How do you haul your kayak(s)?

[shrpshtr]

All,

I'd like to bring along a couple of kayaks on some camping trips. I was curious to know how you experts out there haul yours when camping? I know they make racks to put on the back of trucks but I was thinking of something along the lines of a vertical mount rack on the back of my TT. It already has a receiver hitch in place.

Thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance.

Shrp

[01tundra]

This is how we do it - Access Adarak with Malone SeaWing saddles.


I remove the rack when not in use, eight bolts so it's easy to install/remove, the steel rails say on the bed.

[kayakterp]

Hello shrpshtr, I am an avid kayaker and take my kayaks everytime I go RVing.
I bought a "Apex Universal Steel Pickup Truck Rack" to haul my boats. I am scared to add any extra screw onto my RV for fear of leaking in the future. Also want to use a hitch on back of bumper for bicycles. This allows me to haul 2 kayaks securely and one time I put a 3rd boat inside. When I closed the slide-out, the front point of kayak put a hole in my kitchen cabinet so be careful about that. Luckily the dealership fixed it for free as it was under warranty.
On a side note I am thinking of starting a thread or meetup group for RVers that kayak because I don't know too many? I live in Cincinnati OH and am always looking for others to RV & kayak with. If you don't mind me asking, what part of the country do you live in?

[RPreeb]

I don't have them yet, but I plan to use a Yakima style roof rack on my F-150. I carried kayaks or canoe on several past vehicles that way without any issues. When I was first paddling whitewater, I had a '78 Toyota Corolla station wagon with a wimpy factory rack... I modified it with some 2x4's to make a stacker and carried as many as 6 kayaks at once. Not the least bit worried about putting 2 on top of my TV.

[Kim Gass]

We have a topper on the back of our pickup and haul an 18 foot sea kayak and 18 foot sea canoe. You cannot do that with vertical storage on the back of an RV. You can for short rec kayaks but not the longer ones.

We need to shove the boats forward so when we are trailering we added a third rack to fit over the front doors of the truck.. With two racks the boats are quite far back.

we use a standard Yakima rack system with fake raingutter feet on the back topper. This pic has the 15 foot boats with two bars on the cap. For the 18 footers there isn't enough clearance between boat and trailer so we have to use a rack farther forward.

[Gypsea]

We also have a camper cover by ARE on our F150 SCrew 6.5' bed. It has Yakima adjustable tracks on each topside, that take lockdown 6' bars which can have kayak saddles, stacker vertical bars, or foam bar pads. We haul 2-4 kayaks, two canoes, or a 12' alum fishing boat. Nice thing about it is the bars can be removed when not needed. Usually carry them inside the bed, as I never know if I'll run into some 'deal I can't refuse' on some top load item. We kayak rivers and lakes wherever we travel, and surf kayak the waves at the beach here in NC.

2011 F150, SCrew, 157'wb, 3.73, 5.0, ARE topper
2010 Jay Flight 22FB
1980 Rockwood 26' Class C (early '90's)
1972 Jayco popup (mid '80's)

[norty1]

We have a crew cab and carry them on the roof of the truck with Yakama roof rack and the Hully Rollers. Been doing that for years.

[ROC-REQS]

Originally Posted by shrpshtr

... I was thinking of something along the lines of a vertical mount rack on the back of my TT. It already has a receiver hitch in place.

Thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance.

Shrp

Hi Shrp

A vertical kayak rack isn't cheap, here's a few from RV Kayak Racks that range in price form $1,300 - $1,500.

We carry our kayaks on the top of the truck using Thule bars and J-Bar Kayak holders.

We use the trailer's receiver hitch to carry our bikes.

Hope this is of some help.

[JPBeck]

100$ Ladder rack and some yakamal saddles.

[JPBeck]

[URL=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/jpbeck1/media/Outside/IMG_0244.jpg.html][/URL


I welded some pipe onto the rack, and I use J threaded J hooks and tighten them down from the top thread.

[Flyrotor]

I use a ladder rack with Thule rails and Thule kayak saddles.

Very stable set up, able to carry all the bikes in the bed along with other camping supplies and firewood if needed.

[mitechie]

Add me to the list of folks with the ARE topper and use the truck to get the kayaks around.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

We do the same as above...ARE cap with Yakima tower rack and Jaylow folding kayak cradles. Works awesome. Once the new ARE cap comes in for the Ram, I will transfer the Yakima parts over.

[shrpshtr]

Thanks for the great replys all. I like the idea of putting them on the roof of the truck. I didn't realize there were so many options already on the market.

shrp

[kayakterp]

Hello shrpshtr, I am an avid kayaker and take my kayaks everytime I go RVing.
I bought a "Apex Universal Steel Pickup Truck Rack" to haul my boats. I am scared to add any extra screw onto my RV for fear of leaking in the future. Also want to use a hitch on back of bumper for bicycles. This allows me to haul 2 kayaks securely and one time I put a 3rd boat inside. When I closed the slide-out, the front point of kayak put a hole in my kitchen cabinet so be careful about that. Luckily the dealership fixed it for free as it was under warranty.
On a side note I am thinking of starting a thread or meetup group for RVers that kayak because I don't know too many? I live in Cincinnati OH and am always looking for others to RV & kayak with. If you don't mind me asking, what part of the country do you live in?[/QUOTE]

[kayakterp]

Originally Posted by kayakterp

Attachment 30084Hello shrpshtr, I am an avid kayaker and take my kayaks everytime I go RVing.
I bought a "Apex Universal Steel Pickup Truck Rack" to haul my boats. I am scared to add any extra screw onto my RV for fear of leaking in the future. Also want to use a hitch on back of bumper for bicycles. This allows me to haul 2 kayaks securely and one time I put a 3rd boat inside. When I closed the slide-out, the front point of kayak put a hole in my kitchen cabinet so be careful about that. Luckily the dealership fixed it for free as it was under warranty.
On a side note I am thinking of starting a thread or meetup group for RVers that kayak because I don't know too many? I live in Cincinnati OH and am always looking for others to RV & kayak with. If you don't mind me asking, what part of the country do you live in?

[/QUOTE]
This rack system is only $269 from Discount Ramps dot com

[shrpshtr]

This rack system is only $269 from Discount Ramps dot com[/QUOTE]

Thanks bud. I'll check into that one too. I live in SC. My daughter is in college at the beach and gives guided kayak tours through the marshes, etc. We don't really kayak for a hobby other than a means to do some fishing from time-to-time. If you're ever down this way there are tons of opportunities here. The Edisto has some great overnight drift kayaking and if you're not afraid to rub elbows with a few LARGE gators and snakes then the upper Santee river system and swamps are breathtaking to fish and paddle around in. Let me know if you ever head down this way.

shrp

[Upstater88]

Could be a dumb question, but I usually just haul my kayaks (8' and 9') in the bed of my truck with the tailgate up. I drive a silverado with a standard box (6'6"). When hauling my TT, will this overhang interfere with the TT, or would I be ok to haul this way still?

[Kim Gass]

It shouldn't but it makes access to anything else you have in yourtruck bed for the TT very difficult.

[DebKen]

We tow with an SUV (there are two kayaks up there although you can't really see the other one) so: