Canoe &5.0 TA 5th wheel

[Salt and Pepper]

Can anyone suggest how to carry a canoe with you if you have a Escape 5.0 TA?

I have seen some people with canoes on top of 5th wheels but it seems very high up there for me.
Also the other thing that occurs to me is to have a trailer for the canoe -- which seems like a lot of items to tow.

Thanks.

[Ron in BC]

There may be area restrictions to towing a trailer behind a 5th wheel. Some research would be needed on what various jurisdictions allow.

Jim B. carries an inflatable canoe with his 5.0TA, works well for him.

Actually inflatables are a good way to go with any trailer. We carry rigid kayaks on some trips and inflatable ones on others. Both rigid and inflatables have their pluses and minuses.

Ron

[Brian B-P]

Yes, there are lots of restrictions on towing a second trailer behind a travel trailer, and carrying anything on the roof of the trailer has multiple problems. A practical solution is a rooftop rack for the truck which extends over the cab and forward, over the hood... as long as the canoe is not too long.

[padlin]

I do as Brian mentions, it's on a Thule F150 roof rack on my Supercab. I've done 350 mile trips without issue. With the canoe brackets on the rack it's pretty rock solid although it looks a bit precarious. I also tie off the front and back with the painters. I also keep it about a foot from the trailer front although a few inches is all you need. I do however have an 8' bed on the truck, might not work on a short bed. The canoe I've been taking is just under 15'.

I had looked into a single roof rack, a front receiver, and a "Y" or "T" rack in that, but the distance between the roof rack and the "T" ends up being 12' leaving about 18" of the front and back of the canoe overhanging them. Not enough width at that point for stability.

If that won't work for you you'll need to look into something like an inflatable. Maybe someone with one wil pipe in and tell you how those are working out in practice.


This is the one thing I miss about having a bumper pull. Canoeing was a lot simpler with a truck cap.

[UncleTim]

Another option are the inflatable kayaks. We call them duckies. They are not the same as rigid canoes but at least out West that provides some advantages.

We almost never see canoe's on white water runs. There are a few but they have flotation in them and they specialized little sports cars. We see duckies on the river all the time. Even beginners get in them and go down easy rapids.

You can fold them up and inflate them quickly. I am thinking about getting one for our 5.0TA. Here is a link to the NRS site. They make good ones.
https://www.nrs.com/category/3209/ra...latable-kayaks

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Salt and Pepper

Can anyone suggest how to carry a canoe with you if you have a Escape 5.0 TA?

I have seen some people with canoes on top of 5th wheels but it seems very high up there for me.
Also the other thing that occurs to me is to have a trailer for the canoe -- which seems like a lot of items to tow.

Thanks.

I have a solo Adirondack Pack Canoe by Placid Boatworks. It is 12.5 ft long and rides on a Thule rack on the roof of my Double Cab Toyota Tundra. If I was going to go for a longer canoe I would put a rack up from the front bumper as well as the Thule roof rack and use it to bring the canoe forward to clear the camper.
My canoe is very light(18 lbs) and easy to put on and off the truck, which means I actually use it rather than just bringing it along for the ride. I have a 1 person folding kayak that I am selling. I love the kayak but did not use it sometimes because of the 20 min time to put it together and 15 min to pack it up. The advantage though is that the kayak goes in its bag in the back seat so less chance of it being stolen and nothing to worry about tied to the roof. The canoe is much more flexible as far as how I sit in it and put stuff in it. The Kayak cockpit opening is a bit limiting.

[sherminator]

I have both rigid and inflatable kayaks. The inflatables can be really nice. This is the brand I have, and it is very good quality:

https://www.aquaglide.com/product-ca...-sports/kayak/

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by UncleTim

Another option are the inflatable kayaks. We call them duckies. They are not the same as rigid canoes but at least out West that provides some advantages.

We almost never see canoe's on white water runs. There are a few but they have flotation in them and they specialized little sports cars. We see duckies on the river all the time. Even beginners get in them and go down easy rapids.


You can fold them up and inflate them quickly. I am thinking about getting one for our 5.0TA. Here is a link to the NRS site. They make good ones.
https://www.nrs.com/category/3209/ra...latable-kayaks

Bought 2 STAR Paragon(NRS bought STAR) last Fall and for lakes they are great as they have a removable skeg. Tracks as good as our rigid and what a relief to not have to check straps every time we stop. They do take about 20 minutes to get ready to go. Bought an electric pump, yet the hand pump is necessary to get the final bit of air- especially in the floor.

[padlin]

It's been a long time since I was in a rubber or whatever they are made from kayak, do they paddle better then they used to? Used to paddle like you were in a barrel as opposed to hard sided. Asking about flatwater use.

[salmo7000]

The option to bring our canoe was one of the driving reasons for our decision to go with a bumper pull trailer instead of a 5.0TA. I could not figure out any way to do it.

I did consider hard-sided kayaks, which are much shorter than our canoe and could be carried on a rack mounted on the roof of the cab of the truck. The problem is it's hard to fly fish out of them, which is one of the main reasons for venturing out on the water for us.

I think the only option you have other than that is to invest in some sort of inflatable, as others are suggesting. The type of inflatable would depend on what you want to use it for. I see you're from northern Alberta, so I'm assuming flat water paddling is part of your desire to have a canoe. If fishing is also involved, a pontoon type set up with a small frame might work well. The drawback of these craft is they are typically one-person boats. But they do offer hands-free fishing and can be broken down and hauled inside your 5.0TA.

If fishing is not involved, a whitewater inflatable kayak would work, but you do sit pretty low in the water and are actually pretty much sitting in the water with a self-bailer. These craft are wonderful for floating rivers in the summer when the water is warm, but northern Alberta on a lake?? It could be a bit nippy without a wet or dry suit!

Here is one option for an inflatable kayak where you sit above the water: https://www.outcastboats.com/framele...r-11-4101.html

This could work, but again it's a one-person boat. There are drawbacks to everything, for sure!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Jim B. carries an inflatable canoe with his 5.0TA, works well for him.

Yes, I have a Sea Eagle Travel Canoe. These are great canoes for recreational use. I built a mount for a trolling motor and use it for fishing. It is also good for some heavy rapids, up to Category IV if you wanted to do that.

https://www.seaeagle.com/TravelCanoe/TC16

One of the best things about it compared to a regular canoe, of which I have 3, is that most of the time on long trips you are not even near water, and you don't have a full sized canoe either living on top of your tow vehicle, or have to deal with taking it off to store at your campsite. Of course, with the 5.0TA, it is near impossible to bring along anyway.

You can load it with lots of stuff. Great for our dog. I can stand up in it to cast if I wish. Great for river rapids up to Class IV. Quick to set up and tear down. Can get a third seat.

It is a bit heavy at 60 lbs, but is quite manageable my me. I have taken my canoe cart to move it around, but 60 lbs on the shoulders is not too bad.

Here is a photo of mine on Clearwater Lake in Wells Grey Provincial Park in BC. Caught some beautiful rainbow trout that day.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by padlin

It's been a long time since I was in a rubber or whatever they are made from kayak, do they paddle better then they used to? Used to paddle like you were in a barrel as opposed to hard sided. Asking about flatwater use.

The Paragon is 11'2 and has a removable skeg; also the bow is hardened and has a shape to it that also aids in tracking. As good or better than our 10'6 Pelicans sold at Costco.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

I have a solo Adirondack Pack Canoe by Placid Boatworks. It is 12.5 ft long and rides on a Thule rack on the roof of my Double Cab Toyota Tundra. If I was going to go for a longer canoe I would put a rack up from the front bumper as well as the Thule roof rack and use it to bring the canoe forward to clear the camper.
My canoe is very light(18 lbs) and easy to put on and off the truck, which means I actually use it rather than just bringing it along for the ride. I have a 1 person folding kayak that I am selling. I love the kayak but did not use it sometimes because of the 20 min time to put it together and 15 min to pack it up. The advantage though is that the kayak goes in its bag in the back seat so less chance of it being stolen and nothing to worry about tied to the roof. The canoe is much more flexible as far as how I sit in it and put stuff in it. The Kayak cockpit opening is a bit limiting.

