my car to transport a canoe, or are there non-permanent solutions?

[Quetico]

Check out Yakima rack systems. They make a great rack system that will fit any vehicle on the market. They tend to be a bit costly, over $200. They are worth every penny.

[mainbutter]

so once I buy a yakima rack, is there anything special I have to do to install it? Is it non-permanent? If it's non-permanent, is it possible to be removed from my vehicle by strangers (stolen)?

[Redlantern]

Mainbutter, they have locks for them, also. It all does add up but driving a newer car makes it worthwhile. I drive a 95 saturn so I don't worry about it too much. If I had a new car, I'd invest in a good system.

[Quetico]

Yakima and Thules are none permanent and easily removed. The lock systems are great. When I drove Saturns they worked great. I'd never leave the rack on while in the BW or Quetico, just take it off put it in the car. But for sitting in a parking lot I'd never worry with the locks.

[mainbutter]

Are there any pros/cons when deciding between a yakima or a thule, or are they so close to the same it doesn't really matter?

[Duffman]

I don't think it matters, choose whichever one has the accessories you need or might need in the future. The price differences might also help sway your decision to one brand over the other. Otherwise, it's a Ford/Chevy thing.

[Hammy]

Certain retailers in the twin cities (not sure if I can say who but they are a prominent non fishing/ hunting store) put one of the two brands on sale every spring or fall. something like 20% off the rack and components. I would watch for the sale and snatch up the cheaper.

The only real difference is the thule bars are rectangular and the yakima bars are round. i prefer the rectangular bars but not so much that i would pass up the yakimas if they were what was on sale.

last thing, you have such a common car, I would be checking hsolist. I'm sure something would pop up.

[ZENNER]

I like thule, cheaper and has square rods which is easyer to tie down with less slipping. You might even get away with the old foam blocks and draw downs. All depends on how much you will use it. You might save yourself $300 bucks.

[flyfisher03]

Don't know if it matters to you or not but Yakima is out of Oregon where Thule is out of Sweden. Something else to think about.

[SkunkedAgain]

As Zenner said, it depends on what you mean by "non-permanent" solutions. Most of the racks go on and off quite easily. I have a Thule for my truck. Although, if you don't want to spend the money on a rack, those foam pads/blocks work pretty well. You just need to be decent at tying knots so that you can rope that thing down pretty well.

[goblueM]

get foam pads, and a $20 set of rachet straps. quick on and off, and they hold your canoe down much better than rope

it'll run you maybe 70 bucks TOPS for all of that, and it is really portable. i've run with them for 4 years now and had no problems

[bobbymalone]

I do the same thing as goblueM. I think I paid about $20 for 4 foam blocks and another $20 for 4 ratchet straps. I just put one in the front, one in the back, and one over the top. works great with a roof rack on an SUV but also works well on top of my Accord.

[shizzy]

the only issue with the blocks is you are more apt to put some scratches on the car.

I used the blocks to tie my old 17'er to the roof of my old Neon and did manage to put a few good scratches on the roof.

and yes, the canoe was a good 2' longer than the Neon... lol

[goblueM]

hah shizzy I had the same deal - had a toyota tercel, the canoe was much longer than the car.

I actually got photographed by a minivan full of people from Iowa while driving down 94 one time

[TruthWalleyes]

I use the foam blocks...99 bonneville with a 16.5' fiberglass. Plenty of scratches in the canoe to match the car's rust...Would not suggest useing the foam blocks unless you are not worried about scratching, or even denting the roof of your car.

[OnAFly]

Yakima racks are a little costly at about $300 for the whole set up. But, they can be transferred to nearly any vehicle and will hold many different things with different components. They also protect your canoe and your car.

[brrrr]

I've used the foam pads with ratchet straps, they are very adjustible and universal. never worried about scratches from the pads, but have always used rags for cushoin where the straps rubbed on the paint. you can get those cheap microfiber towels now almost anywhere, I would bet that if you put them between the blocks and paint you would reduce the chances of scratching. Also a quick tip once you cinch down the boat check it after a few miles or a nearby bumpy road and retighten the straps. especially on the long trips up north.

[Finns]

Back when I had a car (as opposed to the current truck) I used foam water pipe insulation. Can get it at the hardware stores. Slip over the gunnels and there you go!

[MN Shutterbug]

I use the foam blocks and ratchet straps on my Saturn Vue SUV. I don't have a roof rack, so I built one out of 2 X 2 cedar. I'm probably the only person in this part of the state to have a wood roof rack. Also, instead of throwing a strap over the center, I added a couple chunks of wood to the front of the rack, with enough room between for the front of the canoe. This keeps the canoe from sliding over. I also have 2 straps in the front and one in the back. I slide the canoe on from the side part way, just enough so it's stern is still resting on the ground, and then flip it over upside down and then slide it up until it's centered. I then swivel it around. When attempting to load from the back, I put some nice scratches in the SUV. My canoe weighs about 85#.