Take A Real Car Topper Boat Anywhere On Your Roof Rack
The RackRider 3.7 is a lightweight adventure craft that rides on a standard roof rack, held down by two ratchet straps. At just 48kg, one person can load it on and off, so your tow ball stays free for the caravan, and you bring the boat anyway. Search ‘boat roof rack’, and most of what comes back is loaders built to hoist a heavy tinnie onto a 4WD. We went the other way and made the boat light enough that you don’t need any of it.
- Fits standard roof racks, secured with two ratchet straps
- Planes at up to 30km/h on a small 4 to 6hp outboard
Get Pricing & Delivery Details
Send a quick enquiry, and Phil will come back with pricing, delivery options and answers to anything you want to know about the boat.
First-time discount applied in your quote.
What Makes This Car Topper Boat Different
A proper boat that travels light
The RackRider 3.7 was designed around the problem every traveller runs into: how to bring a boat without the weight, cost and hassle of a trailer. The goal was the lightest car-topper boat that still handles and fishes like a proper boat.
Only 48kg
One person can lift the lightweight hull on and off a standard roof rack with a bit of forethought. Many 3.7m tinnies weigh more than double.
No Trailer Needed
Skip the cost of buying, registering and maintaining a trailer. The boat rides on your roof and frees up your tow ball for the caravan.
Cheap To Run
A simple 4 to 6hp outboard sips fuel at over 10km per litre. Expect more than 120km of range from an 11-litre tank.
Stable And Roomy
On a 1.32m beam, the RackRider 3.7 exceeds the stability standards of the Australian Small Craft Code. It seats two for fishing with room for your gear.
Australian Designed
Engineered by some of Australia’s leading boat designers, 100% Australian owned.
Who The RackRider 3.7 Suits
Built for the way you actually travel
Caravanners and remote travellers.
If your rig is already near its limits, this is the boat that fits. Grey nomads doing a lap, 4WD tourers heading into the Kimberley.
Fishers chasing skinny water
A shallow draft gets you into creeks and impoundments usually left to canoes and kayaks.
Anyone tired of leaving the boat at home?
Nothing to hitch, so the boat comes along whether the caravan does or not.
What Our Customers Say
Join the travellers putting rackRider on their roof
I’m the owner of a 4×4 company called Active 4×4 in NSW, and I’m also a dealer for Kimberley Kampers. With our outdoor activities, I was looking for a boat that could be put onto the roof of a vehicle or onto a camper with ease.
After meeting Phil and having him introduce me to his boat, it became instantly notable that this boat would fit all my requirements.
I have since purchased one myself, as I am fanatically mad about fishing and remote travel. I am amazed with the stability and handling of such a light boat.
I have now had it up in the Kimberleys chasing barra, and through many creeks and impoundments chasing cod. It’s so capable with either one or two people on board, and being a light boat, it’s easily manoeuvrable on land or water.
- Verified Customer
simple from driveway to water
Easy To Load Onto A Standard Roof Rack
The RackRider 3.7 was designed to go on and off your roof without a rooftop loading system or a boat roof rack loader. It sits on standard roof racks and is secured with a pair of 35 or 50mm ratchet straps. That saves a lot of weight, cost and complexity on your rig. Worth checking before you order: your roof load limit comes from your vehicle maker, not your rack.
- Fits standard roof racks. 1.4m minimum bar width, no proprietary hardware.
- Two straps and you're done. Secured with two 35 or 50mm ratchet straps.
- No loading system required. Nothing heavy or expensive bolted to your roof.
- Roof to water solo. As a portable boat, a trolley and one person is all it takes at the ramp.
RackRider 3.7 Specifications And What's Included
- Length: 3.7m. Beam: 1.32m, with a shallow draft
- Hull weight: 48kg bare. Outboard adds around 27kg
- Capacity: seats two, rated to 295kg excluding motor and 11 litre tank
- Engine: 4 to 6hp outboard, best performance under 200kg of load
- Speed and fuel: planes at up to 30km/h, over 10km per litre
- Hull: resin-infused foam core, rigid and repairable
- Fitting: standard roof racks, 1.4m minimum bar width, two 35mm or 50mm ratchet straps
- Included: complete hull with moulded seats. Outboard bought separately
- Add-ons: oars, anchor, flooring, Railblaza StarPorts for rod holders
Never Leave The Boat Behind Again
A light, capable roof rack boat that goes wherever you go. No trailer required.
