View topic - Canoe on roof rack: Need front & rear tiedowns if . . .?

I concur Jim, getting to and from the paddling experience is the least enjoyable part of the trip, but it IS part of the trip. If only we lived next to all our fondest activities, but alas some of us don't. I just drove 5 hours to canoe trip. Still, I consider myself lucky to be still doing this. Thankful every day.
Okay, so I've altered a bit of my tie down routine. I bought new NRS straps. Well worth the pennies! Unlike the cheap straps I used before these new ones don't stretch in the rain. And they cinch down really tight! (Cams, NOT ratchets.) Here's my adjustment. From the cam buckle on the canoe the strap passes over the canoe belly, under the opposite roof rack, back over the canoe belly, under the canoe and OVER the thwart, under the near roof rack and back out to the cam buckle; thereby cinching one thwart tightly down to the roof rack as well as the overall canoe belly. I do this on each alternate side, so now the canoe is really tight. It helps that the thwarts line up perfectly with the racks. Actually, to be accurate, it's a yoke and kneeling thwart. And the "horns on the yoke wedge up against the rack. Bonus. Also I tie down each side of the rear hatch straps to each side to the stern canoe seat separately. This in addition to the t-hitched rope from front hood straps to keep the bow stable at highway speeds. Make sense? Overkill perhaps, but driving in windy wet conditions no longer challenges my set-up. All the same I double check.
Hope this helps anyone still figuring out tie-downs.

Yes! If I understand you correctly, you have used one of the 2 primary tiedowns to not only tie down the canoe to the roofrack, but also to tie one thwart to one crossbar, to prevent the canoe from sliding forward or rearward. This sounds like a good way to not only save time,but also at least one tiedown (the 3rd tiedown that would normally have been used to secure the thwart to the roof rack crossbar)!

But, I think you might (?) have meant to post this on the OTHER thread I currently have running. This thread is the older one that focused strictly on the roof tiedowns.

Jim G

Hey Jim .. I have a Cruze and it also has no front or rear tie down areas. I made four tie down straps with nylon straping and pex tubing. You then simply open the hood and trunk, lay the straps in, close the hood & trunk and BAM 4 tie points.

If you want you can PM me and I can elaborate more and send pics as well.

I know exactly what you are describing.Thule makes a version of these. I have 2 of them that successafully fit my trunk lip area. However, under the hood, there is no suitable combination of metal (too much plastic), and no "gap space" for the tubing to occupy. However, the underhood area does have 2 metal "pins",one on driver's side and one on passenger side, around each of which I "trap" a nylon tiedown loop when I need hood and trunk tiedowns.

Jim G

Under the hood was harder to find two spots to lay the straps down. My biggest fear was getting them to close to something hot and having them catch on fire or melt. I got lucky and had two areas clear of any restrictions (just behind the headlights). Sounds like you got everything figured out though. If you want pics let me know.

Cheers