Project - Jon Boat on Top of the JKU (no top)
06-17-2011, 11:22 AM
#1
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Project - Jon Boat on Top of the JKU (no top)
I have been pondering how to conveniently haul around my 12 foot jon boat. I have finally come up with a solution and hope this can help others. The real challenge was that the soft top does not lend itself to having anything on it for obvious reasons. I considered a rack like a Congo but decided against it. My epiphany came when I realized I don't travel far with the boat and I only take it out when its nice weather.
My jon boat is a 1232 which means its on the narrow side. This works out well for my setup. I have a 2X3 in the front a little behind the windshield. It fits between the door surrounds and bears on the roll cage. I needed to add 3/4 plywood at the roll cage location in order to raise the height of the 2X3 so the boat wouldn't hit the the windshield frame.
For a back support, I used a 2X4 positioned right behind the door surround. I did not need to raise the height of this one. Each piece of lumber is wrapped in indoor/outdoor carpet.
The boat will center on these two pieces, hanging over the front and back equally.
To secure the boat to the JKU, I added D-Rings at the end of the roll cage. I got the D-Rings from etrailer (hxxp://www.etrailer.com/p-5800700.html). These worked out perfect as the 8 MM bolt used for the assembly of the roll cage perfectly fits the hole in the D-Ring plate.
I also added some D-Rings in the middle kinda by the sound bar. I won't use these for securing the boat but I had 2 leftover in the pack.
Both sets of D-Rings are hidden by the roll cage fabric and are accessed through unzipping it just a little bit. Very nice. Out of sight when not needed but easily accessible.
For the front, there was no bolt to make use of. Instead, I picked up assist straps from etrailer (hxxp://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-...son/06303.html). These worked perfectly as they create a loop around the roll cage.
Best part is that you can tuck them under the plastic trim so they are no visible when not in use.
I will use ratcheting straps (4 total) to secure the boat. Two over the top, one off the hitch, one in the front. I found a nice little hole in the underside of the plastic skid trim where you can snag a hook in. And since I have the straps and hooks on the roll cage, I don't have any straps inside the Jeep. When I tried this originally (just going around the boat and roll cage), tightening the ratchet started to crush the foam padding.
Once I have the boat on top and secured I will take some more pics.
My next item to address is securing the lumber to the roll cage. If I left it as is, it would only be a pressure fit resulting from the ratchet straps.
My jon boat is a 1232 which means its on the narrow side. This works out well for my setup. I have a 2X3 in the front a little behind the windshield. It fits between the door surrounds and bears on the roll cage. I needed to add 3/4 plywood at the roll cage location in order to raise the height of the 2X3 so the boat wouldn't hit the the windshield frame.
For a back support, I used a 2X4 positioned right behind the door surround. I did not need to raise the height of this one. Each piece of lumber is wrapped in indoor/outdoor carpet.
The boat will center on these two pieces, hanging over the front and back equally.
To secure the boat to the JKU, I added D-Rings at the end of the roll cage. I got the D-Rings from etrailer (hxxp://www.etrailer.com/p-5800700.html). These worked out perfect as the 8 MM bolt used for the assembly of the roll cage perfectly fits the hole in the D-Ring plate.
I also added some D-Rings in the middle kinda by the sound bar. I won't use these for securing the boat but I had 2 leftover in the pack.
Both sets of D-Rings are hidden by the roll cage fabric and are accessed through unzipping it just a little bit. Very nice. Out of sight when not needed but easily accessible.
For the front, there was no bolt to make use of. Instead, I picked up assist straps from etrailer (hxxp://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-...son/06303.html). These worked perfectly as they create a loop around the roll cage.
Best part is that you can tuck them under the plastic trim so they are no visible when not in use.
I will use ratcheting straps (4 total) to secure the boat. Two over the top, one off the hitch, one in the front. I found a nice little hole in the underside of the plastic skid trim where you can snag a hook in. And since I have the straps and hooks on the roll cage, I don't have any straps inside the Jeep. When I tried this originally (just going around the boat and roll cage), tightening the ratchet started to crush the foam padding.
Once I have the boat on top and secured I will take some more pics.
My next item to address is securing the lumber to the roll cage. If I left it as is, it would only be a pressure fit resulting from the ratchet straps.
Last edited by MrKenmore; 06-18-2011 at 02:00 AM. Reason: no non sponsor clicky please
