I would like to get a heavy duty rack for my full size van to carry my Taipan on. The 12-passenger Chevy van is 18.5 feet long total on a 1-ton chassis. The boat platform weighs less than 200 lbs; the mast about 35 lbs.

Is it feasible for me to carry my boat on top of the van on a heavy duty steel rack such as this one rated to carry 800 lbs:

http://www.rackwarehouse.com/w2165.html

I would bolt a board along each side to support the boat by its beams.

Anyone have experience with this?

Is the boat best carried right side up or upsided down? Frontward or backward?

Is it okay to have the mast hanging off 5 ft in front and back?

Strategies for getting the boat up there?

[My goal is to be able to tow my camp trailer to make it easier to bring the kids to regattas.]

Eric,

I've transported a Hobie 18 on a van roof rack made for catamarans...just need a lot of TALL guys to put it on and off The rack I used had rollers on the back (similar to a boat trailer) to help in loading and unloading the beast. It also had clearence lights on the ends due to the width. I've also seen boats on top of RV's and travel trailers. The best way to position your boat on the rack is right-side up, bows forward. This makes loading and unloading easier. No worries about the mast overhang. You just need to red flag the end if it extends 6 feet past the rear support (CA law?). Neccessity is the mother of invention. You'll be OK. Just make sure the rack is securely fastened to the van and that the boat is tied down good.

Your gas mileage will suck.

Safe travels.

Picture is worth a thousand words:

A Hobie 16 on a '71 Olds Delta 88.

(Yes, that's me at the age of 18. Young and stupid - and a lot more hair.)

Eric,

Would getting the boat on and off the camp trailer be simpler? (I don't know what kind of camper you have though).

Ian Lindahl carries his A-class on the roof of his Suburban, so it should work great. I think he just has a couple of padded planks across the roof; I know it's very simple. The boat gets strapped down in its 4-wheel trolley. Good luck!

Oh yeah: Cats haul pretty well on popup camp trailers, too, but of course you have to unload them before you set up the tent.

I've seen Ian's set up; it's a custom Marstrom 4 wheel dolley. The camp trailer is much taller than the van--full height, not a pop up; that's why I figured putting the cat on the van would be easier. Also, I'm not sure how sturdy the trailer is to fasten a rack to.

If the trailer is taller than the van, are you sure the mast will clear the trailer? Maybe the mast should go on the trailer?

Bob Richards used to have a sweet rack on his pickup for his Seaspray. It extended out over the hood and tilted down for loading/unloading. It also kept the bed area clear so he could pull a fifth-wheel trailer.

That won't work with a van, of course. However I think just using manpower to get a boat on top of a van would be tricky because of the height of the van.

Can you get an endorsement to pull two trailers in California, or is that just a Nevada thing?

Rhino,

I saw Bob's set up once--Sea Sprays are a lot smaller!

Yes, I will probably need to put the mast on the trailer.

As far as double trailering goes, I've only seen it in Calif with a fifth wheel towing a small fishing boat.

Our van has been lowered to make it easier to get in and out of compared to the usual height of the 1ton van.

Photo attached of the "rig."

Another blast from the past - circa 1982:



Sorry for the poor image quality.

Must be fun backing up.