I will soon be getting an old pick-up truck camper; you know - the kind that sits in bed of truck. What is the best way to carry a canoe on the roof of the camper? I can't even imagine at this point how I'm gong to accomplish getting it up there, and securing/carrying it on the roof?

Attaching a rack to the camper should be no big deal. Getting the canoe up there...
I sometimes go with an acquaintance who has just that set up. He leans the canoe against the back and pushes it up on the rack, He uses a stool to make the reach.

I currently have a pop-up, and had a hard-sided camper before. As jhb mentioned, putting the bow up and then dealing with it works. With the pop-up, I can just use my camper access steps to slide the boat onto the racks. With the hard-sided, you have to get on top of the camper and pull the canoe up. I even had two layers (3 canoes) on top of my hard-sided when I moved to Alaska. That was a bit more challenging, but similar principles.

For the hard-sided, I just bolted some carpeted 2x4s to the camper. On the pop-up, I through-bolted Thule artificial gutters to the top, with Yakima towers attached.

If you put canoes up there, I'd recommend measuring your height so you have an idea of where you can go--two layers of boats on a hard-sided camper is way up there!

Just throwing it out there, but would a canoe trailer be a possibility for you?

I have one for sale if interested.

I used to carry our canoes on the roof of a motor home. You can buy “false gutters” so that removable racks use on older cars to sit on the roof. ( I carry canoes and kayaks on an enclosed trailer now). You will want to carry a sturdy step ladder to be able to get them down. Our motor home had a ladder to get to the roof, and I just strapped a step ladder to that.

Video of a motorized solution

Well, that's pretty darned slick
Too bad I have zero mechanical ability.

pswith5: "Well, that's pretty darned slick
Too bad I have zero mechanical ability. "

I’d be so worried about hitting something...