How to transport Kayaks

Simple bed rack worked really well for me, very secure and not noisy for a ~3hr drive up to the cottage where we are staying for the weekend.

 

That would be my preferred rack but:

1. I'd have to give up my tonneau cover
2. It isn't easy on and off
3. If you make the posts easy on/off you lose the ability to lock.

So I went a different route that was at least $350 cheaper.

 

I fabbed a rack for my bed rack. It'll carry a Hobie Outback and a Hobie Revo.

 

What is it?

 

Use words, what is it?

 

Yeah, losing my tonneau cover kinda sucked since I loved it but it was worth the trade

You're right, definitely not easy on and off. I leave it on, locked, and dropped to the lowest setting when not in use (until it hits wheel wells so a little below cab height). I raise it when in use.

It definitely is expensive. No way I would have paid for it new, I mainly got it because I got it for a steal of a price off Craigslist

Your rack looks great! If I could have found one like that for sale cheap, I would have jumped on it. I don't have great welding skills to make one my own.

 

It isn't obvious looking more closely at the pics? Sheesh. Ok.

Two custom fabbed bed bars with a 19" rise from the bed caps. Yakima JayLow kayak carriers clamped to the bed bars. The bars are secured to the bed tracks. Shown are standard nut and bolts but I have some t-nuts for the rails now with higher quality bolts. I'll retake some pics next time I throw them on.

The bed bar span is 52" from curve to curve. So they will take a RTT if desired.

Painted with Rustoleum Bed spray.

 

Yea, I had LoneWolf Off-Road create them for me. Travis and his shop are about 45 minutes north of me in Krum, Texas. Good dude and the price was VERY reasonable.

I can pull my tonneau cover off or just fold it up, and install them in about 10 minutes with a 14mm socket or wrench. Lock it all down with cables to prevent casual theft.

 

Just got back from the water. My 10ft kayak fits just fine in the back of my short bed. Hangs out past the tailgate about 2 feet but whatever. One strap holds it on the interstate without budging.

 

Just bought a kayak..

I didn't want to continue carrying the kayak that way so I ordered one of these from costco online for 69 plus tax.


I like/want a fancy Thule or Yakima rack, but I think the non-sense pricing of their product frustrate many people.
For those who feel frustrated, check out costco online.
They offer the aluminum rack shown below for less than $300.
Personally, I didn't want to spend even $300 which is why I settled with a bed extender for cost efficiency.

 

Have you gone any good distance with these racks? Curiouse how that effects stability at speed? How much mpgs you lose? I'd imagin as flat and close to the roof the better. But I think I'm going to have to go like that to clear my RTT if it even will clear like that

 

I ran with Yakima Whispbars on the roof of my 2013 DCSB Tacoma for years. The kayaks are several inches lower now and a shit ton more stable.

 

like this

 

I have a Yakima rack with saddles I used to attach to the rails of my old Explorer SportTrac to carry my tandem touring kayak (long/heavy yak by necky). Does anyone know if i clip myrack to the OEM rails on my 2017 Tacoma will it support the weight? I know if I extend the OEM crossbars across the truck its under 100lb capacity if they remain intact to the rails and I use my own crossbars will that suffice? I quickly went through each page here and didn't see anyone attaching to the OEM rails.

 

I have both short river boats, and an 18 foot kevlar sea kayak. My solution is a Yakima bar with tower mounts on the cab, and one Yakima Outdoorsman 300 rack on the bed rails. This allows me to go longer for the long boats, and shorter for the short boats. If I am alone, I can always also use the factory roof rack's cross bars to carry it. With the full set-up I have carried four kayaks at once for river shuttling.

 

Cheapest solution I could find. $69 plus tax at costco.ca

 

2017 Tacoma access cab using a Boondox -T-bone bed extender and tsunami 14 ft kayak. I also have a Darby Extend-A-Truck, that I have used for 5 years. Functionally it works great and have had no issues at all. As it is steel it's a bit heavy and awkward to install. I wanted a new bed extender for my new truck, so I'm trying the T-bone out. For one, it's super light aluminum and I can leave it assembled and hang it on the garage wall.

 

I've got one of these for sale in Las Vegas.

 

I use the bed, bed racks and even a trailer, whatever it takes to get to the water: