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

[ILV2F5H]

Oh and as far as what we use to secure our yaks. Google ratchet tie downs. You can get em from Home Depot.

[ictalurus]

It might be a good thing that they didn't get your mirage drive. Let the cops know about that because it should be easy to spot on eBay or craigslist. When my old Suburban was stolen, the Williamsburg police weren't very helpful, so I had to keep on them. I would do the same with the police in your area. I think you might get lucky. The Annapolis police busted a kayak theft ring last year, and Hobies missing the mirage drive was one of the tip-offs.

Also, I use a cable bike lock to lock my yaks to my truck's bed rails. They can be picked, but it wouldn't be an easy grab. This is the one I use, but there are heavier ones:
http://www.gandermountain.com/modper...D=GSHOP_445412

Also, there are straps that include locks:
http://www.paddling.net/buyersguide/...ktg5t1n4cd7950

Lastly, the straps NRS sells would be good for securing the yak to the bed extender. Something like this could also be used: http://www.roperatchet.com/

[Financeguru]

For sure, a cable lock would have prevented the theft of my kayak. I even thought about it a couple of times but decided that the situation would never come where I would really need it. Apparently only 15 minutes in a grocery parking lot after sunset is all it takes.

I'm keeping an eye on CL and Ebay for any yellow Revo sales without a mirage drive. However, I know that someone can buy a new mirage drive and still sell the Revo for a profit.

My stolen Revo also got me thinking about the benefits of personalizing the Revo with decals, stickers, etc. My yellow Revo was totally stock with no stickers/decals and I wonder if it was more personlized how much of the attraction to steal it would have decreased. Many of us recognize each other's kayaks from how we've customized them, both from a functional and cosmetic stand point.

As a side note, I bought a very lightly used sand colored Revo from someone who happened to be selling it less than a mile away from me. I still miss my yellow Revo but at least I got something that will allow me to get on the water and fish. This one will be cable locked to my roof rack when I'm away from it.

Thanks for everyone's help/advice again.

[ronaultmtd]

Mine is very customized- lots of features no one else would have and I have the serial number written down-

[Aesiegel]

Major bummer about your kayak. I hope it turns up.
With regards to a pick-up truck, I have a Honda Ridgeline and love it. The rear seats are very roomy and comfortable. I use a truck extender to haul my OK Trident 13 (actually 13' 6") and can get two more kayaks in there if need be. If I drive conservatively, I can get in the low 20's milage wise.

[Financeguru]

Just an update on my yellow Revo 13...it's been found! It was laying on the ground next to the dumpster behind the grocery store. An employee of the store mentioned it to me yesterday when I inquired if anyone had seen it around. Not sure what happened but i presume someone stole it and saw the mirage drive well as a open whole and probably considered it either a defect or not worth pursuing.

The revo is in good shape, just the steering handle now moves/swings alot more to move the rudder. I haven't taken it out in the water yet but will try to see what's going on there.

Now I have a 2006/2007 Hobie Revo 13 that I need to sell. It's in near mint shape so hopefully it won't be too hard to sell. I'll post details in the Tackle Shop section in the next couple of days.

I've also bought a 2000 Ford F-150 extended cab with a 6.5 feet bed. I have not put the kayaks on it yet and am interested in seeing pictures or descriptions of how you guys secure your kayaks in the 6.5 feet bed (or longer with the tail gate down). I have not bought the bed extender yet as I would like to see if I can secure a couple kayaks well enough without it first.

Thanks.

[BassMoore]

I get my 12ft secured down extremly tight in a 4.5 ft bed of my frontier

[dsiekman]

F250 Crew Cab, long bed diesel. With the tailgate down I've got 10' plus supported. Might be a little overkil...

[ictalurus]

I'm glad you found your boat. That's great news. I hope everything is OK.

I have an 8ft bed in my pickup. I put the yak in diagonally with the bow behind the driver seat and the stern at the back behind the passenger seat. I leave the tailgate up, and run straps through the scuppers to the bed rails. I'm not sure how I would secure if I didn't have the bed rails. I would probably use a ratcheting rope pulley to the the holes where you could put vertical posts to extend the bed upward. I'll take some pics. I'm not sure how it would work with a 6.5ft bed.

[kevinfry]

I get my 12ft secured down extremly tight in a 4.5 ft bed of my frontier

LOL, bet that looks like your rig is smoking a big plastic stogie.

[Financeguru]

So the bed of my Ford F150 is 6.5 feet but with the tail gate down, I think I would have about 8.5 feet of floor. I've pictured in my mind how Ictalurus has his kayak secured in his 8 ft bed with the tail gate bed but I don't think it would work well with 6.5 bed with the tail gate up. (BTW Ictalurus, do you put some foam or padding under the kayak where it sits on the top corner of your bed?)

For those like me with 6.5 or shorter beds, do you guys just put the tail gate down, lay the kayak on the bed floor, and ratchet strap the kayak down using the 4 tie downs (a pair near the front of the bed and a pair near the back end of the bed, all four on the walls and near the bed floor)? Do you run the ratchet strap through scuppers or something else on the kayak or just run it over the top and cinch it down? Do you put any foam or pads between the truck bed and the hull of the kayak?

I'll also want to take two or three kayaks at times in the bed...do you guys think laying them down on their side is the best way or stacking them one on top of the other?

For reference, I have Hobie Revolutions and a Hobie Outfitter to carry.

Thanks.

[c-villefisherr408]

Ive gotten 3 in my truck bed at once (two 8 fters and my 12 ft) wasnt easy but i did it. Laid the 2 8 footers on their side and ratcheted em down then ratcheted my 12 footer from the top end to the front hook up and 1 ratchet on the back end and im ready to roll. If i do just my 12 footer i attach the ratchet straps 1 on the left one on the right and tighten down

[ictalurus]

Here are some pics:




With a 6.5ft bed, you might have more yak outside the bed than inside, even if you put it in diagonally. Time to break out the trigonometry. On the other side, I run a bike lock through the Mirage Drive and through the bed rail. I'm sure someone could pick it easily enough, but it probably deters quick snatch and grabs somewhat. I run the lock through one of the front scuppers on the Tarpon. Regarding padding, I've got an old boat cushion/floatation thingy between the bow of the yak and the corner of the bed. That's mostly to protect the yak. As you can see, my truck is pretty rusty, so I don't really care about the paint. There's nothing between the yak and the top of the tailgate. When I carry my Tarpon, I put some mechanic's rags between the yak and the tailgate to protect the yak. If I ever get a new truck, I'll probably have a spray-in bedliner installed and have them cover the top of the tailgate and bed.

Jeez, I need to paint my shed.

[Financeguru]

Thanks for the pics...i'm going to experiement this weekend. i may need to get a foam camping pad from walmart to put down on the bed first as I dont like the idea of cinching down the kayak tight on to the bed floor.

[ictalurus]

I forgot to mention, I've also carried three yaks. Two were side by side cockpit down with the tailgate up, and the third was cradled cockpit up between the lower two. Then I had a spaghetti spider web of straps to keep everything in place. It worked pretty well, but I couldn't see out the back window. I imagine a similar set up would work with the tailgate down.