Roof racks in Canada

M

MarkEdm

New member
First post here. Lots of really valuble information on this site!

I purchased a 2010 SR5 earlier this summer after my 2003 Pathfinder was written off in an accident. It was my second Pathfinder and I really liked it but I thoroughly dislike the newer ones. Ugly and feel cheap on the inside.

Anyways, one of the things that became apparent is that my 4Runner's roof rack (with the cross bars - $239 in Canada!!!) is way too short to put a canoe on top. The canoe (and mine is a lightweight 17.5 ft Kevlar) ends up unsupported from the driver's pillar, where the roof rack ends, to past the front of the truck. As a result the canoe moves around a lot, particulary with strong winds.

I can just put foam pads under the front of the canoe but this optimal. I can get the special Thule canoe rack but that costs close to $500 in Canada and it just attaches to the stock roof rack.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Sorry if this has been discussed before on the site. I couldn't find any useful postings in this regard.
 
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Does the Edm mean you're in Edmonton? There's a place down here in Calgary called Racks Unlimited that's really good at finding the right fit for you. Maybe check out Sportrack - owned by Thule but without the extra cost for the name.
 
It's very difficult to get a tie-down really tight if you're using knots in cord/line or especially bungies. Is there some room to simply improve the tie-down arrangement without changing the rack? Are you using ratchet straps now?
 
Slag said:
OK I got the following quotes from RackAttack in Toronto.
Rack Attack - Thule Rack, Yakima Rack : bike, ski, kayak, snowboard, cargo

Yakima Rail Grab (mounting equipment, locks & rails) $348 CDN + tax

Thule 450 crossroad (mounting equipment, locks & rails) $375 CDN + tax

You definitely don't need to special canoe attachment. Just cinch the boat down with ratchet straps.[/QUOTE

The crossbars have been Seen at Canadian Tire on sale for $230. I have been watching the flyer waiting for this sale again.
Click to expand...
 
I use foam blocks that I bought from REI to haul my kayak. They slide onto the rack and prevent it from sliding or rubbing the roof. see link below:

Riverside Universal Kayak Replacement Foam Blocks at REI.com

You may also check out Rage powersports racks. They are a cheaper alternative to roof racks and hook directly to existing crossbars. Don't know much about them yet, but that is what I am considering.
 
Seems prices are pretty consistent across Canada. Of course they are cheaper in the US, but shipping is a pain, especially on large items. For OP, looks like you are in Edmonton, so Racksforcars.com are in town, 2 stores I think. I am planning on getting the Thule 450R Crossroads System and a luggage box of some sort, likely a Boxter. It aint cheap, but looks good and sturdy.
 
the Thule 45050 Crossroads are on sale in Canada at Canadian Tire - $250. (25% Off) Only problem is their website says there are none in stock in every store I checked. Wonder if they will give a rain check. I hope to find out tomorrow.
 
Over 1/3 of my kayak sits unsupported out front of the rack and it hasn't presented any problems. I have the front of kayak tied to the front tow hook under the bumper and I'm not worried about it at all. On the cross-bars I use a couple of foam cradles I bought at Mountain Equipment Co-op. They slide on, and with a couple of small ratchet straps everything holds just fine.

One thing you should be aware of though; when the kayak is on the roof, the rear hatch can't open more than a couple of feet. The spoiler gets in the way. It's kind of a pain in the butt.
 
See posts #13 & #30 in this thread,

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/63097-yakima-roof-system-trail-edition.html

Some are using the Yakima cross bars & Q towers with Q62 clips over the front doors & they seem to be working. I have a set of these & when I laid the Q62 clips on the door it fit pretty well. I haven't attached the crossbars to the 4Runner yet though.

I've got the same problem with a 16 ft kayak. I can't believe Yakima doesn't make a set of clips for these vehicles. Another problem is the spoiler - it makes it difficult to use any rollers to load from the back of the truck.
 
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4Runner can't carry a canoe safely?

I wanted a 4Runner, but decided to stick with the FJ, mainly because I can't figure a way of safely carrying a canoe on one. The FJ is less than ideal as a canoe carrier, but it does work. There is no way I am going to put my baby up on the roof with no support for the front half, just waiting for those semi's to blast by me! To open the rear hatch I have to remove the canoe or ladder from the roof!
If anyone on the forum has found a good solution to this problem, I would love to hear it. And please don't tell me there is no problem with the front of the canoe un-supported, as long as you have good ties on the nose. I already use strong, crossed ties up there.
What I need is another cross bar in front of the moon roof.
Any ideas?
 
