I just got a new car (Hyundai venue), and am looking to buy a rack that can hold two canoes. Does anyone know of a telescoping rack?
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Roof rack that can hold two canoes
- Thread starter tomo
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I have a Thule rack on my Outback and bought the 76" bars separately. They work in same towers and are pretty easy to change.
You can find a lot of roof racks at etrailer.com. Just figure out how long.
I carried 2 solos from upstate NY to BWCA without any problems.
You can find a lot of roof racks at etrailer.com. Just figure out how long.
I carried 2 solos from upstate NY to BWCA without any problems.
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I can get two OT Trippers on 72" bars that are spaced a little over four feet apart.
I have 50" bars and can get 2 canoes on (and a kayak).
I do need to put the boats on edge, but I prefer that to having the bar sticking out past the sides of the car.
I do need to put the boats on edge, but I prefer that to having the bar sticking out past the sides of the car.
Bill, what year Outback and do you have the factory rack? Pictures of your setup?
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- May 25, 2025
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Yakima has a 78 inch round bar for their towers and factory rack attachments. Carries two tandems pretty well. I highly recommend gunwale brackets for any brand you chose. They really help stabilize the boats, especially if you are dealing with factory attachment sites that are only two feet apart. I carry two tandems at interstate speeds on an old Honda CRV with no issues.
This has worked for me on the few occasions I need to carry two canoes. If you are not confident in your knot tying skills this might not be the best solution. I had the pipes from the setup on my trailer so my only expense was a foot of vinyl tubing and two yoga blocks about $15. The blocks are cut to fit and engage the contours of the side rails. The vinyl was used to pad the metal tie down points. The padding is short nap industrial carpet wrapped in duct tape.
Canoes were tied to the bars and at the bow and stern additional straps were holding thing to the factory Subaru bars.
The foam blocks actually interlock in the side rails so they do not have the ability move fore and aft. If anyone wants to see the bottom of the block shapes I can take a pic as the bars are not installed yet. They will be next week getting ready to go to the assembly.
Jim
Here it is loaded for last year.
Canoes were tied to the bars and at the bow and stern additional straps were holding thing to the factory Subaru bars.
The foam blocks actually interlock in the side rails so they do not have the ability move fore and aft. If anyone wants to see the bottom of the block shapes I can take a pic as the bars are not installed yet. They will be next week getting ready to go to the assembly.
Jim
Here it is loaded for last year.
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I did it with some wooden squared timber ... it worked really well for a temporary solution.
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I'll get pic tomorrow but it's a 2018 GT that came with Thule bars (channels?) on the roof.
Heres a pic from Internet:
Ok, no need for pictures. My 2023 XT has the not canoe friendly factory rack. Wish it had the Wilderness rack, but looks like the new 2026 Outback will have a better rack.
One time I used four 2x4s bolted together. A short pair spanned the roof bars (front to back) and a second, longer pair was bolted perpendicularly to the spanners, and extending far out beyond the width of the bars. The spanners stabilized helped stabilize the long perpendicular pair quite well.
I’m always impressed by @Boatman53’s work. Those custom yoga blocks are pretty darn slick.
I’m always impressed by @Boatman53’s work. Those custom yoga blocks are pretty darn slick.
This picture may be a first for this thread: Boats on a vehicle on (I assume) a boat.
Benson posted a pic of him heading to the WCHA assembly last year and his car and trailer were on the lack Champlain ferry.
Jim
Jim
Has anyone done a direct comparison of fuel mileage on shorter vs longer bars? (same feet and same car)
I used to stand boats on edge like eckilson, but I'm on the shorter side and often putting a boat on its side makes the stems difficult to reach, even more so for my shorter paddling partners. I made a rack wide enough for 2 boats to lay flat out of 2x3s and u-bolts that worked great, but I discovered that rig significantly decreases my fuel economy vs my Thule 50in bars. I've been strapping 6ft closet rods to the Thule this year when I have two boats and am staying local, but as I look to retire my Thule and replace it due to rust, I wonder whether it's worth getting longer bars or not. I've been taking two boats more often lately and taking the extenders on and off each time is a bit of a pain. I could get a new rack with double-wide crossbars but wonder if it's worth the loss in fuel economy, vs the labor of putting extenders on and off for two-boat rides.
I used to stand boats on edge like eckilson, but I'm on the shorter side and often putting a boat on its side makes the stems difficult to reach, even more so for my shorter paddling partners. I made a rack wide enough for 2 boats to lay flat out of 2x3s and u-bolts that worked great, but I discovered that rig significantly decreases my fuel economy vs my Thule 50in bars. I've been strapping 6ft closet rods to the Thule this year when I have two boats and am staying local, but as I look to retire my Thule and replace it due to rust, I wonder whether it's worth getting longer bars or not. I've been taking two boats more often lately and taking the extenders on and off each time is a bit of a pain. I could get a new rack with double-wide crossbars but wonder if it's worth the loss in fuel economy, vs the labor of putting extenders on and off for two-boat rides.
Tsuga8; I have wood spacers on my pickup cap racks, not to carry 2 boats (they will) but to lift the bows up enough to prevent the caps from banging on the cab roof- at first they were loud and did seem to increase drag, but I ran them through a tablesaw to add a 60° bevel front and rear, I also cut a chamfer down the middle of the bottom to close the gap on the leading and trailing edge, and attach with Deltec 5/8 cable wrap (240lb tension rating) so there's no hardware hanging down.
the racks are actually quieter than when left factory and seem to make no difference to my mileage at all. I suspect it's because the planks cover the tracks for the load stops, reducing turbulence.
the racks are actually quieter than when left factory and seem to make no difference to my mileage at all. I suspect it's because the planks cover the tracks for the load stops, reducing turbulence.
I went through this awhile back and I believe it was billconnor that gave me the lead. I got the 80" bars, standard straps held them to my existing rack just fine. One fellow would get a bike inner tube, cut it so one long length, and wrapped the tube tightly around the rails. Said it held everything just fine. I had not tried it, but I do have an old innertube in the back of my truck.
@scoutergriz I'd considered running a router with a 1/2 rounderover bit along a 2x4 for new crossbars. Was thinking that's surely not as aerodynamic as factory racks, but perhaps it is. I wonder about rounded over vs a flat bevel/chamfer which it sounds like you went with. 60 deg off horizontal, or vertical?
60° off the upper face to provide an aerofoil-like shape, and about a 15° chamfer down the centreline on the bottom to compensate for the front to back curve of the factory racks, I also bored 3 sets of 1/4" high X 3/4" wide slots on the centre line front to back before cutting any material, to allow for the deltec strapping to clamp the wood without being exposed to abrasion from and to the gunnels. I started with 2x4 stock and after cutting and ended up with about 1 1/4" by 3", I also chose 2x4"s with a substantial warp to more easily match the curved profile of the racks from side to side. unfortunately my racks are at my daughter's house with my canoes so I can't take pics...
Thank you for those details, that's really helpful. I think I can envision each aspect
