Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

[TN-25]

Rather than tag along and steal a thread from the ?Tow rating of a VW Jetta TDI wagon? thread I decided to start another in a similar vein but with a slightly different central question.

I have a 2003 VW Passat wagon with a V6 and a 5-speed manual. I am trying to find a carrier that is wide enough to handle a light 12? cartop aluminum boat. Alas, nobody seems to make one so I am now at the point where I have to consider a trailer (for a 12? 110 lb. boat and a 60 lb. motor, plus gas tank and other ancillaries.) What I find offered around these parts is a Class II (200 lb. tongue weight & 2000 lb. load). I would still treat the car as if it was a Class I (if I were JB I?d be driving an ML430!)

I would still rather just put the boat on the rack like I do with my canoes. The boat I am looking at is light, but too wide for the rack (a factory VW rack manufactured by Thule). Thule does not appear to have a wide bar that is compatable with my existing factory roof rails on my wagon.

Does anyone have any good recommendations? Should I just suck it up, get the hitch, the wiring harness, the trailer and the license to tow a little 12? cartop?

Attached is a picture of the car, present VW rack (Thule) and my 17' Grumman canoe. The other is with the early 50's 15' Peterborough cedar-strip (note width of roof rack).

 

[JB]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

There must be some tinnys narrow enough to car-top, Cam. I car-topped a sears 14' tinny on my 1965 Mercedes 190D for a while, including some looooong trips.

Other options include the Grumman Sport Boat or a square stern canoe.

For boats in that size and weight range car-topping seems to me a lot more attractive than a trailer.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

Car topping may eliminate the trailer but it always takes two to load and unload and you run the risk of dropping one end or the other on the car. You can buy very inexpensive utility trailers (4 x 6) that you can modify for hauling a boat. Then you don't help from a friend or constantly beg for help from someone else at the ramp.

 

[marquette]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

i trailer my 12ft sea king. if you look around you should be able to find a lightweight trailer used for $200. a friend of mine bought one this summer off craiglist for $150. it is rated for 1000 lbs. he uses it to trailer his 12 footer or his canoe. he tows it with a 2006 toyota corolla. it's worth the trailer just to keep the gas smell and water out of your car.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

Trailer it. Here's why:

If you have your little tinny on a trailer, with the outboard on it, you'll use it way more often, since all you have to do is hook it up, tow it to the ramp and go boating.

With a car-topper, you have to load the boat. Then you have to load the motor, the fuel tank, the life jackets, the fishing tackle, etc. into your car. Then you have to haul it to the ramp, unload the boat, drag the outboard down to the water and put it on the boat, drag the rest of the stuff down and load it in the boat, etc. before you can go out.

At the end of the day, you have to reverse all that, and loading that 110 lb. boat back on the rack at the end of the day is a pain in the butt. Plus you have the dripping outboard, the fuel tank, the lifejackets, the fishing tackle, and all that stuff to load back into the car.

Then...you get home and have to unload it all again.

Then, you'll probably want to take that ugly roof rack off, too.

Do that a couple of times, and you'll start thinking twice about a day on the water. I guarantee it. I used to load my 12' into the back of a pickup...an easy job, compared to loading it on a roof rack. I ended up using it a couple of days a year, simply because it was such a hassle. I got a cheap trailer (anything will do), and now I use it once a week.

Yards around here are full of 12' aluminum boats that have not seen the water for years. And that's why.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

Trailer it. Here's why:

If you have your little tinny on a trailer, with the outboard on it, you'll use it way more often, since all you have to do is hook it up, tow it to the ramp and go boating.............

