Carrying a boat on a Dual Cab Ute

The tub and the cab move independantly and the tub is mounted to the chassis. Therefore a support mounted at the extreme rear of the chassis would move in a similar or even a more extreme way I would think.

Hi Norm,
How have you been, did you guy's get away this winter

With the BGO (blinding glimpse of the obvious) provided by strezlecki above, it seems that my first plan might not work.

A possible second plan is to use the same bar work proposed in the initial post at the back, but then support the rest of the boat on the canopy. The canopy can handle the weight (up to 100KG). Problem is the most forward bar I can mount on the canopy will be only 1500mm forward of the rear chassis supported bar. If the boat overhangs the rear bar by 250mm and is 3500 mm long, that means half the boat is forward of the front bar and is not supported. the heaviest half (the back) of the boat is supported on the chassis and canopy, but I'm not sure how secure this would be on long trips.

Any ideas on this one??

Norm C,
A mate of mine has a twin cab hilux and he carries a 3.7m tinny on top on a home made roof rack. When we went to the Cape in 2002 he took it all the way to the top and back with no problems. Since then he has been to Bathurst Bay and he is going again this Monday. From memory the roof rack protrudes out the back about a foot and over the full twin cab. We all expected him to have trouble with flexing and metal fatigue, but he proved us wrong. If you want i can try and get the metal details before we go on Monday.
Cheers,
Bros.

Norm i am understanding you're dilema.Another alternative to put it over you're bonnet back on top of the cab if it were not too heavy & awkward to handle.That is if you have a bull bar & put a T piece up the centre with the bow ofthe boat there.Hope this helps a little.
Cheer's Bob.

norm,
ive done this on rodeo's with no problems. 3.5 mtr quintrex bolted down to tub only 1.5mt with 2mt hanging out over roof the boat is strong enough and the movement between tub and body is really noticable when you drive over rough ground.

have to go to a meeting now but can give more info and photos later.

regards peter

Norm C,
From memory the roof rack was made out of 25x25 box. I think that the factor stopping too much flex is that the boat is ratchet strapped upside down to the roof rack fore and aft and the boat doesn't allow the whole lot to flex too much. He has a frame from the tub with vinyl zip up sides much the same as the contributor above.
Cheers,
Bros.

I can't see a problem.

Carrying a boat would be no different than having a basket mounted on roof racks would it?

Provided there was only two mounting points (Cab & Canopy) and the Canopy is capable of taking the weight of the boat, you would be OK.

Hi Norm,
If you must carry a boat please consider how much use you will give it, if not much then there are the fold up ones, or the blow uo ones, if a lot then why not put it on top of the CT and carry a fold up trailer that way it would not always be on the truck. The CT will handle no trouble and as i say when you have to go retailing then the boat does not go with you, would only take a couplke of extra min to jump into bed to swing the boat back.
Regards
!MPG:15!

I had a similar question for the new Hilux also. At the 4WD show some time ago I saw a current model Hilux with Roof Racks on the Roof and also on the Sport's Bar. Now the Sports Bar is obviously mounted on the ute part of the vehicle so moving independently to the front of the vehicle (Hopefully in the same direction). He had a canoe mounted on the Lux using rubber tie downs so I presume the rubber would give to move with the flex, I haven't been able to find anyone who can mount a 3rd roof rack on the Sports Bar. Having a 3rd rack further back on the Sports Bar would give me some more length and mounting room for a dinghy etc

hi norm.

there is quite a bit of movement, the boat is only bolted to the tub racks. i added a tradesman gutterless bar on the cabin onto which the front of the boat sat but was only tied to the bullbar to stop it flapping at high speed. carefully feeling out the window while travelling and the boat moves around 30-40mm 'watch your fingers'
the front bar is for looks. i thought 2mt of boat hanging out the front would look a little silly.
i have boat rollers at rear for on/off. the wider the better as boat tappers towards front. i'm early 50's, fit and 6ft and can get it on alone, just. weight no problem my quintrex fishnipper 65kg the only 3.5 mt i could find a few years ago that took a 15hp, just lifting rear to slide forward a little awkward. if my wife helps to keep it steady i can lift/slide it ok.

i've been to fraser, wathumba and across ngalla rocks to sandy cape a few times.
and hauled it to south oz, vic, and tassie on a 6wk trip with some rough 4x4 along the way and no problems. i bolted the boat to the rack to secure it. interestingly the boat gives great shade while driving and i had no real increase in fuel usage, 2000 model v6 petrol in tassie.

hope this helps. may be able to give more info in person as i believe the gc4wd club is going to "the gorge station" 1-3 sept as is our club.

regards peter

Norm,

I get the point, however there are other people that fit the boat loaders, would not go for a new CT as you say you will proberly go for the van next time, i know that Barb loves the van, i am mixed about it dont get me wrong i love staying in it but then you have to tow the bloody thing as well, of course its best in a tent if you are young enough then a CT if you are a little older and then the van just not sure where i am at the moment, we will not part with the CT and have also been down the boat bit, but as i say do you really need to take it shopping with you, a mate of mine has one on his roof LC and when we are away its rare to see if off, i met another person with a Patrol and towing a Kedron and has damaged his roof with the weight of the boat it has just split the side of the body of the pillar, he told me that quite a few of the Patrol's have done that, of course the limit on a Patrol is i think 100k without the rack.

I am upgrading the Patrol not because the Patrol will not tow the Phoenix but because i thing that it is a more suitable truck to do so on long runs in Australia, the Patrol has handled the phoenix great in NZ with all the hills etc but speed in NZ is slow not like Aussie.

Well what to do about the boat i thought that i might hire the few times i need one " in Tassie or Victoria" or take a guide, for fishing that is, also wonderd about how many time i would want to put a boat in up north with the croc's etc boy did we see some on the Ord where we took a "fishing guide" and proberly got more fish than had we not and cost less when one thinks of the cost of the boat transport, fuel, motor etc, dont forget with the boat go the life jackets, oars maybe second motor fuel tank etc.

Hope i am not putting a drag on you boat bit just ringing a few bells.

Regards

Brian & Barb

hi norm,
there may be a little flex in the bars and boat but the bars are bolted to the tub not the chassis so the flex is the movement of the tub through its rubber bungs to the chassis. the cabin of course is independently fitted where the whole problem comes from. this movment is of no real consequence as long as you dont tie the front to the cabin roof bar.
leroy is right about the bull bar tie down. i use strechable rope that gives a little and i dont 'lash' it down so the movement is mainly sideways, max of 20 mm from centre.
driving from cobar to broken hill the town temps were 42c the inside only needed low air cond.

regards peter