I bought a canoe, It is too wide for the factory roof rack. How is the easiest way to extend the rack, something that will hold up on the freeway. it is a 16.6 foot Coleman canoe. I will buy something if that is the best, I was thinking of just tying pipe to the existing rails and having the straps go around both the extra pipe and the factory rail.

 

Sorry if this is not the correct place for this.

Thanks

Buy a good used rack.  Better safe than sorry.  You may be able to find a quality rack at one of the You Pull & Pay junk yards.  Then you'd just have to get them keyed.

 

I see nice racks all the time in the yard.

Is the canoe too wide or too long?  You told us how long it was but not how wide it was. 

 

At 16.6' long you might just be looking for a trailer after you see where the balance point is on the car. 

the canoe is too wide. If I put it all of the way to the right roof rack rail, it sits on the roof, with the left rail just inside the canoe. 

I hauled the canoe home upright, just like it would be in the water and it did ok. but I can not transport it that way normally.

 

The used rack.. would that fasten to the factory, or completely replace it? not sure what to look for when I go to the yard

I put a 16 foot canoe on my Impreza using a couple 4 foot wooden 4x4s. Worked just fine.

 

You'd be fine with some home depot water pipe. Seen some with the foam pipe insulation wrapped in electrical tape. Bolted to the stock roof rack and it would be plenty secure.

 

The most important part is having it tied/ratcheded down snug. Especially with a canoe make sure the front is anchored or the wind can leverage it around.

I'd just keep it simple.  A couple pieces of 3/4" galvanized plumbing pipe and some pipe insulation should be all you need along with a way to affix the pipe to the side rails. 

I have some old 1" galvanized pipe. can I just lay it on the side rails and zip tie it to the factory rails?  and make sure the tie down goes around both of them

Found one at the jy ut needed keys to get it off, so I could not get it. is there an easy way to remove the key lock? 

get a used thule off craigs list with 60 square " bars and and some cross road 450's.  That way you add all sorts of other rack options later for kayaks, snow boards  etc.  $100 ought to do it.

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/6077263469.html

 

like this.   

 

I know you are in Oregon, but you get the idea.   I am not a huge fan or rigging a roof system as it can come off the roof with the canoe and fall on the road.......with cars following you.  

 

Don't laugh, I've see it.

https://corvallis.craigslist.org/spo/6092611661.html

 

Here is one with correct bars, canoe holder, but wrong feet for the rack.  You could buy 415 feet or 450 feet.  Grab locks if the VW feet have them, sell the rest back on craigslist or ebay.

Thanks, 

I think i will go with the 80 reese bars that say they will clamp to the original rack rails. you have convinced me to do it right. and not just rig it together. 

I have Yakima Railgrab mounts and crossbars (all bought used, bars on craigslist locally many many years ago, mounts on ebay recently) for our '04 Outback.

 

I don't have any decent pictures of the rack, but I do have one of the car on our last BWCA trip:

20160530_121745 by Numbchux, on Flickr

Edited July 25, 20178 yr by Numbchux