What's your kayak rack setup?

[VTRanger]

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[Loki]

I'm debating on spending a bit and getting a Retrax with Yakima rack setup, but it's not cheap..I have a 9 foot Liquid Logic and my wife has an 11 1/2 foot sit on top, wonder if I can just get away with just shoving them in the back with the tailgate up and tied down, and saving the money for other things..

 

[VTRanger]

I'm debating on spending a bit and getting a Retrax with Yakima rack setup, but it's not cheap..I have a 9 foot Liquid Logic and my wife has an 11 1/2 foot sit on top, wonder if I can just get away with just shoving them in the back with the tailgate up and tied down, and saving the money for other things..

My kayak is 10 ft (pictured in the thread above) and fits fine in the back with the tailgate down, I wouldn't put it in with the tailgate up cause I think it might warp the cheap kayak plastic (Lifetime brand crap) where it rests on the gate with the strain of the tie downs. An 8 foot yak would be fine, but nothing over that I don't think.

With the gate down, your 11.5 should be fine, if not, get a hitch bed extender for $70.

 

[khyros]

I'm debating on spending a bit and getting a Retrax with Yakima rack setup, but it's not cheap..I have a 9 foot Liquid Logic and my wife has an 11 1/2 foot sit on top, wonder if I can just get away with just shoving them in the back with the tailgate up and tied down, and saving the money for other things..

As a lover of my Yakima setup, if I didn't have to use the bed for other things, I wouldn't bother with my setup. Off the top of my head, you're looking at ~$3,000 for that setup, between the retrax, the overhaul, the rails, and the craddles. Let me reiterate again - I love my setup. But even with the sweetroll craddles, it's not the the most user friendly method to load our 12' 80lb kayaks. The kayaks are up quite high, which means you have to lift them quite high. But more than that, you have to strap them in up high. I end up having to climb up the wheel and stand on the bed rail in order to reach over and strap them in.

 

[VTRanger]

As a lover of my Yakima setup, if I didn't have to use the bed for other things, I wouldn't bother with my setup. Off the top of my head, you're looking at ~$3,000 for that setup, between the retrax, the overhaul, the rails, and the craddles. Let me reiterate again - I love my setup. But even with the sweetroll craddles, it's not the the most user friendly method to load our 12' 80lb kayaks. The kayaks are up quite high, which means you have to lift them quite high. But more than that, you have to strap them in up high. I end up having to climb up the wheel and stand on the bed rail in order to reach over and strap them in.

That was my issue, the weight, had a 13 foot canoe that was about 100 pnds, so much easier with hitch bed extender in the bed, but if you need the bed for other things it's a different story.

 

[JimG_AZ]

Here is mine with a Amazon bed extender.

Here is the bed extender modified for two 12' kayaks

Here my Harbor Freight trailer with the kayaks. The trailer works great. In the next few months I am going to weld a pickup truck rack on the trailer and get rid of the wooden rack. The wooden rack is solid and easily removable.

 

[WOADKIL]

Yakima roof track and rack:

12' Surftech paddleboard also fits in bed with ratchet across middle and tie down on end of board holding it in the bed.

11' Hobie Mirage yak also gets same treatment

 

[chrisakz]

I don’t have pictures at time of seeing this thread but I have a 17ft Coleman canoe. I use universal bed racks that can be taken on or off in minutes in my supercab. 800 pound capacity on the racks, canoe weighs 95 pounds. It’s extremely secure and tied down with several cam-lock tie downs. Then I have plenty of room in my bed for all the accessories that go with going out on the water. All in cost was like 400 bucks and I can manhandle it up there by myself

 

[jeffp619]

Haulmaster 800lb aluminum truck rack from Harbor Freight. Just used it on a 1000 mile road camping trip. worked

 

[chrisakz]

Haulmaster 800lb aluminum truck rack from Harbor Freight. Just used it on a 1000 mile road camping trip. worked

I got the same setup works great and tall enough to clear the shark fin antenna which is a must as I’d hate to rip that thing out of the roof lol

 

[jeffp619]

I got the same setup works great and tall enough to clear the shark fin antenna which is a must as I’d hate to rip that thing out of the roof lol

I forgot to mention that, yes I like that they’re tall enough to clear the antenna.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

Got this installed today. Truxedo Elevate rack with TS rails and a LoPro roll up cover. Still need to figure out kayak mounts for the bars yet.

 

[WOADKIL]

 

[halligan1201]

Got this installed today. Truxedo Elevate rack with TS rails and a LoPro roll up cover. Still need to figure out kayak mounts for the bars yet.

I'm selling my folding tonneau to switch to this set-up. Same rack with the Retrax tractable cover.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

I'm selling my folding tonneau to switch to this set-up. Same rack with the Retrax tractable cover.

It’s a great setup. Pretty easy install also. Got it from Stage 3 Motorsports. They’re a sponsor on this forum.

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