Nice boats. I've got a 12' cedar strip Rob Roy that would love a seat setup like the Placid's have.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

One of the best things about it compared to a regular canoe, of which I have 3, is that most of the time on long trips you are not even near water, and you don't have a full sized canoe either living on top of your tow vehicle, or have to deal with taking it off to store at your campsite.

Here is a photo of mine on Clearwater Lake in Wells Grey Provincial Park in BC. Caught some beautiful rainbow trout that day.

Attachment 48613

That's what determines whether we take inflatables or rigid kayaks. If it's a fishing trip or one where most of the time we'll be at a lake then it's rigid. If it's a road trip where we "might" be near water once in awhile then it's the inflatables, out of the way unless needed.

The drop stitch technology certain has improved the performance of inflatables. I was impressed how strong yours was even for some non-fishing type fun.

Ron

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by padlin

Asking about flatwater use.

Big flatwater? Or little lakes? Fishing, or racing?
For speed you need long and slender.

I choose between a 65 lb. 16' fibreglass canoe and a 30 lb. pontoon boat. If I'm travelling any distance on the lake, I take the canoe. If I'm fishing a small lake, I take the pontoon boat ( powered by oars and flippers ). I can have my hands free for casting and retrieval, using my flippers to manoeuvre.

Pic is my buddy Keath in his Buck's Bags Southfork.

[sherminator]

Originally Posted by padlin

It's been a long time since I was in a rubber or whatever they are made from kayak, do they paddle better then they used to? Used to paddle like you were in a barrel as opposed to hard sided. Asking about flatwater use.

My Aquaglide has a drop stitch bottom, meaning that there are literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of threads from top to bottom on the floor. When pumped up to the recommended 6 psi pressure, the bottom is stiff as a board, which makes it very easy to paddle, and helps the kayak hold it's shape. It also comes with a removable skeg, which really helps the tracking on flatwater.

I use it mostly for rivers (up to Class III), but I have taken it on lakes and done fine with it. I prefer my Hobie for big bodies of water, but when several people are with us, I pack the Aquaglide, too. (It came with a 12V pump that has automatic pressure settings, so getting the floor to 6 psi is no problem.)

[Ian and Sue]

Yes I love it. It paddles like a dream...sooo smooth and easy. So far I have had it in pretty good winds but no big waves...so far so good. And once I put a throwable cushion behind the seat back it is very comfy. I can move around and change positions better than the kayak. They say the Placid Boatworks canoes are more like a kayak without a deck and I believe this is accurate.

I don't fly fish but it is certainly good for drowning worms and regular casting.

[UncleTim]

Class I:
Moving water with a few riffles and small waves. Few or no obstructions.

Class II:
Easy rapids with smaller waves, clear channels that are obvious without scouting. Some maneuvering might be required.

Class III:
Rapids with high, irregular waves. Narrow passages that often require precise maneuvering.

Class IV:
Long, difficult rapids with constricted passages that often require complex maneuvering in turbulent water. Scouting is often necessary.

Class V:
Extremely difficult, long, and very violent rapids with highly congested routes, which should be scouted from shore. Rescue conditions are difficult, and there is a significant hazard to life in the event of a mishap. The upper limit of what is possible in a commercial raft.

Class VI:
Mandatory portage! The difficulties of Class V carried to the extreme. Nearly impossible and very dangerous. For teams of experts only. Involves risk of life.

[DanandDaphne]

We just bought one of these Sea Eagle Razor Lite kayaks https://www.seaeagle.com/RazorLite/473rl the close relative to Jim Bennett's canoe.

It was a tough decision between this and the canoe, but I guess it came down to the lighter weight at 45 vs 60 pounds, and we only paddle on flat water. Unless you are interested in doing whitewater I would recommend one of these drop stitch technology type boats over the round tube ducky type boats. They are more expensive but they behave much more like a hard shell boat, they are faster and track better.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

The drop stitch technology certain has improved the performance of inflatables. I was impressed how strong yours was even for some non-fishing type fun.



Ron

That was the first time I tried capsizing and reentering. Super easy with two people, tougher solo. The nice thing about this drop stitched inflatable canoe is that when you flip it upright in the water there is virtually no water in it.

el Coyote in the Baja was an excellent place to play with it. [emoji16]