I traded my 1996 Isuzu Rodeo 4X4 with 220K miles on a 2WD Honda Pilot this weekend and got $3500 with cash for clunkers . Like everyone wanting to carry longer boats I looked for the best possible rack arrangement. I considered the Highlander, but didn't like the rear hatch. I've got two 66" bars on Railriders attached to the factory siderails (36" center-to-center) and one 66" bar mounted on Q Towers over the front doors. With this three-bar system I have a 64" maximum spread between the front and rear bars. I can carry long boats on the those bars or short boats on the 36" c-to-c bars.
The 2WD Pilot is rated 17/23 mpg with V6 engine. It has the cylinder management system used on the Odyssey mini-van. This provides better than rated mpg if you're easy on the gas pedal. We'll see how it does with boats on the roof. It's gotta be better than the 15 mpg the Rodeo got with boats and camping gear.
Another vote for the RAV 4. Go for the 6 cyl. My mileage is consistent with Marc's.
I use the Thule ratchet thingies as bow lines. Reach under the front bumper about half the length of your forearm and there's a metal lip that'll grab a hook.
Julie think about what you wrote. You can carry a 16 foot canoe with no spread on your racks. If you were drivin down the road and one of the rack came off your truck hit the road and bounced off a bridge into the river what would you do? Leave the boat layin along side the road ? No, you would put it on the one rack and tie one end to your bummer with just a little slack in the line then you would tie the other end to the other bumper tight enough to where you took the slack out of the first line you had tie to the other bumper. Now your boat is suppende on the one rack with the bow and stern painter tight enought to where the boat can't rock up or down on either end. OK if you can do that with a single bar with no spacing whey in the name of God couldn't you do it with two rack that are what ever you said they were spread apart. The rope that you put on the rack are just to keep the boat from shift side to side not to prevent them from comin off front or back. Only an idot would could count on two cross rope to keep the boat on their truck, Rack fall off or get knock off truck all the time, bummer hardly ever fall off.
And another dam thing can't you find a car made in this country? I don't care if it a compy owned by forgiens but heck at least try and get one put together by Americans.
Since November 2008, most RAV4s for North American consumption are built at Toyota's Woodstock, Ontario, Canada assembly plant, although some are still imported from Japan.
Louie wrote:Julie think about what you wrote. You can carry a 16 foot canoe with no spread on your racks. If you were drivin down the road and one of the rack came off your truck hit the road and bounced off a bridge into the river what would you do? Leave the boat layin along side the road ? No, you would put it on the one rack and tie one end to your bummer with just a little slack in the line then you would tie the other end to the other bumper tight enough to where you took the slack out of the first line you had tie to the other bumper. Now your boat is suppende on the one rack with the bow and stern painter tight enought to where the boat can't rock up or down on either end. OK if you can do that with a single bar with no spacing whey in the name of God couldn't you do it with two rack that are what ever you said they were spread apart. The rope that you put on the rack are just to keep the boat from shift side to side not to prevent them from comin off front or back. Only an idot would could count on two cross rope to keep the boat on their truck, Rack fall off or get knock off truck all the time, bummer hardly ever fall off.
And another dam thing can't you find a car made in this country? I don't care if it a compy owned by forgiens but heck at least try and get one put together by Americans.
heck - I have thought about what I wrote - wouldn't have wrote it if I hadn't thought about it. You are right about emergency rack situations but what I'm looking for is the best possible vehicle/rack combination my $$ can buy. I am talking about spending a considerable amount of money even though Uncle Sam is chipping in some.
I'm not an idot and would NEVER put a boat on a vehicle without a bow and stern line. BTW - I have found the easists bow attachment on every vehicle I've owned to be to tie a length of webbing to something just under the front hood.
I'm very willing to look at an American made vehicle - please suggest one that meets the criteria in my first post and note that I've put a combined 400K miles on the two Ford Explorers that I have owned and been happy with the vehicles.
Bill M wrote:They also can take a lick. Gabi got rear ended by someone running 55 while she was stopped at a light. She walked away from it but is having some serious back problems now. The back of the car crumpled up to the passenger compartment which remained intact.
Bill
I'm sorry to hear that Gabi is having back problems because some idot wasn't paying attention.