Roof Rack Boat vs Tinnie And Trailer
Why travellers choose a car-topper boat
Tinnies, folding boats and trailer setups all make compromises. Here is how the RackRider 3.7 stacks up as a roof rack boat for life on the road.
With RackRider
- A 48kg hull can be loaded by one person on a standard roof rack
- No trailer to buy, register, tow or store
- A small 4 to 6hp outboard that is cheap to buy and cheap to run
- Frees up your tow ball for the caravan
- Resin-infused foam core hull that is rigid and repairable
- Exceeds Australian Small Craft Code stability standards
- Australian designed and 100% Australian owned
With Others
- 3.7m aluminium tinnies often weigh more than double
- Trailers add rego, maintenance and storage costs
- Rooftop loading systems are heavy, complex and pricey
- Folding boats can feel flimsy and awkward on the water, and require time for setting up and packing away
- Bigger boats overload your rig and your tow capacity
Ready To Bring The Boat Along?
Australian Designed By Travellers, For Travellers
Built by people who actually use it
The RackRider 3.7 started with a simple goal. Phil wanted a boat he could bring on his own travels without overloading his vehicle, and nothing on the market was light enough. So he and Shelley had one designed around a resin-infused foam core hull, an adventure craft that significantly undercuts the weight of other car toppers.
Built lighter on purpose
At 48kg, this lightweight hull significantly undercuts other car toppers, so one person can load it solo.
Made for the road
Designed around real remote travel, so you can tow the caravan and still bring the boat.
Buy With Confidence, On The Road And On The Water
Every RackRider 3.7 is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty and straight-talking, founder-led support.
12 month Warranty
Australian Designed and owned
In stock, ready to go
The RackRider 3.7 is in stock now at $7,800 RRP including GST, ready for delivery or pick up from Forster, NSW.
Honest Advice
We will happily tell you when the RackRider is not the right boat for your needs. No pressure, no overselling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the RackRider 3.7 weigh?
Only 48kg. That is light enough for one person to load on and off a standard roof rack with a bit of forethought, and many 3.7m aluminium tinnies weigh more than double. For a portable boat that seats two, 48kg sits at the light end of the car topper boat market. It is the lightest car topper boat we could build without giving up the way it handles.
How do I get it on and off my vehicle?
The RackRider 3.7 was designed to load without any rooftop loading system, so you do not need a boat roof rack loader to get it up there. It sits on standard roof racks and is secured with two ratchet straps, so one person can manage it with a bit of technique. Phil has videos that show you exactly how. Check your vehicle’s roof load rating before you order, because that limit comes from your car maker rather than your rack.
What engine do I need, and do you supply it?
You will love how economical it is. The RackRider 3.7 runs on a small 4 to 6hp Yamaha or Honda outboard and planes happily at up to 30km/h, sipping fuel at over 10km per litre. The outboard is bought separately. Our tested picks are on the Engines and Accessories page.
How much does it cost, and what is included?
The RRP is $7,800 including GST, and it is good value. You only need a small 4 to 6hp outboard at around $2,000, and there is no trailer to buy, register or maintain, so you save plenty over the life of the boat. We also offer oars, anchors and flooring to help you get the most out of it from day one.
Can I pick it up, or do you deliver?
Both. You are welcome to collect from 168 Kularoo Drive, Forster NSW, or Phil can deliver right to your door for an additional fee. Send an enquiry with your suburb, and he will sort out the best delivery option for you.
Where can I use it, and how many people fit?
As a portable boat, the RackRider 3.7 comfortably seats two with plenty of room for your gear, and it is rated to 295kg excluding the motor and fuel tank. It is designed for protected waterways and is great in lakes, bays, rivers and creeks. Its shallow draft takes you into skinny water usually left to canoes and kayaks, which makes for excellent fishing. It is a fair-weather boat, not one for open water in a chop.
Take A Real Boat Anywhere No Trailer needed
The RackRider 3.7 is a lightweight adventure craft built to ride on a standard roof rack. At just 48kg one person can load it on and off, so you can tow the caravan and still bring the boat. Cheap to run, simple to use, and Australian designed.
- Fits Standard Roof racks, secured with two ratchet straps
- Planes at up to 30km/h on a small 4 to 6hp engine.
Get Pricing & Delivery Details
Send a quick enquiry and Phil will get back to you with pricing, delivery options, and answers to any questions you have.
First-time discount applied in your quote.