We have had a travel trailer for a few years now, but I have always wanted a small boat for puttering around the various lakes we visit when camping at provincial parks. But having a travel trailer means I can not tow a boat trailer! The solution is to cartop a boat, but not many people make racks for aluminum boats...
Tow vehicle has roof capacity of 200 pounds. This 12 foot boat is about 150, rack and paddles make up the rest. Rack is dimensional lumber with supports to distribute the weight evenly. It also allows me to single-handedly load the boat onto and off the roof (though my wife does help if she is around). I simply tip the boat against the side of the car, against the rack, then lift-and-tilt-forward until it is laying across the car, then I shimmy it around until it is facing forwards. Rachet straps on sides, front, and back attach to metal anchors. Paddles get stored under the boat, attached with bungee straps.
One problem though is the 2-stroke Mercury I use... My wife objects to traveling with the burnt-oil fumes that the engine emits while in the back of the car. Solution: build an air-tight carrying case! I pad the motor with 3" foam blocks to keep it from rattling around, but since it is just for transportation and not for shipping by FedEx, it doesn't need to be super padded. The odd shape of the box is to accommodate the rear trunk size...
Overall, not bad of a setup, and we've used it for a few trips now, and things are pretty good. Just thought I'd share in case someone else is in the same situation, and wants to cartop, but doesn't know how to set things up.
Tow vehicle has roof capacity of 200 pounds. This 12 foot boat is about 150, rack and paddles make up the rest. Rack is dimensional lumber with supports to distribute the weight evenly. It also allows me to single-handedly load the boat onto and off the roof (though my wife does help if she is around). I simply tip the boat against the side of the car, against the rack, then lift-and-tilt-forward until it is laying across the car, then I shimmy it around until it is facing forwards. Rachet straps on sides, front, and back attach to metal anchors. Paddles get stored under the boat, attached with bungee straps.
One problem though is the 2-stroke Mercury I use... My wife objects to traveling with the burnt-oil fumes that the engine emits while in the back of the car. Solution: build an air-tight carrying case! I pad the motor with 3" foam blocks to keep it from rattling around, but since it is just for transportation and not for shipping by FedEx, it doesn't need to be super padded. The odd shape of the box is to accommodate the rear trunk size...
Overall, not bad of a setup, and we've used it for a few trips now, and things are pretty good. Just thought I'd share in case someone else is in the same situation, and wants to cartop, but doesn't know how to set things up.