Topping a TI on my Xterra...

I know topping TIs has been covered extensively in the past, but I'm looking for some fresh insight. My wife and I just got our TI last weekend and had a blast with it on the ocean. However, getting it back home on top of our Xterra was a huge feat that left us a little discouraged about taking it back out every weekend or so. I did find a video on youtube where a guy built an ingenious winch system to get his TI on top of his SUV https://youtu.be/rJgO0_V74NQ

Has anyone else come across anything like this or great (EASY) ways to get a TI on the roof without expensive physical therapy bills afterward? Would love to hear suggestions or images of what others are doing!

P.S. Trailering isn't an option for us, sadly.

Thanks!
Lance

I've found the Roller Loader http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amagansettbeachco.com%2Findexrl.asp%3Ftype%3DRL&ei=O9RsVY7ICYfwoATX74D4BA&usg=AFQjCNHIRTHPU51CxioDQoAT2KTpsRdz1w&bvm=bv.94455598,d.cGU to work great for car topping. I'm able to solo load and unload the TI main hull in a very controlled manner. It does take a bit of strength and is definitely more challenging after a hard day of sailing.

Also, consider the Rhino Rack T Loader.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rhinorack.com%2Fen-us%2Fproducts%2Fwater%2Fkayak-carriers%2Ft-load-hitch-mount_rtl002&ei=q9RsVdbeLcP1oAS-3oGACw&usg=AFQjCNEr7YbOqCigcDpNlQImW9I-JIH2Xg&bvm=bv.94911696,d.cGU

Thanks SCC. I'm looking for a more powered solution.


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I did this with a single island for a cross country trip without having to haul a trailer and it worked pretty well with only me loading. I think some version of it would work with a tandem but I haven't tried it yet.

First, I already had an extend-a-truck. Not this one but similar: viewtopic.php?f=73&t=40698

I used a hole saw and drilled a 1 - 1/8" hole all the way through the cross bar, top to bottom, about 3" from the end of both ends of the cross bar.

In one of those holes I insert an upright 3/4" pipe about 18" made by screwing a 6" inch nipple and a 12" nipple together with a threaded coupling. When you drop the pipe in the top hole, the coupling will keep it from falling through and you will have a 12" pipe sticking up. That will keep the boat from sliding off that end of the bar while you load it.

For the other end of the crossbar, I bent a piece of 3/4 inch ridged pipe about 6' long 90 degrees and threaded a 6" nipple on one end of it, so when I insert it in the cross bar, the same thing happens. It doesn't go all the way through, it has an upright that will keep the boat from sliding off that side of the bar. With an eyebolt in the top end of this bent pipe, it gives me a place to hang a hoist that's about three feet above the center of the crossbar. I used a simple block and tackle made from an old mainsheet and a couple of blocks to reduce the effort required to lift the boat.

To load the boat, I take off the amas and akas. I put a wheeled cart under the stern, connect the hoist to the bow, lift the bow with the hoist until the bow clears the bar and then shove the boat onto the car, letting out on the hoist as it moves forward. Then remove the hoist and pipes and throw them in the back of the car. Strap the boat and everything else onto the crossbars. I can do that single handed with an AI.

Were I going to do this with a TI on a regular basis. I think I would see about getting a receiver put on the front of the vehicle, put an extend a truck on the front and back, and maybe put the hoist on the front with something on the back to guide it all the way up.

Honestly though, if you want to enjoy this boat and use it regularly, buy a trailer. I have three at the moment, all PWC trailers bought off Craiglist in the $500 range and modified for kayaks, including one for a TI.

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Duff

http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/products/water/kayak-loaders/nautic-kayak-lifter_nkl



Or for the cost of a trailer you could :
http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/products/water/boat-loaders