I'll second that one, its so much easier to just toss everything in the boat and back it in the water than to have to untie it, hoss it off the car and drag it to the water. Also, if going a longer distance, I would think that it may even be a bit easier on gas to trailer it than to add all that wind resistance up top. Not to mention how it feels driving in a bad crosswind.
I car topped a narrow older 12' boat a number of years ago about 300 miles, it was mostly all turnpike driving and best of all I got caught in a nasty thunderstorm on the way. The biggest problem was keeping the boat secured. the straps kept moving around and once they got wet, they seemed to stretch. The roof rack wasn't strong enough to tie too, so I had to bumper tie it, tightening it enough to keep it stead would have meant bending or crushing the roof or roof rack. The car was a full sized LTD wagon, more than capable of the job. A canoe is a lot different to car top than a regular boat, a canoe catches far less wind since the forward keel rolls down and around a bit, the V hull I had would catch the wind and try to lift in the front, while a canoe would stay put or even increase in down force at speed. I could tie on the canoe with only a few ropes, just so I could keep it from sliding front to back it was fine. The boat wanted to go airborne.
I also got about 10 mpg on that trip, maybe less. The car drove like I had a parachute in tow and cross winds made it feel like a bus on a bridge.

Here's one option for a cheap trailer, http://tinyurl.com/528cvv. They're great for small boats and super lightweight.

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

If Thule doesn't offer a wider roof rack, the chances are, nobody else will either. They really have the best setups, in the widest range of variations, of anyone on the market for your car.

It will be much easier to find a boat that will fit your existing rack, than it will be to find a rack that will fit the boat you are looking to buy. If you insist on going that route, look at some of the narrower car toppers.

I started the summer car topping, and I can only say it is a real PAIN in the back. I got so tired of the process I finally rented a storage space on the river, and now just carry the boat to the water.

If a small trailer is a option go that way, you will never be sorry. It saves so much time and effort. The only negative point is it takes a little room to park it at home when not in use.

A canoe is a whole different story. My brother leaves his on his roof all the time. He is on the road for his job 10+ months a year, and it just goes where he goes. It is not ever really a problem. When he sees good water, he stops, and throws it in.

Other than what I have said, I would agree with everthing else written here.

Your Peterborough is gorgeous, wish it was mine!

 

[TN-25]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

First of all, that you all for all your input. Your suggestions make sense.

A roof rack is great when you can handle a canoe by yourself, but less attractive when you always need another person to help lug a boat off. I like the ease of trailering. Just like CAT mentioned, if it is too cumbersome I probably couldn?t be bothered heading out nearly as often. That link to the lightweight trailer is helpful (thanks Snapping Turtle).

A canoe adds to downforce eh? Hmm, talk about an unfair advantage. Thanks reelfishin! Nobody will suspect that the canoe is there for high-speed stability . The Grumman 17 is a lightweight model at 60 lbs. As a kid we travelled all over Canada and the U.S. with a tent trailer and often with a 14? cartopper (in a 6 cylinder Biscayne no less). I can relate to the boat shifting around, lifting, and generally making me nervous. Dad always had it on pretty secure and he?d check it often.

One thing about trailering that stayed with me was hull damage (cupping) when you travel over bumps or especially railroad crossings. I guess if you go overboard on the trailer capacity you end up with a not-compliant buckboard ride. From what I have read at i-boats it seems like proper tires also play a role in having a good-riding trailer.

BTW, the Peterborough canoe is a square-stern from the early 50s. Dad bought it new, then fiberglassed the hull with mat (not too tidily either) back in the 1960s. I am going to have a real time trying to strip and refinish that thing (but it will be worth it). I digress, that will be another thread in another forum. I?ve got a fully restored 1950 Johnson 5 waiting to go back onto it. Dad says it will plane the canoe; planing is very fast for a canoe (read that as white knuckled adrenaline).

 

[TN-25]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

Just an update. I actually found the old rack that dad used to use for our cartop boat on his 1974 Chevy without real drip rails. This rack is a double-wide Grumman rack from the 1970s intended to carry 2 canoes side by side. I powerwashed the cobwebs off, then adjusted and fiddled until I got it to fit on my wagon. The thing is quite wide and it makes a nice head gouger. Now, off to look at the boat! (Uh, it sold yesterday...)

The trailer is still an option, but now I have more options.
Thanks all!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

i was going to say why not just put a 2x4 or 2x2 piece of aluminum on top of the narrow rack to extend the width.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tow rating of a VW Passat V6, vs a roof rack

i was going to say why not just put a 2x4 or 2x2 piece of aluminum on top of the narrow rack to extend the width.

My thoughts entirely. I have made several roof rack adaptions for friends and neighbors to transport various shaped and sized items safely. Just have to make certain it is strong enough for the weight and the wind effect.