C-Forum

i have a car just for paddling. anyone else? how do you customize your ride?

Mick K customizes my ride (at stop signs in WV)!

Paul,

Note, I will not volunteer to help you change a flat now

sorry again about that Paul! I guess it was a little more than a love tap.... Customization the Subaru didn't need...

NP MrT! You were the 1st of 3 that have targeted the back of the Subaru. No harm done... just looks silly!

Jim as to tire repairs - there is a long list of those how have that honor! Seems the G-Fest weekend has it in for me and my tires!

Another Gauley-Fest victim

My Beater Shuttle

Aaron, how do you secure the (raft?)big plastic container on your trunk lid?

If only arhdc had put racks on his camper shell....

gumpy,

I welded a cargo rack I made from 1/2 round steel to the trunk lid for the trip to Beaverfest. It should also be good for attaching paddles and even sub 8' boats to.

Mike W,

I didn't include the truck cap initially as it wasn't boating related. Adding boats to the top of the cap would introduce quite the added wind load. The civic has almost 400,000 miles with a 1.5L engine, just the cap gave it a maximum speed of about 65mph on level ground, boats might be just a little too much.

I've had as many as nine canoes on this car at once but couldn't find any good photos of this so guess without proof it didn't happen.

I'll bring it to the Armada this year and we can go for the record

aaron, I really liked the hinged rack you made for access to you hatchback. Any pics of it?
Bill

Not exactly for paddling only, but becoming so - until my daughter takes over my daily driver...

Here are some photos of my Subaru Rack.

I always hated having to load boats at the last minute because they block access to the trunk or rear hatch. Having fabricated several racks for various cars I began to brainstorm a bit for a solution to this problem and this is what I came up with.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/38d4g7ibne6pheu/6eT7hrBhrW

It pivots forward to allow the rear hatch to open the whole way and to facilitate gear loading underneath boats.

The front of the rack pivots on two 3/4" pillow blocks (basicly bearing holders). I fabricated the main frame out of 14ga 1" sq tubing. I used 1 1/4" Sq Tubing to make bar extenders (not shown in these photos) as well as for where the rear portion of the upper rack mates to the lower rack.

This was a fairly involved project and took an entire weekend plus a week of evenings to complete. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

soobies rule the paddling world! my tilt-o-rack system.

I have seen the Subaru rack. It is quite impressive!