# Question for you: Truck Topper/Canoe Rack



## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

Was "kinda" in the market for a cap and lucky me this week, some guy in the mall parking lot stopped me as I was going to my truck.

the short story is that he turned in his leased Dakota and they can't do anything with the cap, so......

I got a $950 fiberglass cap for $200! Paint color matches perfectly - Dodge Dakota - graphite.

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so here's the question:

the dakota quads have a short, short box. I have a 14' canoe. I was curious if I could put a rack on the topper and then put posts & cross bar across the cab portion? the bed is less than 6' , so it seems to me I'd need some support more towards the front. is it doable (advisable) to run a cross bar on the topper and one on the cab? -wondering about "flex" between the bed and the cab.

maybe i should just keep the 2 bars on the topper and then go with foam bumpers in the front?

what do you guys do?


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## Quaaack (Nov 22, 2007)

Not sure I follow your concept about the "post and crossbars on the cab".

Do you allready have the rack system?

If you are looking at purchasing a rack I'd just mount one on the cap (Yakama and most others sell "feet kits" to mount the rack on fiberglass cab) and the front bar would mount on tha cab of the truck.

I would not use a set up that the majority of the weight was on the fiberglass cap as they are not very rigid. 

You could always just get some foam blocks and use those as "bumpers" with out a rack at all.

Check out the major rack mfgs (Yakima, Saris, Tule, etc.) for some ideas or suggestions.

Good luck


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## SabikiRig (May 1, 2004)

Branta,

My father has a Ranger Extended Cab, uses the two crossbars on the cap and nothing on the cab itself. HE can safely transport his 14 Foot Sawyer Summersong or his 16 Foot Mad River Explorer or his Sawyer X-17 Kevlar.

You should not need a crossover or rack on the cab of the truck. You also do not need to buy a Yakima or Thule kit. There are some great kits available for less money.

My dad picked his up from MidWest Truck in Riverview. They have several other locations around the SE Michigan area and can help you out.

A fiberglass cap can easily hold two 18 foot canoes with no problem, I have done it...


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

what i meant is to have the rear bar of the rack on the topper and the forward bar over the cab.

why? because this would extend the overall support distance from probably 5ft max to probably 8'-9'. seems like taht would be better if I'm transporting a 14' canoe, right? (only 3' extending off the rack on each side vs. 4.5' if I had it just on the cap.)

probably over thinking it, but that was the thought.

that, and they say that you should only put 150 lbs. on the glass topper, so I figured it'd displace the carry weight over both the topper and cab.

I'll look into the midwest contact - thanks.

any other thoughts?


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## BeWild (Mar 19, 2007)

My buddy has a Ford Ranger with a topper and carries his canoe on top of it. He has one bar on the cap and another on the cab using Yakima stuff. I can't remember how it works but it clamps onto the door frame somehow. You can kind of see the racks and maybe something like that would work for you. Good luck.


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## Quaaack (Nov 22, 2007)

Another idea would be to put a receiver on the front of your truck and build a support that slides into the receiver on the front and back. I think I've seen somthing in a Cabelas catolog for a rear receiver. Not sure there are a whole lot of options for a front receiver on a Dakota though. I'm a jeeper and I know there are a lot of options available for front receiver for Jeeps.
On that note you could just buy one rack for the cab and use a rear receiver support and not bear any weight on the cap.


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## sean (May 7, 2002)

Branta said:


> Was "kinda" in the market for a cap and lucky me this week, some guy in the mall parking lot stopped me as I was going to my truck.
> 
> the short story is that he turned in his leased Dakota and they can't do anything with the cap, so......
> 
> ...


950 dollar topper for 200 bucks? You know, im starting to think YOU have to be one of the luckiest son of a ******* I know. You know the classic lotto is up to 19 million. I suggest a few "easy picks", that way you can take us all out on a 1 month trip to Canada.:lol: Reminds me of my wife's cousin that used to be my boss. Every time we did numbers for the superbowl, NCAA basketball tournament, 1st pick at the gun table at the Fish Pt banquet (benelli), or some poor guy looking to get rid of something for dirt cheap, he was there winning it. The funny thing was he always had this look on his face like he couldnt believe he won, after 20 times of seeing this happen I said to him "you are one lucky son of a @#$%%! :lol: I suggest forgetting the rack and put in for the boat and mud motor at the next Fish Pt banquet.......you know you need to go this year, you have really been excluding us Fish Pt guys.:evilsmile


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## Bmac (Jul 7, 2002)

I have a Dodge Ram Quad cab with fiberglass topper and carry a 14' canoe. I have the forward bar on the truck cab and the rear bar at the back of the topper. I use a thule system I picked up off ebay fairly cheap. The only thing I bought from thule was a pair of mounts that go in the rain channels of the door on the cab and a pair that bolt to the topper.


