I was looking through my copy of "The Baja Catch", a book about fishing spots and info compiled by years of cartopper fishing up and down the peninsula.
It got me thinking about what it would take to get an aluminum boat up and down from the penthouse.
Asside from weight restrictions and handling issues, my main thoughts centered around simply getting something up and down from there.
Doing some googling, I ran across a thread on the Expedition Portal that someone had posted with a pretty nifty idea.
Any thoughts and what are some different things beyond canoes or kayaks people have put up top??
2002 e350 7.3 L Powerstroke
SMB 50 layout w/penthouse pop-top
Location: Vacaville, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,063
[QUOTE=DosMars;226673]
Any thoughts and what are some different things beyond canoes or kayaks people have put up top??QUOTE]
Here's what my canoe looks like up on top. On the much lower truck with a topper loading/unloading was a one-person job, with the load rails on the van sitting at 8'-10" this is now an (easy) two-person job.
There are a few more pictures and details in my build thread, but this gives you the idea.
There are foldable boats, like the Quickboat. They are rigid boats that fold down to roughly surfboard size. It could be a good option, light, compact, aerodynamic.
I have never used one myself but have heard positive experiences.
There's a guy who still sells this clever rack designed for one man to load and unload a 12-14' aluminum boat on top of a truck w/camper shell, eide boat loader I think. I've seen the electric powered version, it's pretty slick.
Yup, that's what I'm thinking about. Use the winch on the front bumper to load and unload. A pully on the top of the front bumper and one over the windshield to guide the cable up and over to attach to the bow of the boat.
How do they atatch to the boat in that video? Looks like there are lines on either side, forward of the midline on the boat? I think he mentions a line to the stern as well? I'm going to have to watch that video a few more times.
Thanks for the link Tomsbeast...