TOPIC: Looking for ideas: solo boat loader

In addition to my vintage Glasspar, I have an older 12 foot aluminum skiff. I car top it to the local small lakes, usually on my Bronco. Now, as the boat gets older (couldn't be me that's aging) I find it harder to get that boat up on the roof. The Bronco sits higher than a passenger car. I can flip the boat over, get the bow started on the rear roof rack, then lift the transom and shove until it slides up onto my Thule roof racks. I'm looking for some ingenious ideas for making my job easier, particularly when loading on a slight uphill grade. I would be willing to buy an electric winch for my front bumper, with a remote control, but the winch cable would likely do damage to the hood and also to the front of the roof. Any suggestions on a system that would work? Can't trailer it because I'm already trailering the camper.

Dead serious... you ready.......a good sturdy her drive making German woman!!
Named Hilda, , Ursella or Gertrude!.

Luv and Beer Kurt.

LOL nice one stargazer!

Norm, have you thought about a long roller at the back mount? Possibly a piece of 1" PVC Sched 40 with 6" long dowel epoxied in each end. Drill a pilot hole for a long lag bolt with a washer under the head. The lag bolt could go through a bracket and threaded into the dowel. The bracket could mount to the back support. Kind of off the top of my head without seeing the Thule rack.

Bob

stargazer wrote:

a good sturdy her drive making German woman!!
Luv and Beer Kurt.

Kurt, I must be getting even older than I thought I was. What the heck is a "her drive making German woman?" (PS, I get the joke, just lost in the vocabulary)

Bob, thanks, that would make it easier to roll it up on the rack, but friction isn't my problem as much as sheer muscle power, or lack thereof. My 12 footer is pretty old and heavy. Lifting the transom over my head while pushing the boat forward onto the roof is ok in perfect conditions but not so good if the car is on a slight uphill grade. Starting to look at newer, lighter hulls. I see Lowe makes a 12 footer that weighs only 128 lbs.

If I could figure a way to protect the hood and leading edge of the roof from a winch cable, a remote electric winch on the front bumper would do the trick.

Ah good point, should have paid closer attention. Hmm ok so on the bumper, if you have room, weld a receptacle 2" square tube a couple of inches high and stand up a piece of tube, inside the receptacle, with a pulley on the end, make the tube high enough to clear the front of the hood and windshield, run the cable over the pulley, over the rack and down to the bow of the boat.

Bob

Lowest tech loader I saw ^^^

Nice, smooth as butter.

this would be expensive but a handy person could make one.

Yakima racks use a piece of pipe instead of the rectangular section on the Thule system. I once rigged up a roller made of sch 40 pvc pipe slid over the pipe and covered with rubber. Not perfect but it di allow me to lad a Laser sailboat on a Subaru wagon by myself.

Some great ideas, thanks. I like the idea of the receptacle up front with the elevated pulley.

I had also found that Rhino Rack system from Australia and love the way it works, and using a cordless drill for power is neat.

I'd stay away from needing a cordless drill. Hand power is much more dependable, cheaper and always available. Seems more a gimmick, IMO.

Its what happens when you are posting from a phone..of which hit the WALL LAST NIGHT! At light speed....I Are German but do nnnnnunciate properly. But its still great to make myself look like a Jack Ass now and then

Luv and Beer, Kurt

Auto correct is both wonderful and horrible. Google "auto correct" for some really funny phone bloopers. I used to frequent another forum where one member posted exclusively from his phone. Sometimes it seemed like he was speaking a different language. There's always the edit button.

"Are German but do nnnnnunciate properly. But its still great to make myself look like a Jack Ass now and then"

I'm half German. Our beer heritage runs deep. If it weren't for the time spent making myself look like a jackass, I'd have a lot of spare time on my hands.

One name comes to mind. YODA.

try this 25 bucks,maybe he will ship it,
pittsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/4453998744.html