Canoe hauling

[Roybrew]

I have the standard 08 Subaru Outback with the factory racks on top. Will my 16 foot Wabnaki fit on these racks or do I need different ones? The wood strip canoe is 36 inches wide, 16 feet long and almost 70 pounds. I haven't tried to load it on top of the car yet, and so I thought I'd ask. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

Subaru might have a different opinion as to load rating and the need for additional parts, but I have never had problems with my wood/canvas of approximately the same dimensions and weight. I'd use pool noodles to protect the gunwales. Make sure to use ropes and hoodloops in front and back. The newer Outbacks have the fold-out crossbars which are more of a problem (and a worthless improvement in my opinion). I McGyvered a 2x4contraption to sit on top of those crossbars to create a wider and flat crossbar. It worked but was ugly.

 

[GeoBoy]

I think I would get one of those goal post type racks that mount into the hitch receiver of your car and just use the front crossbar on the car to secure the front of the canoe.

 

[Roybrew]

Sweetfancymoses, Yeh it's got those cheesey aerodynamic ones. They are about useless. I thought about using a couple of 2x4s, like you mentioned.
Geoboy, that is a good idea. I need a trailer hitch on that thing.

Thanks you all for the input. I'm thinking about going down to sparkle berry swamp for a night of camping and a day paddle with the wife. I'd rather take my truck and trailer, but she says it smells like old man butt. What can say, I ain't getting any younger.

 

[clemency]

I would think the owner's manual for the car would have a load rating for the rack.

 

[Roybrew]

Yep, I need to check that to be sure. I would think 70 pounds of canoe wouldn't hurt it, but yes I better check.

 

[yknpdlr]

I think the owner's manual for my Forester says a 150 pound limit on the roof rack. I regularly carry lightweight canoes, including a woodstrip on the factory crossbars with foam blocks meant for the purpose. Always use ropes on the bow to either side attaching under the hood. I also have the Thule tower mounts Ihave carried slightly heavier canoes, including up to a C4. This photo is of a C4 that I carried from NY to Whitehorse, YT and back (from Dawson) with the addition of a support I made attached to a treailer hitch mounted luggage platform. Plus I had several gear bags on the roof under the canoe. Was glad I had bow ties for windy times in the wide open Canadian plains. Had no problems whatsoever.

 

[Roybrew]

Holy Cow! Is that legal. That thing sticking waaay out there! How did it feel at highway speeds? That's the only thing I'm worried about. I know I can secure it down properly, but rolling along on the interstate running with the big trucks is slot of wind.

 

[yknpdlr]

i had no problems with it being legal or not. Always had the red flag in back. 'Wind pressure from trucks was noticeable, but caused no harm. Bow lines kept the bow stable. Want to check out long? Different vehicles with a 34' carbon voyageur for the Yukon races at my hotel parkng lot in Fairbanks , and a 28' woodstrip voyageur above Dawson City in different years.




Closer to home, yet another voyageur on my truck for the Adirondack 90 miler race, held onto the bow with a home made support.

 

[dogbrain]

This is a 23' Wenonah MN4 on an older subaru, but I have aftermarket thule racks that I got for less than $100 used. If you plan to use your car for carrying canoes often I would get something better than the factory bars. I have carried larger and heavier canoes than this one on the stock racks, but the weak point seems to be the clamping mechanism, not necessarily the weight capacity of the bars. Also, the curve of those aero bars can cause the canoe to slide one way or the other easier.

 

[kona]

you might consider getting some gunwale brackets, which I have found to greatly improve stability while moving at high speeds. The Yakima Keelover model will fit on your factory roof racks and will also fit any aftermarket roof rack cross bars if/when you upgrade.

 

[alsg]

The rack on your Outback looks a little different than the rack on my 2020 Outback. But for what it is worth, I carry my Wabnaki on my outback no problem.

 

[Roybrew]

Wow! Those pictures are awesome. Thanks again you all. I've gotten used to tying it down on my 4x8 box trailer, so putting it on top of the super scoop is going to be a new adventure for me. I wonder if I'll notice any drag on that little 4 banger under the hood. Ha
Roy

 

[Pook]

Roybrew,
Before relocating to Ontario, I used to "borrow" my Dads 2016 Outback with factory cross rails whenever I needed canoe transport in province, and that including hauling my Chestnut Prospector to Peterborough for the annual Wooden Canoe Heritage Association assembly in 2018.
The Prospector is 36 inches wide and weighs in at 85lbs dry.
I used nothing more than cut pool noodles on gunwales where they met the crossrails and ratchet straps on the Subaru. No issues.
HTH
Bruce

 

[devils son in law]

I'd have to say gunnel brackets are a must to help keep the boat stable. The length of the canoe should be no problem, the 36" width should fit just fine but getting a 70lb canoe on your roof without help could be an issue.

 

[Zac]

I've put 1000s of miles on my 03 subaru with a canoe on the factory front rack and a receiver hitch rack for the rear. I even scribed a 4" log to fit snug over the factory rack to make it wide enough to handle two canoes side by side. On this vehicle the racks are so far apart that I forego bow and stern lines most of the time. I slice pool noodles lengthwise and put them on the racks, not on the canoe.

When I first bought the car I hauled an 18'6" kevlar about 400 miles without the rear receiver rack, utilizing only the two factory crossbars which are way too close together IMO. I used bow and stern lines then and didn't have any problems... but I feel much better with the receiver rack, and taking them on and off is a lot faster this way with only two ratchet straps to worry about.

Pictured is a 14'6" fiberglass, I can't find a good shot of the 18'6" up there.

 

[Roybrew]

Awesome advice and great pictures!

I got my rack cross bars yesterday. They fit in the holes just on the ends of the factory racks. Worked great so I don't have to remove or readjust the factory cross racks.

They lock on tight and secure. I'm making some side stops out of some beech wood I have in the basement. That's why I haven't put the plastic end pieces on, those will go on after.
I cut the stops leaving a 3/8 x 1/16 notch to fit inside of rail, so it doesn't turn around.


I'm going to recess the bolt and nut to just under the top so I don't have to worry about scratching the gunnels on it when loading. The head of the bolt will be welded, filed or something so it'll slide in and out of the channel, and not turn around when tightening nut. I'll post when I actually load the canoe on top. To cold today.
Thanks again for your alls help.
Roy

 

[Valin6210]

Kind of surprised canoe transport is not its own sub-forum.

Anyway, the Outback should definitely handle the weight, used to put the Thule cargo box up there and load up with gear and luggage, don't recall the exact weight rating. Agree that the swing arms were useless and more trouble than they were worth at times.

Where are people getting the combo cargo baskets with the T-bar for the hitch receiver? We have the cargo basket for the hitch receiver but don't think I've ever seen one with the T-bar.

Another thing a few of us (scout crew adult leaders) have done is buy landscaping trailers (5x10 is plenty big enough) and install ladder racks (much cheaper and heavier duty than buying a "kayak rack" from a sporting goods shop). With the ladder rack and then putting 2x6 cross beams across the trailer rails we can easily transport 4-6 boats (depends on size) plus totes of gear on the trailer deck. Then the trailer becomes a winter storage rack for the boats.

 

[yknpdlr]

Where are people getting the combo cargo baskets with the T-bar for the hitch receiver? We have the cargo basket for the hitch receiver but don't think I've ever seen one with the T-bar.

Mine is home-made.

 

[Roybrew]

Yknpdlr, that's a great set-up. You can even open the back with out untying your canoe. Great setup.