Canoe/Kayak front tie downs.

I am really surprised that no one has made something like the new Bronco has where you can tie down kayaks and canoes when on the roof. I was looking at the spacing between the fender and the hood and it looks like something could be made to mount in that gap... or am I off and something like this already exists?

 

I have thought about using the ditch light mounts that go under the hood hinge bolts, but I have not actually tried it and I am not sure what would happen if the kayak needed to use the guild line (other lines fail). Would it damage the hood? I tend to not transport the kayak very far with my 4 Runner for lengthy trips we usually take a pickup truck.

Steve

 

I never thought about ditch light brackets.. also unsure if it would damage the hood in a worst case scenario. Might be worth looking into!

 

I use the tie down/tow hooks under the front bumper, there are 2 of them and they work great. You just need long straps,thats all.

 

I didn't realize those old things on the bronco were tie downs, interesting......does the bronco even have a roof rack?


I've never seen the point of those long straps from the bumper to front of kayak

 

I think they are lines of last resort. If the main straps fail, you’ll maybe get a moment to slow down. If the lines go slack, it could also give you a clue something isnt right. Either way, I would rely on the roof rack to tie it down and take the forces completely, and front/rear lines as something to indicate imminent failure.

 

I've carried kayaks and canoes on various vehicles for years. It might seem like the additional front and rear straps are unnecessary, but they keep the canoe/kayak stable and centered. If the other straps loosen or break or if the rack shifts, then the front and rear straps keep the boats on the roof. They also take some of the wind-load off the rack. If you strap solely to the rack with no front and rear tie-downs, all the wind lift on the boat is pulling entirely on the rack. With the additional front and rear tie-downs you're strapping the rack to the roof.

They also provide an easy way of keeping check of the boats ... If those front straps loosen up or go a little floppy while driving, you need to check the other straps. I had an 18-wheeler blow by me on the highway and it shifted my 16ft canoe about 6 inches hard right. The front strap kept the boat in place until I could pull over and replace the busted left-to-right strap over the top front of the canoe.

 

Same here, works fine for me. For a canoe I use additional strap I hook up for recovery points under front bumper to keep rope centered:

 

Google image "hood loop straps"

 

Good ideas in the above post. I don't want to use the lower hooks and worry about my paint. I had the hood loops with the bolt hole that worked great in my Tacoma, but in the 4Runner all the fender bolts are all covered up so it was either cut up the plastic or figure something else out. I really like the idea of those other hood loops, I assume the one end is just a piece of foam that pinches in the hood when it's closed? Off to google...

 

Just wanted to mention that I put rope inside a piece of foam pipe insulation and I never had any issue with paint for past 10 years.

 

I ended up using a set of limb riser brackets for my bowline attachment point. Perfect fit and fast for securing the front.

 

those hood straps rub against the hood enough to smear the paint, ask how I know

 

Looks good! Any chance you have a link? I have been thinking about getting something like that.

 

Might want to contact them and just see if they can sell you the front brackets as they normally come in the riser kit.

https://www.newhollandoverland.com/product-page/5th-gen4runner-limb-riser-kit