We used to car top our TI all over the place, mostly because we also have a camper, and it's using the trailer hitch, so we ended up mostly car topping. However we only go out with the camper a few times a year anymore, but we have our TI out pretty much every weekend. I finally broke down and bought a cheap Harbor Freight trailer (got it on sale for $140), of course it was just a 4x4 utility trailer so I had to do a couple hundred bucks of modifications (mostly just aluminum extensions), and a weekend of my time to get it to fit my TI, but boy was it worth it to us. It's just a steel trailer and I'm sure it will rust out eventually, but I figure I'll just replace components as they rust way one piece at a time with aluminum. Now we just store the TI on the trailer in the garage, when we want to go out we just put the hitch on, and hook up, and go, it takes less than 5 minutes and we are off. When we get home I just park in the front yard rinse the boat off then pull it in the garage and we are done. All the mirage drives, seats, anchor, and all the sails and rigging are just thrown into the the boat, and I can't recall the last time I took any of that stuff out of the boat. We only live a couple miles from the ocean so that's also very nice for us. I use the trailer mostly locally, so it isn't anything super heavy duty, though we have taken it back and forth between our Sarasota place and our Key west place at least a dozen times (about 700 miles round trip).
Actually trailer storage was an issue for us, so when I built the trailer, I made it so it can be broke down and propped up against the wall if needed out of the way.
Another big deal that I found out the hard way about is if you regularly go in salt water, storing the boat on top of the car can kill the car pretty quickly. We actually rusted the roof out on our Yukon Denali and had to have the roof replaced (oops).
If you do have to car top, I think the Tbars hitch mount things that swing down are the most effective (my opinion).
Hope this helps
Bob

Kicking the idea around of getting a travel trailer for camping with the family. How hard was it to get the TI up on your Denali? I have a suburban that we'd be towing with.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I am working on the same problem. I have always transported my TI on a small sailboat trailer but this year I bought an r-pod TT so have been working out how to car top the TI. I have a new Cheeokee and the weight of the hull and amas exceeds the roof load limit (150 lbs) so the amas are going to be stored inside the trailer (this is a feat by itself as they need to enter through the emergency exit in the TT).

Over the winter I keep the TI stored on the ceiling of my garage using the harken hoist. This makes loading the boat onto the car very easy but I worry about taking it on and off at our destination. I used to car top my oasis by myself no problem but the TI is much heavier. I have been considering using the same system as before which is the Yakima hully roller. Again weight is a concern as the TI weighs more than pretty much any kayak car topping equipment on the market is rated for. It is good to see that people do car top it though.

Adam

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Adam

16 T2
14 Tandem Island
79 H14

Good observation re exceeding the rack ratings, solo. The TI is much better suited to Thule truck racks. Or maybe a standard suv w/ a Tbar added to hold some of the load as a "3rd crossbar".

Ratings include ALL roof weight, including the racks themselves, etc. They also assume ideal weight distribution and wind/ driving conditions.

Since when do all those things happen together?

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

We used to have an older 2008 Oasis that we car topped with our Yukon Denali. When we moved up to the TI I found it easier for me to load on the roof than our old Oasis. To me anyway it only felt a few lbs heavier, and the extra couple feet in length and many more hand holds made it much easier for me. We use a T bar (w/500 lb capacity tha supports the bulk of the weight. I only ever lift 1/2 of the boat weight which seemed to be about 45lbs on the Oasis, and around 50-55 lbs for the TI bare bones Hull with everything removed. It could be the newer TI's are much heavier (I have no idea). We did end up buying a $150 cheap Harbor Freight Trailer a couple and mostly use that now, mostly because of rigging time. From the roof it takes an Hour to assemble everything and get on the water, from the trailer it's 15 minutes. The biggest plus is when we get home, we now just rinse the boat in the drive, then pull in the garage (5 minutes tops).
I'm now a huge trailer fan (lol)
Bob

Yeah I have considered using a T bar off the back but while towing a TT this is not feasible and when not towing it I would just use the TI trailer. I have considered using one of those double receiver hitch attachments to include a T bar but I am not sure it is necessary and it might get in the way of other equipment.

My TI is a 2012. I am currently trying to figure a way to weigh it as I would very much like to have an accurate weight for the hull when stripped down.

I am VERY careful about car topping because I had my first two hobies (mirage classics) take to the sky while driving down the highway after tearing the factory rack free of my vehicle. This was probably 10 years ago but it taught me an important lesson on what can happen if things go wrong.


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Adam

16 T2
14 Tandem Island
79 H14

Never Haha

Yeah the weight rating on a pair of Thule cross bars, what I use, is 165lbs. I go by the Jeep's rating as it is lower but it is interesting to see people car topping the entire 200+ weight of the TI and amas ect. Obviously there is a considerable safety margin designed into these racks and vehicle roofs.

Splitting the weight using a T bar should alleviate this as it would distribute some of the load to the hitch.


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Adam

16 T2
14 Tandem Island
79 H14