How To Make Your Own Kayak Truck Rack (For Easy Loading)
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Kayak Fishing, Weekly Newsletter: 6-7-20
How do you transport kayaks in your truck?
Do you throw them in the back and hope they don’t fly out on the way home?
Or do you have a rack that you like?
In this video, I’m going to show you how I made a DIY kayak rack using a truck bed extender.
It helps keep my kayak safe and scratch-free, and it makes it really easy to load my kayak in and out of.
I’ll also show you how I strap my kayak down and what not to do when doing this.
Check out the video below.
DIY Kayak Rack & Truck Bed Extender [VIDEO]
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The reason I made this cradle is because it makes it much easier to load my kayak in my truck than with just the bed extender.
All you need is:
- A bed extender (I like the T-Bone bed extender by Boonedox)
- Some PVC pipes (I used 2″ PVC because it right over the bed extender)
- Zip ties
- Pool noodles
- Indoor/outdoor carpet
- Stainless steel screws
It’s about 6-7′ long and does a great job of keeping my kayak safe and secure.
As far as strapping my kayak down, I just use these NRS lashing straps.
I prefer lashing straps over ratchet straps because with ratchet straps it’s easy to over tighten and damage your kayak.
Conclusion
This DIY kayak rack and truck bed extender has made life so much easier when it comes to transporting my kayak.
How do you transport your kayak?
Have any questions about this rack?
Let me know in the comments below!
And if you know someone who fishes from a kayak, or would like to, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Hey Tony! Love this setup! Do you leave your rig hooked up 24/7 or do you remove it after fishing? If you remove it, how do you take off the pipes easily?
I saw you used ss screws to secure various points together but was wondering how you remove and store the unit when not using it. Thanks!
Hey Mark! I remove it after fishing. The pvc rotates on the extender so I am able to remove it in one piece and then fold it up. It stands upright against the wall in my garage.
Very Helpful and informative. I will now try to create my unit based on your design. Thanks
You’re welcome Tony!
Hey Tony good call on the carpeting, I was going to go with the raw noodles but didn’t think about them getting torn up. Mine is for trailer bunks but same concept. Keep up the good content!
Yep the carpeting definitely helps. I’ve had the same noodles on there for about 2 years now. Only really have to replace the noodles if you feel they’re getting worn/flattened out. Makes loading and unloading easier too so the kayak doesn’t stick to the noodles.
I like this idea and it makes sense for safety and ease of loading and unloading. My question is: what is the proper way to store a kayak? I’ve looked YouTube and see all kinds of different ideas and then there are the comments about the heat inside a garage warping them if they are stored near the ceiling or the bottom getting deformed by straps, etc. Can they be stored on a wall on the side of the kayak on L-brackets, if padded? I know i shouldn’t leave it outside in the elements or on the floor of my garage flat beacuase it takes up too much room. Looking for input from my SS brethren. Thank you
Hey Brett,
I store mine on a cart that is on wheels with PVC bunks like what I have in the truck bed (just a smaller version). The best way to store them is flat on the ground or have support running the length of the kayak. You don’t want any pressure to be applied to the hull in one area. I leaned my kayak up against the wall in my garage for a few days to get my truck in and had it resting on 2 foam pads. There ended up being a dent where one of the pads was resting against the hull on its side. It came out eventually but I make it a point to never store it on its side for an extended period of time or in any way that creates pressure points on the hull.
Okay, thanks, Tony. A wealth of knowledge as usual.
Hi Tony,
Good video. I have seen a lot of kayaks (including Hobies) carried in beds and on trailers with 3″ PVC bunks with no foam or carpet. Did you choose to add foam and carpet because the diameter of the bed extender crossbar is smaller and the 2″ PVC fits nicely over it? or some other reason? what are your thoughts on just using PVC and no foam and carpet?
Thanks!
Buz
Great question!
I prefer to use the foam and carpet because it adds cushion (so its not plastic to plastic), and also the carpet keeps the kayak from tearing up the foam. Just my preference but I also see guys just use straight pvc without any issues that I know of. I just like a little extra protection to the kayak.
Tony. Nice addition to the truck bed extender. I just bought one and have had issues difficulty sliding the kayak onto it. Biggest problem with my Hobie Outback 2017 is the stern does not have a handle to lift it with. When picked up by the rudder or the bow the kayak starts to sway and go out of control. Still looking for solution to this.
Thanks Jim!
You could possibly make a small V-shaped cradle with PVC that you can set the bow or stern into while lifting one end to keep it from tipping over while loading and unloading.
Hi Tony, Can you set up 2 yaks on this ? In addition, I left a question earlier about the supports. Are they held in place or loose using the weight of the kayak. Great Idea
I haven’t tried putting 2 on this setup so not 100% sure. The supports in the middle and at the end are attached. I have a 3 way connector in those areas connected to an elbow to make the supports.
Hey Tony good video. I love DIY stuff. I solved the whole transport issue. I bought a full size cargo van and turned it into my fishing van. My Hobie Revolution fits entirely in the van. Easy in and out, no need for straps. I have a rod rack in my van that holds four rods and some crates for various things. I can even sleep in my van for an overnighter if I want.
~JOE~
That is probably the best solution right there! Thanks Joe!
I can easily transport, load and unload my 12 foot kayak in my 6 foot Tacoma bed without needing an extender rack. Don’t see the need for it.
Just a little extra protection for a $4000 investment
Great video! I’ll be building one of these myself but with a few modifications.
The two main lengths of 2′ PVC will be replaced with 3″ and the ends will have little glue on doors with padlocks. These will be rod lockers.
Also, I’m curious, does the end of your kayak protrude more than 4′ past your taillights? If it does, then there needs to be a taillight rigged in there as well.
Thanks Tony for all your insights and tips. Keep them coming!
Thanks Paul! I have a flag at the end of my kayak when transporting. Never had any issues or questioned about it while driving.