Thinking of Buying a Pick Up Truck - Need Advice On Carrying Kayaks

[Financeguru]

So I've been carrying my kayaks on my station wagon roof rack and apart from tiredness when I'm out with my two sons, it's been working well. Lately the need for a pick up truck has come up and now I'm thinking about how I would transport my kayaks (up to three) in the bed of a pick up truck. I have never owned a pick up truck before so pardon my ignorance as I ask for advice and your feedback on my thoughts:

I would need to buy a used pick up truck that has atleast an extended cab with the jump seats in the rear. Having said that, how long of a truck bed do I need to carry 12 - 13 foot kayaks?

The smaller pick ups seem to have about 5 ft long beds and with the tail gate down, would I be correct to say there would be about a 7 ft long floor where the kayak could sit on? If so, would that be be enough?

I searched previous posts on this subject and it seems that some buy a bed extender that connects to a hitch. How much more support do you get in length with a hitch connected bed extender? And is it necessary?

Also, how do you guys secure your kayaks while driving when the tail gate is down?

Anyone have any suggestions/recommendations on pick up trucks? Preferably automatic and it doesn't have to be AWD/4 X 4. I'm looking to spend up to $5k.

Many thanks in advance for your advice and input.

[DanMarino]

Turtle135 has a reliable S10 that gets the job done for him. When my 14 year old son needs a vehicle, I'll be looking for a small used pickup too.

[BassMoore]

i have a nissan frontier with the extended cab 4 door with the smallest bed you can get.. i transport my 12 ft kayak straight out of the bed and just use straps to keep it in place. a bunch hangs out but i jus throw a red flag off the end like your supposed to and the straps keep it in place. the tacoma, fronteir, are the best value for the money.

[ronaultmtd]

I bought a 2007 Ford Ranger XLT 4X4 recently- 56000 miles- nice truck- I bought the truck extender- I just throw my Outback in the bed and tie it down- my truck is a stick shift- Only complaint is carrying my rods and reels- I hate just laying them flat in the bed- got to figure out something else- the truck extender adds about 44 inches of length to support the load at the rear- my Ranger has a six foot bed so there is about four feet of my Outback that was not supported until I bought the truck extender- Do I really need it with the Outback- maybe, maybe not- It is somewhat of a a PIA to take off and store so no one steals it while you are out fishing- but it is really easy to transport your kayaks with a Pickup- just slide it the bed, tie it down and go-

[Pinch]

I bought a 2008 toyota tundra just for kayaks lol

[kevinfry]

2007 colorado.....just toss the 12 ft kayak in the back. I have a cap too. Took 2 yaks on the roof of the cap and the tandem in the bed.......all the way to canada!

[jet]

i have a rack on my truck with ski holders. perfect for rods.



you could configure it to work in the bed, or even make something to hold them in the stake holes of the rails in the bed
only time i put the kayak on the roof is basically when i want to lock it up overnight somewhere.

[c-villefisherr408]

Ron i usually pack light on rods (1 to 2) and put em right behind my seat. Im not gonna risk my tackle flyin out. Havent tried it w my 6ft st croix but my 5 fters work just fine.

[ronaultmtd]

I usually carry six rods, each fully rigged so I don't have to do anything but fish- Being an old guy with 55 years of fishing under my belt, I have some 55 years of accumulated tackle- six spinning outfits, six or eight low-profile casting outfits, five or six (I have got to take inventory) surf sticks (two spinning -four conventional) two heavy-duty, deep-sea bottom fishing fifty-pound outfits (Saltist 40s)...and several of my Dad's fly rods...I probably need to get rid of half my stuff but I remember such great memories every time I pickup one of my older outfits- a big fish, a great trip, a terrible storm...each has a story attached...

[Financeguru]

Thanks for everyone's helpful responses. Unfortunately my 2010 bright yellow Revo was stolen a few days ago from my roof rack while parked at a grocery store parking lot in Sterling...I was not in there more than 15 minutes. Not sure if it will help, but I'm filing a report with the police and will call the grocery store to see if they happen to have any parking lot surveillance camera footage.

I still need to purchase a used pick up truck and have started looking through Craigslist ads for a compact pick up. It seems that there are a wide variety of opinions about which pick ups are reliable...Consumer Reports stick to Tacomas, Frontiers, and Tundras. Edmunds seems to like Rangers/Mazda B Series.

Thanks.

