Kayak AND rooftop tent with a camper shell?

I'm getting my Tacoma in the first week of Sept and currently spec'ing out my build.

I'm a fisherman and I want to get a Hobe Kayak and also mount a rooftop tent on my camper shell.

I think I'm going to get an RSI Smartcap which has like a 350 lb dynamic load rating so the tent shouldn't be a problem.

The main issue is I also need to fit a Kayak on there and I was thinking of putting it on the roof of the truck.

The problem is that the tent would block it in the back and the kayak would need to be at an angle.

I *think* my only two options here would be:

- Get a bed rack, not a camper shell, so that the rack is lower than the roof of my truck and that way it won't get in the way of the Kayak. The Kayak would then mount to my roof rack.

- Use some sort of (maybe custom) bracket to lift the kayak up about 6-12" so that it's not conflicting with the tent.

...

My THIRD option, which would be expensive, would be to have a trailer and then mount the tent to the trailer and the kayak to the roof of the truck.

I usually sleep in a hammock so the tent is slightly optional but if the GF wants to come with me having a more comfortable rooftop tent would be nicer.

Thoughts here?

Stuck on this one!

 

The other thing to consider, while the Hobies are sweet boats, they are heavy also. Without some sort of assist, it won't be pleasant getting it up on the roof.

A small trailer for the yak might be the better approach?

 

Yeah. I think they're about 85-100 lbs... definitely heavy. There are some videos of guys mounting them to the top of their truck and they usually have an assist system where they bring one side to the top, and then slide it back down so that you don't have to actually LIFT the entire thing at once.

It's going to take me a while to get all this gear but I'm really looking forward to this new lifestyle.

 

Tricky one. Another thing to consider is that if you attach the kayak somehow over the top of the tent, you’ll have to remove it first to use the tent.

How about a 270 degree awning with side walls, and then a hitch hammock stand from McLean Metalworks along with their tire mount hammock stand for the gf when she comes?

 

Hobie kayaks are heavy, look at a kayak trailer. Yakima has a small and foldable trailer that is pricey. I like my Malone, I can carry 3 kayaks and it stands on end for storage, I can still fit the Tacoma and the Camry in the garage.

 

Here’s a thought…would a Thule Hullavator on a roof rack work? Might kill three birds, adding height, making it easier to load and allowing you to drop it easily to raise the tent.

 

That's super cool but won't work with the kayak I want due to weight :-/

I'm starting to think my only option is to mount the kayak to the truck and then to have a trailer if I need to have a root tent.

I'm not super excited about the trailer as it's a lot of money but also it adds complexity.

 

Your options might be null as your truck cap is like 4 months out if you go with what you say you will.

why go with a roof top tent?

 

Fourth option would be to get a long bed and skip the RTT altogether. You can build a bed platform under the cap for the times that you are not using your hammock. The other thing to think about is the weight of everything and where it is located. If you are going offroad, a RTT on top of a cap is going to add a lot of weight really high off of the ground.

If you are leaning short bed and want a RTT I would do a tonneau cover with a bed rack and have the Kayak on the roof.

 

Trailer for kayak and RTT both. Room for more kayaks/generator/etc. later on. Solar panels on cap.

 

Not all Hobies are heavy. My Revo 13 is about 75 lbs. if you get a Pro Angler, it’s a different story - that thing is a beast. Trailers are a PITA because of parking limitations, but otherwise some love them. You can get a Rhino Rack T loader or a similar hitch mount load assist bar that can help with rooftop loading and even serve as a back rack support. For front support, you may have to be creative to be able to raise the bar/cradles to keep the kayak level.

 

You might try the decked system instead of the camper shell, and do a low profile roof rack with the tent level with the cab of the truck, and then a roof rack installed on the cab, with the kayak over both the cab and the tent.

Or, for the price of the Hobie Kayak, you can get an 11' inflatable boat with a motor.

Least expensive, and girlfriend accomodating, is a 2 person inflatable kayak.

 

I got a Yakama long arm extender to make it easy to load my Hobie passport 12 into my long bed Tacoma. The Yakama has three positions that align with the bed, bed rack or roof (with optional extender). My passport is about 80 lbs and very easy to load into the bed and do it daily as my kayak is a replacement for going to the gym. I could see adding a bed rack with a rooftop tent and keeping the kayak on the bed of the Tacoma. Good luck with your Truck and kayak.