Hi all... I just purchased a 12x7 v nose enclosed cargo trailer with the intention of converting it into a camping trailer. I would like to haul two canoes on top. Anybody have experience with these types of trailers and what works well? Doesn't appear to be much to work with on the top edges as far as bolting or clamping. Open to all ideas.

Can you get to the roof from the inside or is there some sort of false ceiling? I'm guessing you'll have to bolt through into the frame...which should be easy since you can get to the inside. You'll probably have a lot better luck looking for ladder racks for enclosed trailers and then just work with that to make a canoe work. (which shouldn't be bad since all you really need is 2 bars)

You can buy artificial rain gutter brackets that will bolt through the side walls and then get some Yakima A-1 towers and some round bars and you are good to go.

You might need to figure out a longer bar option then the Yakima bars because you are dealing with a 84" wide trailer. I have used electrical conduit for bars before.

Yakima Artificial Rain Gutters

I'd install four of the Yakima Landing Pad 6 to the roof. These are designed for bare roofs where you have access from underneath. Mount through a crossmember on the trailer roof. Yakima Control Towers hook right up to the Landing Pads and hold the round crossbars.

sorry, made a duplicate post. So I'll edit the duplicate and say that I pulled the headliner down and installed these on an SUV with a bare roof and they worked great. Also installed them on a fiberglass camper shell. You might get some fender washers and locknuts and use them instead of the nuts provided, depending on what you run the bolts through.

Joe

I have a 6x12 just like yours that I converted into a stealth camper. Artificial rain gutters with tall Yakima ends and long rods work perfect. I bring a 6 foot step ladder just to make tying down easier. Works like a champ.

Ask at tnttt.com, bwca.com for teardrops and tiny trailers.

Sounds like you might be interested in doing this as a DIY project, but as an option, you might consider going directly to a trailer retailer to see if they could install the racks for you.

Most building contractors have equipment trailers with ladder racks on top. I'm sure many of the trailers come from the manufacturer with the ladder racks already installed, but I would think the trailer retailer could install them, too. Never know until you ask.

Good luck with the project.

As you already have the trailer, I think the Yakima Landing Pads of the Mounting Gutters would work fine. I installed the Mounting Gutters on a van roof, as described by joewildlife, and on a fiberglass truck topper.

butthead

Here's a picture of my converted 6x12 enclosed trailer. Designed so I could still drive a 4 wheeler or motorcycle in and strap it in. It was essentially just a box made of plywood before I started.

One thing I can suggest is: Make sure you're bolting into the steel roof ribs, and consider some reinforcing via bridging with SS flat bar or tube material to strong back the roof ribs, if none of your ribs are made of reinforced steel to begin with. Usually the one that supports the spare tire (assuming your trailer has a spare tire hanging in it's interior) is reinforced and a good place to start.

If nothing in the existing roof system looks like it's going to tolerate the kind of stress that a wind blown canoe going 75mph will generate...then take the plywood off of the walls, install some 1 inch rigid foam insulation between all of the studs (cause you'll want that anyways so it'll be a camper) and then install some 1" x 1" stainless steel studs that are married to a a stud via screws. Then put in a brace to brace it to the stud it's married to, and the stud in front of it, and then put your ladder rack on that new stud.

Sounds like a lot of work, but assume nothing in your trailer is deigned to be weight bearing....It'll save you a lot of heartache. Design everything to send the weight straight to the floor and you wont have deformed walls/ceilings. All of my bunks, all the weight goes STRAIGHT DOWN. The walls are not weight bearing at all. I'm pushing it with the little cabinet i put up on the ceiling, it's hanging on a reinforced stud that is factory and was originally made to support the spare tire.