Reese Towpower 7018100 Canoe Loader - Black

I bought this for $57 a few years ago and even though it's now cheaper I'd still buy it for $57 in a heartbeat.This is an awesome product. We have a huge 18' canoe. It used to be an absolute PITA for my wife and I to get it on top of our SUV. I could not really get it on top of the car without her or someone else's help.I put this in and now I can get the canoe on top of my car in 5 minutes. It's actually easier to do it alone than have someone help me; I've got a 'system' now. What I do is park the car perpendicular to the canoe. I then just swing the canoe up and upside down. Then just stand up and put it on top of the bar. Then the other side....just pick it up and swing it around to the front of the car. Easy peasy.Whenever I'm at the boat dock I get constant stares from people looking to see how I'm going to get the huge canoe on top of my car by myself. And then once I do it and show them, they almost always come over and say wow, where did you get that, it's great!I've had it a few years now and it has held up just fine. I did do a couple mods to it though. Nothing huge.First is getting item B0792RDPD6 Hitch Tightener, to prevent wobble and excess noise when driving on the highway. I have a Rav4 with the spare tire and hitch extender piece. So wobble seems to be amplified. The tightener cuts this down a lot.I also got another quick pull out pin for the bottom and did not use the included bolt. Reason is I can take off the entire piece so I can open my trunk to remove gear. If I used the included bolt, I wouldn't be able to open my trunk.If I were to suggest any improvements, I'd be to allow the entire bar to swivel down to a 45 deg angle to allow the trunk to open.....not a huge deal since I got another quick pull pin.Another improvement would be the bar horizontal to the ground that you rest the canoe on initially. It'd be nice if this could open up wider. For my canoe, you have to know how to line it up - too short and it's not enough canoe on the bar and becomes unstable when trying to pick up the other end. Too long and it won't fit on the bar. If you do this a few times, you will know exactly what I mean.Other than that this is a lifesaver. Anyone with a canoe; this is a must have!

I'm getting older now and do not have the strength I once had for loading my canoe on top of the SUV. This loader makes it so easy to load the canoe by myself. I recently purchased a new SUV, so this loader really controls the canoe during the loading process without dings and scratches to my new car. However, there are a few items to be aware of. It takes about three practice tries to figure out the most effective way to use the loader. First, I load my canoe from the side perpendicular to the car not straight on from the back (see photo). I also strap on the canoe wheel dolly on top side of the canoe end that will rests on the ground. I roll the canoe to the car. Once in position for loading, I secure the other end to the loader's T-bar, the wheel dolly gives the canoe stability instead of trying to balance on the point of the canoe then dragging the point on the ground during loading (see photo). Also, the loader comes with one bolt and one security pin. The security pin was so stiff, I could not open or close it without using a screwdriver. That was a real hassle. The bolt also makes no sense. The bolt would fine if the loader was a permanent installation, but it is not. So, I went to my local hardware store and bought two security pins that were much, much easier to open and close (see photo). Now it is a breeze to install, adjust and take down the loader. I also tied a couple of overhand knots in the bungee cord to shorten it up some (see photo). The shorter bungee is stiffer and holds the canoe to the loader better. I also had to use four tie-wraps to secure the adhesive rubber padding (these protects the canoe) on the loader's T-bar (see photo). Loading the canoe takes about 15 minutes. Overall, a really great product (with a few minor tweaks). I highly recommend it for anyone. Good job Reese and Amazon!

I wanted to be able to take my 17' canoe out by myself, so this product is ideal for me. I just used it the first time this morning, and I'll tell what I found...As others have mentioned, it's not terribly stable when it's hooked up to your hitch. I had to actually jimmy-rig an extension to mine, since I have a spare tire on the back of my jeep that was in the way, which made it even more wobbly. I tried a bungee at first to stabilize it, but with 60 pounds of floppy canoe on there, I ended up using one of my ratchet straps to temporarily attach it to my crossbeams. (don't do this to the hooks on the side, it has to turn, remember? I didn't remember this....) So make sure it's nice and tight against your vehicle, and when you put the canoe up, make sure to use a rubber bungee. Toss the one they send in the garbage. A rubber one will grab on a lot better.Also, another trick to keep your canoe from tilting and flopping is to stabilize the end that stays on the ground. What I did (worked great) was get about a 3' length 1x4 and just quick clamped it to the end handle of my canoe, so it wouldn't tilt around, and it would be easy to pop right off once my canoe was on top.So you're all strapped down, and balanced, now walk the canoe around to the front and set it on top of your cross bars. Go to the back where it's attached to the loader, and while hanging on to the canoe, unstrap the bungee and pull it back towards you (most of the weight will be too far forward and will likely tilt to the front).I tried both ways, and I found the best way to attach the canoe to my jeep was just like if I had two people there loading. Take that wobbly loader off and throw it inside your vehicle. Some other reviewers said it flopped around when they drove, and I"m not sure why they even kept it on there, unless just to save a minute when they unload. I found it much easier to take the extra step to take it off, especially having a longer canoe that the center of balance was way off.Don't bother with the rubber strips unless you want to gorilla glue those suckers on - they pretty much popped off and wouldn't stay back on.I hope this helps if you are looking to completely load and unload by yourself. My canoe is easily 60#, and pretty long, and I don't have a ton of upper body strength. Used my noggin and a bit of physics, and several ratchet straps, and I'm all set! :)