[ictalurus]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your Revo. Keep an eye out on Craigslist. Did they get the Mirage Drive, too? If not, it will look weird when they try to sell it, which increases the odds of it being recovered.

Regarding pickups, the older model Frontiers I've ridden in weren't very comfortable for tall guys. I don't know if that's changed. As a pickup driver, another thing to consider is getting a trailer for your car for your pickup truck-type of activities. A major downside of pickups is the lower gas mileage you get. If you're not constantly using it to haul stuff, you're burning more gas than you need. In contrast, you could haul a trailer with your station wagon, take a hit on the gas mileage while towing, but get higher mileage for all the trips that don't involve the trailer. Plus, utility trailers can be had for less than $5K. I use my truck for hauling a lot of stuff (materials for home renovations, yard debris, mulch, research equipment, furniture, etc), but I would get a wagon/sedan and trailer and save some cash if I were to do it again. It's been rare that I've really needed the weight capacity of the pickup--usually I just need the volume. I just thought I'd offer a cheapskate's point of view...

[HokieDJ]

Wow..How long were you in the grocery store? Was it late at night?

[Financeguru]

No, they did not get the mirage-drive. I was in the grocery not more than 15 minutes and it was in the evening around 9:15PM.

Ictalarus: Some good points you made there about a utility cart but unfortunately I don't have space to store a utility cart when not in use and wonder about the hassle of connecting/disconnecting it to my station wagon.

The pick up truck will be replacing my 2000 Hyundai Elantra station wagon and my 2002 Mazda MPV minivan (both which I will be selling soon). The pick up truck will be my 2nd car and will be used as needed, so I'm not expecting too much of MPG hit (though I'm aiming for upper teens for MPG).

[DanMarino]

Utility Trailer for Me



I tow my kayaks using my old Volvo 240 wagon or my Jeep Wrangler. I just picked up some Malone Seawings to carry my kayaks hull down. I already had the trailer, so it made sense to use it. I like how it is easy to load the kayaks at waist level.

[ILV2F5H]

No, they did not get the mirage-drive. I was in the grocery not more than 15 minutes and it was in the evening around 9:15PM.

Ictalarus: Some good points you made there about a utility cart but unfortunately I don't have space to store a utility cart when not in use and wonder about the hassle of connecting/disconnecting it to my station wagon.

The pick up truck will be replacing my 2000 Hyundai Elantra station wagon and my 2002 Mazda MPV minivan (both which I will be selling soon). The pick up truck will be my 2nd car and will be used as needed, so I'm not expecting too much of MPG hit (though I'm aiming for upper teens for MPG).

Man I hope you get your kayak back somehow. What a bunch of bums!

I as well have thought of this and still after two years can not come to peace with this issue/topic. I drive a sedan and my girl drives a minivan with a rack (02 MPV as well) We were introduced to kayak fishing about 2 yrs ago from a buddy that owns an S10 and that was what he used to carry his yaks. When we first bought our yaks we used the J racks from Thule to transport them on the van and we still use this method. Although effective it can be a PITA to do alone. We are used to it now but for a shorter guy like me it really sucks. Thats one of the reasons why my kayak is only 10 ft long. Everytime I kayak fish with my two buddies, one with the s10 and another with the Tacoma it is so much more convenient. You literally throw them on and strap them down, 5-10 mins tops. When I load the kayaks on the van it takes at least 30 mins. We have to mount the racks, then load the yaks, tie the straps, climb down....you get the picture.

Now this is why the people here and the forum is so awesome because I've read nothing but great advice. I am in the same boat as you. I can not persuade my woman to drive a pickup. I even told her Ill buy it for her. She still says no. Now the reasonable thinker that she is she wants a suitable replacement for everyday driving and not just to support a hobby. This is where I totally agree with ictalurus. I have put so much thought into trading my car in for a truck but I dont think its worth it to just haul yaks and occasional bed usage. Now if I owned a boat diff story.

To conclude, If you are already in the market for a new car or truck go for it. Since you will have only one car that will mean less cars to insure as well. I would second a Tacoma or Tundra with a double cab because sitting in the extended cab of a Tacoma sucks!! We even sat 3 dudes in the front of the s10...it was late at night and a very short trip but still ghetto! lol

Using the full bed and the liftgate for about 7 ft of bed space is ideal. Meadeo has the 13.5 ft Wilderness Ride and he transports two other kayaks fine on his s10.

Sorry for the long rant but when the situtation is right I will be looking for a used pickup to support this awesome hobby of ours.