-remove a fender bolt closest to the front of the car with the hood open
-take a piece of 1" webbing (6" long) and fold it in half
-poke a hole in it with something hot that the bolt will fit through
-put the bolt through both holes in the webbing
-screw the bolt back in with your new loop on it
-now you can run a rope to your boats on your rack through your new loop (the loop can also be folded over when not in use and tucked in under the hood... usually)
-yer done
-go boating
i've traveled all over north america often times at unreasonable speeds with boats on the roof of my truck without using bow/stern lines on my boats... so far... nothing's ever happened. i have yakima racks with gunnel brackets and use NRS straps. score one for me... the idiot
On the ill fated conasauge trip where Bill Thornton got us lost with a map. Jay another idot Yankee was telling the story of how he was late becasue his boat fell off his truck when therack came off. I ask him your had the boat tied to the bummers and it still came off the truck? he said Louie you are not listening the rack came off the truck, to which I replied ya but the bummers dam sure didn't come off did they?
I guess I am an Idiot also as I NEVER USE bow and stern lines, but then again I have entered the 21st century and now use straps. I guess maybe because I live in the West I have moved on from using ropes and knots. I guess I feel ok being an idiot as I don't spend extra time fiddling with Bow and Stern lines and my boats don't fall off. I guess maybe I don't use them because my car has nothing to tie to. Canoeists are so old fashioned, but at least we are smart enough to get bars that accomodate the boats we carry. I just saw some kayakers yesterday w/ 3 boats on top and 1 inside the car, they had the shortest bars, but hey if you can fit 4 people and a boat inside go for it I guess.
"I'm not an idot and would NEVER put a boat on a vehicle without a bow and stern line. BTW - I have found the easists bow attachment on every vehicle I've owned to be to tie a length of webbing to something just under the front hood."
Julie I knew you used bow and stern lines I also you know your knott good enought to where you can use real ropes and have to use girls ropes ( Cam straps). I also have seen you all over the place.I was even lookin for you as I drove to Mexico with my boat, but it goes back to my original question if you found a car you wanted why would the narrow placement of roof rack be the make or brake issue in the car selection? I also know you have painter on your boat, just a few of the things us that have been boatin a lot longer than other have found out the hard way and the boater that havenin't been boatin as long as us are goin to. I mean why use four line on your $1000.00 boat as you drive down the interstate at 75 mph when two seem to work just as good. hades fire it take a lot of extra time to tie those other two ropes Beside who ever hear of racks comin off a truck while bummer fall off all the time right. Also what are the chance the family of the people in the car behind who wreck and die after you boat goes thru their windshield goin to sue you.
cbcboat wrote:I guess I am an Idiot also as I NEVER USE bow and stern lines, but then again I have entered the 21st century and now use straps.
I've stacked Spanishfly's two high on each side (4 boats) on the topper of my truck with the old Yakima "k'yak stackers"... strapped 'em all down and then driven 75+mph all the way to North Carolina... although I always check the straps before using them for wear or tears and we did check the boats every time we stopped for petrol. No problems. Not that something couldn't have happened... but thusfar over the years and I'll guess somewhere near 80,000 miles of driving with boats on the roof... nadda! Would I give someone grief for being extra cautious and tying bow/stern lines... nope.
You have trouble with knot too? Well I guess you will be givein up canoes and going to SUP, that is the newest thing very 21st century. Alternate life style I hear are very 21 century and the lastest thing in the west. Every now and then practice a bowline and a truckers hitch, just in case one of the girls rope either brakes or has a machincal malfuncation and all you have is a hank of webbing, remember if you don't practice you skills you will lose them. That is why Kayakers make the worse swimmers. One final guestion is you end up boatin 41 years or longer and one day the girls rope failed or the racks came off and your boat hit the road would you tell us?
here's one... i saw this goofball from illinois take his boat... toss it on his rack... tie on a bow and stern line and nothing over the boat... as he was pulling away from the takeout i yelled "hey... you forgot to tie your boat on!!!" to which he replied "it is" and he kept on going. later that day he was apparently seen on the side of the interstate picking up scraps of his probe that had been ran over by a semi truck.
another trick (as long as you check the condition your racks now and again) is to use a short piece of webbing or rope looping over the thwart and to the crossbar... for added insurance.
. Like everyone wanting to carry longer boats I looked for the best possible rack arrangement. I considered the Highlander, but didn't like the rear hatch. I've got two 66" bars on Railriders attached to the factory siderails (36" center-to-center) and one 66" bar mounted on Q Towers over the front doors. With this three-bar system I have a 64" maximum spread between the front and rear bars. I can carry long boats on the those bars or short boats on the 36" c-to-c bars.
later that day he was apparently seen on the side of the interstate picking up scraps of his probe that had been ran over by a semi truck.