Analartist said:
I wanted a 4Runner, but decided to stick with the FJ, mainly because I can't figure a way of safely carrying a canoe on one. The FJ is less than ideal as a canoe carrier, but it does work. There is no way I am going to put my baby up on the roof with no support for the front half, just waiting for those semi's to blast by me! To open the rear hatch I have to remove the canoe or ladder from the roof!
If anyone on the forum has found a good solution to this problem, I would love to hear it. And please don't tell me there is no problem with the front of the canoe un-supported, as long as you have good ties on the nose. I already use strong, crossed ties up there.
What I need is another cross bar in front of the moon roof.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...

If you need another crossbar you can always get it from Thule or Yakima - the sort mounting without roof rails. Like you can see on some sedans. But I wouldn't bother, imho a decent canoe wont' be damaged if you carry it on 4Runner crossbars. However I got Thule crossbars and carry kayaks which are shorter than a canoe. But I have frends who carry canoe on Higlander and RAV4 without any problems.
 
OK, my bad! It seems I did not search the forum posts adequately, and did not see that there is maybe a way of putting a front cross bar up there. I would prefer one that mounts really solid, rather than a magnetic one with little clips. What model do you folks suggest?
What about the rear spoiler problem? - looks like you can't remove it on the new 4Runner, and it would require about an 8" riser to keep the canoe above the spoiler when you lift the tailgate.
ps., thanks for not flaming a Noob ........... I deserved it!:noidea:
 
MarkEdm said:
First post here. Lots of really valuble information on this site!

I purchased a 2010 SR5 earlier this summer after my 2003 Pathfinder was written off in an accident. It was my second Pathfinder and I really liked it but I thoroughly dislike the newer ones. Ugly and feel cheap on the inside.

Anyways, one of the things that became apparent is that my 4Runner's roof rack (with the cross bars - $239 in Canada!!!) is way too short to put a canoe on top. The canoe (and mine is a lightweight 17.5 ft Kevlar) ends up unsupported from the driver's pillar, where the roof rack ends, to past the front of the truck. As a result the canoe moves around a lot, particulary with strong winds.

I can just put foam pads under the front of the canoe but this optimal. I can get the special Thule canoe rack but that costs close to $500 in Canada and it just attaches to the stock roof rack.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Sorry if this has been discussed before on the site. I couldn't find any useful postings in this regard.
Click to expand...

If you want to go big, grab a full-length Baja Rack like mine. Talk to Nathan or Crista at The Gear Shop in Calgary and they'll hook you up - my rack was $1,300 shipped up to my shop in Drayton Valley. PM me and I'll give you their phone number if you're interested.
 
Analartist said:
OK, my bad! It seems I did not search the forum posts adequately, and did not see that there is maybe a way of putting a front cross bar up there. I would prefer one that mounts really solid, rather than a magnetic one with little clips. What model do you folks suggest?
What about the rear spoiler problem? - looks like you can't remove it on the new 4Runner, and it would require about an 8" riser to keep the canoe above the spoiler when you lift the tailgate.
ps., thanks for not flaming a Noob ........... I deserved it!:noidea:
Click to expand...

I would suggest that you visit Rack Attack or other rack retalier and deside which one crossbar you want. I saw corssbars with roof mounts on cars on a road some with canoes by the way, but I never used one that fastens not to roof rails. Generally Thule rack are solid enough you can check how they mounted on the roof here for instance : Thule Base Roof Rack Systems at Rack Attack As another option you could use some "offroad" big racks, but they require some skill to install and are not cheap.
Tailgate spoiler is a problem even with kayaks, so I load all my stuff then put kayaks on and off we go. When I came at my destination I unload kayaks first. But if I need to put or take something from the trunk with kayaks on, I lower rear glass : )
 
Check out the photos of my 22 foot, 100 pound double kayak supported on my TE by Thule Crossroad 450 rail grabbers and Thule load bars. The pics are at the bottom of this thread:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-g...50-rail-grabbers-trail-edition-siderails.html

Front and rear tie-downs attached to your tow hooks or frame will solve the problem of crosswinds affecting the unsupported part of your boat. Don't reef on them, though, or you can damage your hull. Just make them snug, and check them for tension every time you stop your vehicle. Yakima sells a very slick tie-down system.

Don't waste money buying the Toyota load bars. Yakima and Thule bars both hold more weight, and can be quickly removed to save gas and cut down on wind noise when you don't have a load on your roof.
 
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