So, I’m about to go on a trip and we wanted to bring the canoe. My new car doesn’t have the side rails to put cross bars on, but after a little digging, I found out that it has built in holes ready for putting on a roof rack. I don’t like paying a ton of money for stuff, so my question is: can I not just bolt a couple of 2x4s to the roof using washers to elevate it over the contours of my roof?
The plan in my head so far is to cut two pieces of wood that are a little over 3’ long, and drill a hole through at the right spots, and use the holes on my car to bolt those suckers on.
I’m planning on putting the canoe on, then running ratchet straps through the inside of my car, so the canoe itself is strapped to my roof and not the Red Green ass roof rack. The boards are more for support so the canoe doesn’t slip around.
Someone let me know if this is a bad idea.
One risk is the wind resistance, increased by the canoe, pulling on the holes in the roof, stretching or shearing them, or increasing the “concave” shape of the roof.
Another thing to consider, if the ratchet straps will bind your doors shut. This could be very unsafe in an emergency situation.
I don’t want to discourage your adventure, just want to make sure the risks are considered. Good luck
I was going to run the straps through the open doors and then shut them, so it shouldn’t be dangerous for opening. There are a lot of roof rack designs that have straps that go through the car, and while I’m not crazy about it, it’s better than what they’re charging, and the reviews are bad.