I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my canoe. I just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of the car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?
I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my canoe. I> just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of the> car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?
Are you sure? Most Japanese cars have some sort of attachment point. Whatever you can attach a trailer hitch to you can attach something else (cheaper) to. So if you want a tiedown, get a mechanic to bolt/weld an eyebolt on. You can use a length of tubular webbing (the kind climbers use) tied with a ring bend to get past the bumper without worrying about scratches.
Fred Klingener 22 March 2005 00:55:29 [ permanent link ]
On 21-Mar-2005, cr113@hotmail.com wrote:>
I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my canoe. I> > just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of the> > car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?>
Look around the edge of the trunk or deck lid for bolts - air strut brackets, hinges, latch brackets. Make nylon webbing loops, punch holes in them and attach them with the bolts. There's usually plenty of room for the additional thickness under the bolt head.
You can decide whether you want to attach to the fixed or moving part. I attach to the car's frame forward and to the deck lid aft. Being able to access the back without de-rigging was a revelation.
The pluses are improved geometry, no rubbing of tie-downs on paint, rigging without crawling around in the mud. Minuses include some wear of the paint at the panel edge. If you use heavy enough webbing, the loops just don't act like flapper grinders in the wind.
Suddenly, after I rigged this way, I didn't have to stop every hundred miles to redo the rigging.
Fred Klingener wrote:> > On 21-Mar-2005, cr113@hotmail.com wrote:> >
I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my
canoe. I> > > just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of
car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?> >
Look around the edge of the trunk or deck lid for bolts - air strut> brackets, hinges, latch brackets. Make nylon webbing loops, punch
holes in> them and attach them with the bolts. There's usually plenty of room for the> additional thickness under the bolt head.>
You can decide whether you want to attach to the fixed or moving
part. I> attach to the car's frame forward and to the deck lid aft. Being able to> access the back without de-rigging was a revelation.>
The pluses are improved geometry, no rubbing of tie-downs on paint,
rigging> without crawling around in the mud. Minuses include some wear of the paint> at the panel edge. If you use heavy enough webbing, the loops just don't> act like flapper grinders in the wind.
I'm not clear on what you are describing. Are you saying to attach somewhere on the inside of the trunk? Also what are the nylon webbing loops? This sounds interesting, but I'm not visualizing it.
Michael Daly wrote:> On 21-Mar-2005, cr113@hotmail.com wrote:>
I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my
canoe. I> > just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of the> > car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?>
Are you sure? Most Japanese cars have some sort of attachment point.> Whatever you can attach a trailer hitch to you can attach something> else (cheaper) to. So if you want a tiedown, get a mechanic to> bolt/weld an eyebolt on. You can use a length of tubular webbing> (the kind climbers use) tied with a ring bend to get past the bumper> without worrying about scratches.
I didn't check really well. I'm going to get under there and really look hard.
Fred Klingener 22 March 2005 21:05:46 [ permanent link ]
<cr113@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1111508793.797722.28910@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>
Fred Klingener wrote:> > > On 21-Mar-2005, cr113@hotmail.com wrote:> > >
I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my> canoe. I> > > > just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of> the> > > > car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?> > >
Look around the edge of the trunk or deck lid for bolts - air strut> > brackets, hinges, latch brackets. Make nylon webbing loops, punch> holes in ...
I'm not clear on what you are describing. Are you saying to attach> somewhere on the inside of the trunk? Also what are the nylon webbing> loops? This sounds interesting, but I'm not visualizing it.
"Fred Klingener" <gigabitbucket@brockeng.com> wrote in message news:KfY%d.12979$DW.11489@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com...> <cr113@hotmail.com> wrote in message> news:1111508793.797722.28910@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...> >
Fred Klingener wrote:> > > > On 21-Mar-2005, cr113@hotmail.com wrote:> > > >
I just got Yakima racks for my new car so that I can carry my> > canoe. I> > > > > just realized that there is nothing I can tie to in the rear of> > the> > > > > car. What are my options? Can I get a trailer hitch?> > > >
Look around the edge of the trunk or deck lid for bolts - air strut> > > brackets, hinges, latch brackets. Make nylon webbing loops, punch> > holes in ...>
I'm not clear on what you are describing. Are you saying to attach> > somewhere on the inside of the trunk? Also what are the nylon webbing> > loops? This sounds interesting, but I'm not visualizing it.>
