Headed out with the family for a weekend away and want to bring both yaks and 200lbs of other stuff, lol. I think I can fit both kayaks in the bed with everything piled on top under my tonneau but played with some 2x4s quick for an over the bed rack. They are stable with no straps so the center of mass is in the bed but the overhang makes me a little uneasy. Couple hours on the highway. What do you think?
Posted by soulwind2
21 Comments
Yolo? id be worried about my window. Also, put a red flag in the back.
Damn dude that’s alot of bikes!
Man, one deer or kid and you might have a real bad day. Maybe some kind of DIY plywood headache rack at least?
You’d probably be okay.. But a bed extension would make me feel better… And they aren’t expensive
[truck bed extender](https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Mockins-750-lbs-Capacity-Pickup-Truck-Bed-Extender-with-Flag-Stabilizer-and-Ratchet-Straps-2-in-1-Design-MA-41/323074028?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25S-025_031_GARAGE_AUTO-NA-Multi-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-Automotive&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25S-025_031_GARAGE_AUTO-NA-Multi-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-Automotive-20975231886–&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20981910911&gbraid=0AAAAADq61Ufv-s81HvaxxfgH15gpmF_XA&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvbEBhApEiwAKUz6-1ZmPFk39kdvuBfIbG0QSVzCYcv3fxkPCxpkE1kX7bWzxStxbV7kKxoCNfUQAvD_BwE)
This and then place the kayaks in the truck bed. Will save your back window.
If you aren’t going to use a bed extender, why wouldn’t you put the tailgate down?
WINDOW
Looks like a broken window waiting to happen. You can get a kayak bed extender that goes in your hitch for decently cheap, would be a lot more secure and not risk you damaging your window or the guy behind you
I’ve done several thousand miles like this: https://imgur.com/a/L6i91qA
No issues, but I do tie down the front and back of the boats tight (not done in the pictures yet. Fronts tie to underneath, between the bed and the cab. Backs tie into cleats on my rails. The two boats directly over the bed are 11.5 feet, and the center of gravity is oh… about 3 inches from the tailgate, but strapped down to the rails it’s fine (I use 2020 extruded aluminum, and they’re bolted into tslots on my rails.)
It’s nice, the bed is covered and closed up, and if I stop for the night I run a cable through all the boats and lock to my hitch. (yeah, bolt cutters are a thing, but it makes me feel better, and it would take more than a minute to get a boat off.)
Good advice everyone!! I do have a bed extender so if space gets tight in the bed with the kayaks I can slide them back and use that!! Duh…good thing I asked. I do have red flags as well, was just testing the straps here.
And yes that’s a lot of bikes! A family friend gathers free bikes in mass and donates them, collected several hundred one year, pretty cool. So I have a few for them to pick up.
You need a headache rack or a bed extender
Tell me you’ve never shattered a rear truck with a kayak. Without telling me. (Pro tip all kayak owners, don’t carry a deductible on that glass!)
The amount of people who dont know how to properly use a 2×4.. 🤦🏻♂️
It looks like the the CG might even be ok, and a bed extender may not be needed. But it is nice for loading and unloading.
Makes me uneasy too brother. You’re either gonna lose them out the back on the highway, or they’re gonna go through those windows. And what’s on the other side of those windows? I’m assuming heads…… You think they’re going to break the windows and stop? No way I would roll like that. Just my 2¢
You obviously have wood available just build a diy ladder rack to get them up level with the roof. Then you can strap themdown level and not have to worry about a huge overhang in the back.
Looks to me like they would have fit in the bed together just fine. Either with the tailgate up or down… 🤔
Looks fuckied
It wouldn’t take but 5 pounds of forward force to bust out your back window.
If it where me, I would lash them together face to face and then slide them inbetween the wheel wells with the tailgate down.
Remove 2X4, put tailgate down
No bueno.