Boat on roof ? (1 Viewer)

[Vlad The Impaler]

I am looking to buy a small inflatable boat and am thinking of storing it on roof inflated and ready to use.It weighs around the 40 lb mark,what I would like to know is do you buy additional cross bars for it to sit on or does it just sit on the roof and get tied down to the rails that run along each side.

Thanks steve

 

[philw111]

Fill it with helium and you can gain some extra payload

Sorry, I'm sure some sensible comments will come along soon.

Phil

 

[hilldweller]

I am looking to buy a small inflatable boat and am thinking of storing it on roof inflated and ready to use.It weighs around the 40 lb mark,what I would like to know is do you buy additional cross bars for it to sit on or does it just sit on the roof and get tied down to the rails that run along each side.

Thanks steve

40lbs spread out is nothing. Making it secure and paying a bit more fuel is.

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[emjaiuk]

I am looking to buy a small inflatable boat and am thinking of storing it on roof inflated and ready to use.It weighs around the 40 lb mark,what I would like to know is do you buy additional cross bars for it to sit on or does it just sit on the roof and get tied down to the rails that run along each side.

Thanks steve

Be careful tying down to rails. When we had our first RV we carried canoes on the roof strapped down to the rails, but the sideways pull loosened the rail fixings after a while, causing a leak. Luckily it was an all aluminium Allegro, so no permanent water damage.

Malcolm

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

God you can tell its Sunday morningoh:
Let's assume I can afford the extra fuel and I use 4 ratchet straps to the side rails,should that suffice! Side rails can't just be for show
Do I assume you don't get rails to span the width.I suppose would be better on actual roof as less air would get underneath .

 

[spannermanwigan]

The simple answer is dont do it, you will damage the paint on your roof,even the soft material
of the boat will rub through the paint in no time, this will then lead to the thin aluminium sheet
oxidising(aluminium equivalent of rust). Pack the boat away and inflate when you need it,which probably wont be that often.

My advice is to stay off your roof as much as possible and to only go on top to clean it,let it do the job for which it is intended keeping the weather out. not load carrying.

Maybe not what you want to hear but, but sound advice.

Look after your van and the van will look after you, thats the secret of succesful ownership.

regards
Steve:thumb:

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

We tie our sevlor kayak up on the roof with straps using the side bars.
Just make sure you put it upside down then if it rains oh:
We didn't travel to the lakes with it up there , but once there we left it pumped up till we were going home.
Saved a lot of faffing about.

PS i thought you were changing your name , to a more man sounding one ?

 

[hilldweller]

I use 4 ratchet straps to the side rails,should that suffice! Side rails can't just be for show

I think more for show than for serious use. You could read the manual.

It would be so very easy for "4 ratchet straps" to just bend the rails over, no matter how well made. Most of the force is sideways not down.

Remember we don't know you, your boat or your van so cannot give valid advice, just hints.

There is little strength in a wooden framed MH, just enough to keep the box in shape. The rails are probably just screwed into quite small section softwood.

 

[jhorsf]

why do you want to carry it inflated?

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[Vlad The Impaler]

Because if it's on the roof inflated its not taking up what storage space we have

 

[rangi]

God you can tell its Sunday morningoh:
Let's assume I can afford the extra fuel and I use 4 ratchet straps to the side rails,should that suffice! Side rails can't just be for show
Do I assume you don't get rails to span the width.I suppose would be better on actual roof as less air would get underneath .

"Fly me to the Moon ,and let me play amongst the stars" comes to mind, tie em loose and they float, tie em to tight and the buffet tears them away.


You could always take an "inflator" and blow the bleddy thing up when you get there:thumb: