Howdy! I am looking for a better way to tie down my canoe to the front of the truck without messing up the truck. If I tie it to the tow hooks or anything on the bumper, the tiedown probably damage the plastic I mean chrome grill. The method used here (hood hinges) resulted in unwanted antenna contact but otherwise was okay. It seems like sticking anything under the front of the hood would end up with paint rubbed off... Maybe this isn't just a truck problem, but I've always been able to find a decent front tiedown spot on other cars, probably because the canoe sits far enough forward on shorter vehicles. This angle is just hard to work with. Getting a longer boat isn't an option--19 feet is already difficult. I know some people just skip the front and rear tiedowns but I don't want to. What am I missing? Thanks! <img src=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RtGY9PtSaFg/U6yKWIymTLI/AAAAAAAAEp0/K-L7K9WTsP8/s640/New%2520Bitmap%2520Image%2520%252821%2529.jpg> Also, why can't I post paragraph/page breaks in this forum? Sorry about that. I didn't mean for that to happen.

 

Maybe put some 3M Clear Bra on the exposed area of the grill and hood. Then you can simply tie down using the tow hooks.

 

Use those giant mirror arms.

 

One long ratchet strap or cinch strap around the cabover and over the canoe would make it safe. Only other option I can think of is a receiver hitch in the front, then one of those receiver hitch bed-extender pole thingies in that, should clear the hood and provide a good anchor.

-Gator

 

I would just rig up a set of anchors on the pop up camper and be done with it.

My 2 cents worth anyway.

 

Set the canoe forward a little more?

 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll do some experimenting and see if I can do any better. It does seem like I'm not missing something totally obvious though? That's sort of a relief!

 

Kudo's to you for making sure...
that wind coming off the hood and windwhield will put a LOT of stress on the front of the conoe when it gets up INSIDE and acts like a parachute
Can't tell you the number of times someone is carrying something that stands straight up in the front and they thought they had it tight !!!


Maybe cross those front tie downs ?
i.e take the passenger side tie down to the driver's side of the canoe and vice versa...

that way the passenger side one may go 'in front' of the antenna ???

or take the antenna off for the trip ?


r u sure the hinges don't pinch the tie downs where they would wear through and release ?????

 

The transverse guys are to keep the canoe 1) from moving side-to-side, and 2) to keep it down. The bow and stern guys are to stop fore and aft motion. Consider attaching the bow guy to the rear of the camper and the stern guy to the front of the camper.

 

Perhaps a trailer?

Kayak Kaboose Trailer by Kayak-Kayak, LLC - Paddling.net

 

I wouldn't trust the mirror arms to secure the canoe. Even though the arms are huge they are still plastic and are only held to the door with two small screws.

Why not put some hooks to the bottom of the camper overhanging the cab and secure it to those?

 

I think it needs something to prevent it from sliding rearward as well as prevent it from lifting..
The shape of the gunnel will force the canoe to stretch the strap as it tries to slide rearward in the wind, imo.

One of those big bumpers with the grill protection bar across the top..?

Sent from my Sprint PC36100 using IB AutoGroup

 

Yea great idea.. get a ranch hand bumper and tie down to that

 

Hmm. Interesting suggestions. Using my old method with the antenna mast in the glove box is my backup plan. I don't want to use the camper for a tie down for a few reasons. One is that it's good to be able to see the line so you know the thing isn't slopping around up there. The other is that the camper is, well, sturdy as far as RVs go, which means kind of fragile. The main purpose for the front and rear tie downs is to catch the boat if the rack fails. If that happens, I'd expect it to rip out at any camper based attachment point. (And since the rack is also attached to the camper, I really really want those backup front and rear tie downs!)

 

I can get a pic in the monring i fiund somehwere to tie a loop of ratched strap to bear the front edge of the hood before it turns down and can be stuck up between the crack. I found tying to the front tow hooks around the edge of the hood just wouldnt work and it was impossible to get tight.