Canoe/kayak Rack

[wanderfalk]

I transport two hand built 17 foot kayaks

So I've got a SCREW and clearly the bed is too short to toss a canoe or kayak in. I was looking at building essentially a 2x4 rack that would drop into pockets on the bed rails at the very back of the bed. I would be able to place the front of the kayak on the roof of the truck and the rear on the rack at the rear.

Go to rei and look at the thule line of racks including the xporter. the gold post on the hitch would be best combined, with the roof rack. the hitch solution is good because it will not block a bed cover set up. do not screw around and scratch up your roof or dump the kayak on the highway. Look at your rail caps and you can see some cutout lines where the stakes go. but they are not 2x4 sized. How long are your kayaks.

 

[Raptor Embroidery]

I searched and the first result was this, an F150 Raptor wanna be (well It has raptor wheels)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[mtnbikefuel80]

Has anyone tried the solution from backflip? The Thule one looks more rigid but this one allows you to have bed storage. I like how with our xTerra we can put kayaks on the roof, mtn bikes on the hitch, equipment in the trunk and dogs in the back seat. Just not sure how sturdy the supports would be holding kayaks at highway speeds with this backflip one. Thanks!

Bakflip CS with Rack System - The Official Bakflip Site

 

[carlschmarl2]

1. They exist.
2. You own a $55,000 truck and "you're cheap"
3. You should have looked at the links I provided to see what is commercially available so you can COPY the one(s) you like

Good luck with your 2x4 solution!

Here's one that I just made for duck season:

I used pressure treated 2x10 and 2x8 for the supports and pressure treated 1x6 for the horizontal parts. It's not pretty, but it gets the job done.

If I build another one, there are a few things I'll change to make it fit a little better. I also need to cut it down a little, I'm getting some wicked wind drag from this thing...

I drew this up quick one day at work:

 

[Yukon Joe]

I see why your getting the wind drag.
Also, if your getting a lot of side to side movement, run your straps to the opposite sides.
The black paint looks good.

Yukon Joe
www.RUNRAPTORRUN.com

 

[carlschmarl2]

There's no side to side or any movement. She's strapped on good.

I had to make the rack a little taller than I wanted to accommodate the shape of the gunnels so it wouldn't hit the roof of the truck. Maybe I need to buy a longer (17') canoe instead of this 15 footer so it will reach beyond the roof in the front. Then I can cut down the rack to get it closer to the roof line to reduce the wind resistance.

 

[Xr Valdeez]

$300.00 used on ebay!

here's THE way to go! Thule telescoping racks. Mount real easy and held up for over 3270 miles in Baja! Cannot ask for much more.............

 

[wanderfalk]

thule xsporter plus hullavator

 

[Yukon Joe]

Though this one looked pretty good.
And wasn't permanent.


Yukon Joe
www.RUNRAPTORRUN.com

 

[Laurie]

Looking at making my own rack to support a roof top tent, awnings and maybe attachments on the side for SUP stand up paddle boards (think surf board)

Does anyone know if the stake pockets have any kind of strength ratings?