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## stacemo (Oct 23, 2003)

BeWild said:


> My buddy has a Ford Ranger with a topper and carries his canoe on top of it. He has one bar on the cap and another on the cab using Yakima stuff. I can't remember how it works but it clamps onto the door frame somehow. You can kind of see the racks and maybe something like that would work for you. Good luck.


BeWild, Cool picture. How is it your car is facing the opposite direction in traffic? And how did you happen to photograph dead geese here? Pretty cool. Don't tell me it is photoshopped.:lol:

Branta, I think the crossbars on cap and cab are the only way to go. If you want to try the cheap route I can bring you 4 of the foam marshmallows that I have for car top use.


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## Old Coot (Oct 25, 2007)

I have thule racks on my F150. The cab bar attaches to the rain gutter. The topper bar attaches to a plate that simulates the rain gutter. Thule is a little pricey but is high quality and tough. The canoe can be secured with just 2 straps looped under the bar and over the canoe. The straps work great with any kind of rack. I have thule straps and some other brand that works just as good and were cheaper. Canoe shops should have them.

http://www.thuleracks.com


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## Remnar (Jun 23, 2004)

Here is a picture of what I am thinking of putting on my Ford super crew. The rack fits over the topper and extends over the cab with no contact to the cab.


http://asheville.craigslist.org/pts/520255932.html

Remnar


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## BeWild (Mar 19, 2007)

stacemo said:


> BeWild, Cool picture. How is it your car is facing the opposite direction in traffic? And how did you happen to photograph dead geese here? Pretty cool. Don't tell me it is photoshopped.:lol:
> 
> Branta, I think the crossbars on cap and cab are the only way to go. If you want to try the cheap route I can bring you 4 of the foam marshmallows that I have for car top use.


Nah, that isn't photoshopped and that isn't even my truck. It would have been photoshopped if the canoe was on top of my '96 Grand Am. :lol: We forgot to take pictures out on the lake (quite a few times) so alot of our pictures are in the parking lot of the dorms. That's also my buddy.....the one with me didn't show the clamps quite as good.


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## stacemo (Oct 23, 2003)

BeWild said:


> Nah, that isn't photoshopped and that isn't even my truck. It would have been photoshopped if the canoe was on top of my '96 Grand Am. :lol: We forgot to take pictures out on the lake (quite a few times) so alot of our pictures are in the parking lot of the dorms. That's also my buddy.....the one with me didn't show the clamps quite as good.


Alright, I am clueless. I couldn't even tell it was a parking lot!


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Stacemo
With such superior eyesight, its no wonder you missed those geese at 10yards a few weeks ago with russ. LOL at your last comment.


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## stacemo (Oct 23, 2003)

wavie said:


> Stacemo
> With such superior eyesight, its no wonder you missed those geese at 10yards a few weeks ago with russ. LOL at your last comment.


I know, I know, I know ...


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

Sean - i here FP sells out, so THIS year.... make sure you save me a ticket! I'm now looking for a sweet deal on a marshboat/mud motor combo! 


And Wavie- 10yds? try 6...or 7!! My first shot nearly took it's head clean off! 


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thanks for the comments guys. I posted the pic so you could better appreciate what I'm working with here. I'll probably opt for a track system on the topper itself (to adjust the distance there) and then go with the door jam Yak system. 

one thing about putting a cap on it.... sure ages the driver real fast, don't it? (kinda looks like a grampa truck now! Used to think it looked pretty tough with the meats and all!)


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## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EXTE...002QQitemZ120217437947QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

can't really use the hitch system. one of the reasons for the cap is that I'll have the kennels inside. -need to access the bed 

so I need a system that's on the topper itself


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## BeWild (Mar 19, 2007)

stacemo said:


> Alright, I am clueless. I couldn't even tell it was a parking lot!


HAHAHAHAHA.....just checking


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## truesportsman (Feb 19, 2003)

Branta,
It seems your firm on mounting the canoe on top, but maybe this is an option. I have a 15ft Grumman Square stern canoe and a GMC Sierra extended cab, 6.5ft bed, with topper. I made up a little 'cradle' with 2x4's and OSB that sits on the open tail gate. Put the canoe in the bed ass-end first, inverted, with some tie-downs strapes to help keep it secure. Two horse goes under the canoe, 2 bags of dekes get thrown on top of canoe, up front, and waders, coat, misc, are on the sides of canoe. Dog gets to ride in luxury in the ext cab, on a blanket. Granted it does stick out some but it seems to work. Beside, it makes life easier with my bum shoulders. Putting that thing on top about kills me.
For what its worst. Good luck!


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