Was wondering what the best or what everyone is using for transportation of 2 canoes (no trailer sorry)? i have seen minivans driving down the interstate and alway wondered how it worked. station wagons etc....?

yakima or thule rack systems with the longest bars will carry two canoes with ease.

Kanoes is correct. The general wisdom is that when buying a Thule or Yak get the longest bar offered which is 65". At some point you ARE going to need to carry two canoes.

If you don't have a properly designed roof rack, this whole process becomes more difficult.

The type of vehicle doesn't matter much - you can carry two canoes with a VW Bug.

If you get the bars that are longer than your car is wide, careful not to "wack" you head on the ends of the bars.

I'll also throw my vote toward a good Yakima or Thule roof rack system. That way, it almost doesn't matter what you have for a vehicle.

By the way, Yakima offers three different lengths of bars for their system with 78" being the longest. That's what I have for the rack I use on my Chevy Astro van. Both the rack and the van work like a charm for double-canoe hauling. Yakima

8' long 2x4 on two foam blocks works for me. Vehicle is less of a concern. An 8' length is actually narrower than the width of the mirrors on my pu truck. Just make sure the foam blocks are positioned in a spot that won't dent your roof in. My 2x4 was $1.24 in a scrap bin at Home Depot. Added three large eye bolts to strap down the canoes for another $4. Already had the foam blocks. Presto!

You'll need two of these for your roof. I have a metal rack in the back bed as a PU roof is kinda short for a long canoe.

I got 78's on my Yakima...

Bruce

Assuming a good rack and tiedowns, you get into the affect of wind and air flow. I haul my solo on top of a 'Ford Ranger' 4wd, 3l 6 cylinder, 5 speed manual. Fiberglass cap 2 bars on the cap and a 3rd on the cab.
1 canoe and I lose about 5mpg, will notice side wind drafts, and spend most of my time in 4th gear. 2 canoes, side winds will move the truck on the road, will notice buffeting as large trucks go by, mpg about the same as with a single canoe, and I will notice a performance hit at speeds above 55mph. I do haul 2 canoes at times but I do not like to. A larger vehicle with a larger engine would make a big difference, in road manners.

butthead

Thule 78's on my Chevy topper.

7ft 2X4s on screwed into the crossbars on the rack of my 2000 Ford Excursion. Loaded with canoes/gear and people the mighty diesel gets 18 mpg.

I've had two canoes on top of a vw golf using 78" bars on my thule rack and had no issues.

I used U-shaped brackets (about three inches wide) to fasten long 1x2s to my Thule rack and find that works just swell for two canoes. I also duct-taped old tennis balls on the ends of the 1x2s (cut a slit in the ball and slide it over the end), so at least if someone whacks her head, she won't end up with a divot taken out of it.

Forgot the original question! I've successfully carried two canoes on a Sienna van, a Taurus wagon, and an Outback wagon, all using my fancy 1x2 system (see my previous post). Never tried to manage two on any kind of sedan, but I would think that if you can securely attach a roof rack, you could carry two canoes.

On our Honda Odyssey we have 2 2x4s (green-treated) screwed together in the front and another pair in the back. We just strap them onto the roof rack and it fits two canoes easily.

We use a converted ladder rack we got at a farm sale, plus wooden homemade racks, and also purchased foam blocks to use on the van luggage rack. They all work well.

I bought a suction cup rack from Spring Creek Outfitters in Mountain, MN. I love it; my challenge was finding a rack that fit a Ranger with a topper. One rack on the cab, the other over the topper about where the wheel wells are.

I will be paddling on the Root River in May, and may haul two kayaks and a canoe at once on the road to Lanesboro. Wish me luck.