[Marussia]

Guys, could you please recommend cross bars to transport a large plastic canoe on the roof? My '06 does not have the side bars and I would like to be able to remove cross bars easily for the winter. I've seen both Honda and Thule bars on other '06s, is there any difference between those two?

I've never transported a canoe on the roof before. Could you please recommend the best way to properly tie it down?


Thank you!

 

[Jwood70]

I would go with either Yakima or Thule. I have their Ride On adapter on my 2000 and it does what I need. Since you don't have a rack at all (that's how I read it), going with one of their racks would be the best bet.

 

[MXLeader]

Thule tracker system or Yakima control tower system. I had the Thule system on my Gen 2 CRV and liked everything except that they didn't have covers for the feet. The control towers do. Both the Thule and Yakima website have fit guides and will help fully outfit your CRV for a canoe. There's a bunch of online stores that sell the gear, some with free shipping, sometimes with discounts of 10, 15 or 20%.

I just bought the CRV Gen 3 Control Towers from the Rack Warehouse for 20% off AND a 30$ rebate from Yakima.

 

[Marussia]

Thank you for your responses.

I am curious - are the oem bars that bad that nobody seems to be using them?

 

[RinconVTR]

Click the link below...
CR-V with Canoe on OEM cross bars

The stock bars are fine. 2 ratchet straps and the thing was ROCK solid. Added on in the front for wind stability.

If your going out on a weekly or monthly basis, than something more purpose built might be handy.

 

[RinconVTR]

 

[Marussia]

Thanks! So to compensate for the wind you only attach it at the front and not at the back?

Why is this setup not very good for long-term use?

 

[RinconVTR]

Thanks! So to compensate for the wind you only attach it at the front and not at the back?

Why is this setup not very good for long-term use?

The setup is good, but requires two people to get it up there, thats all. I've seen purpose built racks where one person can load the canoe and its secured with more than straps. But seeing I get out once or twice a year at this point the OEM rack does great.

At 65 MPH winds are awefully strong! So I added front strap to eliminate the lifting forces on the cross bar, which I think is typical from what I've noticed.

A strap on the rear is not a bad idea...I just did not consider it needed. But you cant be too safe, and its only one extra strap! Just dont over tighten the front and back straps, thats downforce on the crossbar which quickly and easily multiplies due to the long length of the canoe.

 

[Honda 367]

Kayak

I use Yakima set up when I transport my kayak. I use both front and back tie downs. Since I do not tranport canoe, I wouldn't know but it would be nice to have two tie downs if at all possible.

 

[Marussia]

RinconVTR, thank you!


Honda 367, what is the difference between transporting a kayak and a canoe? It seems to me that there is no great difference, unless, of course, you are talking about a single person kayak, which is clearly a lot shorter than an average canoe.

 

[Marussia]

Honda 367, please disregard my previous question, I understand what you mean. I have an inflatable kayak and I keep forgetting that most people have hardshells that they transport on the roof for which you need special fixtures.

 

[Honda 367]

Kayak

Marussia,

Inflatable kayaks are very convenient when transporting but I found that it does not trek very well especially in coastal waters. It is a struggle to get that inflatable kayak going. In my opinion, it flexes too much. However, it is very convenient to launch it in any water.

 

[Marussia]

Honda 367,

That is certainly true for cheaper inflatable kayaks and that's precisely why I got a rather expensive one. If you are interested, check out www.seaeagle.com. I've used the 380 model for the last two summers and I love it. This kayak does not flex at all and it is able to withstand class 4 rapids. It is slightly worse than a hardshell as far as keeping in a straight line on open water, but with the help of a 40 dollar attachable directional stabilizer the problem is solved. I also really like the fact that because it's not hard, you can put your legs up on the sides and just relax in the sun if you feel like it without all the discomfort that is usually associated with a hardshell kayak at least for myself. And the ergonomic seats (you pay a bit more for those but they are worth every penny) are very comfortable. Tons of room for stuff, you can go camping for a week in this thing. I am not a very strong woman and I can set up and inflate this kayak on my own in 10-15 minutes. We also purchased a sail and an anchor and it's just our favorite toy. In other words, I HIGHLY recommend it. I should run advertisements for seaeagle ))

 

[Honda 367]

Good Information

Marussia,

That sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. I am partial to hardshell. Have you seen Eddyline kayaks (Eddyline.com)? These are fast and graceful on water. They glide or cut through water effortlessly. I am not into rapids but long distance kayaking. Kayaks whether inflatable or hardshell are fabulous.

 

[Marussia]

Honda 367, to be quite honest, I do not know much about kayaks. My husband and I rented a few times and we loved it so much that we decided to get our own kayak so that we are not limited in our choices of water. We did not have anywhere to store a hardshell at that time, so I did a bit of research on inflatables and we got our Seaeagle. Those Eddyline kayaks do look quite fast and comfortable, I'll definitely keep them in mind if we decide to get a hardshell.

 

[weatherman]

Living in NYC there's no way that I could have a hardshell kayak. I got the AdvancedElements AdvancedFrame. My friends liked mine so much they bought a double for themselves too. They're really great - not as sleek as a nice hardshell, but very convenient to transport and store.

 

[harold]

I use the ome on my 2006 V all year around! Never remove the cross bars. Most kayaks are transported on their side as this is the strongest part of the haul. I have Yakima on my Civic. They are very good lockable racks. They require a faring as they can be noisy! I like the style of the OME on my V as they add to the roof line and are not noticed! In other wards they don't stick out like a soar thumb! Hal