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1999 Old Towne Camper Canoe - Good Value for Price?

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I ran across a 1999 Old Towne Camper Canoe on Craigslist.org for $300 (he is firm on this price). It is just the canoe, no paddles, etc. Is this a good value for a canoe in really good condition (at least his multiple pictures look like it is in good condition). He is a 2nd owner but the canoe hasn't hardly seen the light of day and has been in his garage. It is about an hour away from me so I want to be sure it is a good deal. It's main use would be for light river paddling with children. Thanks!

Brent
 
Great canoe for what you want. I paid over $700 for mine new and used it for many years. It was a perfect canoe for use with children and for easy river trips too. I gave it to my son and he uses it now with my grandchildren. Good Find, especially this time of year.
 
Thank you for your responses. I will be going to look at it as soon as they will let me. My canoe hauling experience amounts to putting the canoe and riding in the back of a truck. We had a local river we always canoed and the most we would have to bring it back was about 5 miles. That was when I was younger. I can get access to a truck but I don't own one. Is it possible/safe/sturdy to ratchet the canoe to the black crossbraces in 2 places on top of our Dodge Caravan? An example of what our van looks like is shown in this picture.

http://corvallisautos.com/user/cimage/2006-Dodge-Grand-Caravan-001.jpg
 
Our first RX tandem canoes were a Camper and Pathfinder (14’10” version of the Camper). They were bought specifically because they were inexpensive (blems), could be paddled bow-backwards with very young bowmen and had gobs of initial stability.

The flat bottom means that there is a point beyond which further leaning means swimming, but we never unintentionally flipped either of them, at least in tandem guise.

When the kids were older we turned them back around bow forwards and paddled them for several more years until the boys each went into their own solo canoes.

We eventually sold/traded them for nearly what we had originally paid. If the Camper is in sound condition $300 is a steal for a general purpose family canoe and you won’t lose money if and when you resell it.
 
I had a OT Camper for a time and it was a good all around family canoe. I paddled ok solo, sitting in the bow facing the stern. Dave
 
Regarding tying it down, yes you should be able to fasten your ratchet straps to the van roof rack. I’d check to be sure the roof rack is secure first. We attach our canoe to my wife’s little car this way. It is advisable to tie off the front of your canoe to an appropriate secure point (bumper/chassis?) in front as well. It’s the law in some places. I don’t have van roof racks, so I use swimming pool noodles on my gunwales, and ratchet strap through my rear windows and through my (open) front doors. My doors, and rear windows close over the straps just fine. Likewise I tie off in the front.
When I’m really nervous, I tie off the back as well. Just make sure everything is secure and tight, and put a twist in the straps to avoid that annoying highway high speed humming.
Take care.
Brad
 
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