bed extender

[BassMoore]

anyone use this.. Ive seen a few around but i need some specs on it

I have a 4.9 ft bed in my Nissan and a 14 ft kayak.

I'm thinking of getting this bed extender. i know it extends another 3 feet or so. But i feel like the extra support would be nice. My kayak has never really moved much or bounced from the way Ive tied it down.

but my goal is to get this bed extender from harbor freight that's 69$ right now and put tail lights on it and reflective tape.

I want something to give me a little more security in case of preventing a re end job.

I wish there was a way i could get it to out atleast another foot. i know the bass pro one does but i like this one better.


any thoughts?

[wfauby]

i have that exact bed extender!! works like a charm. i have an F150 w a 6 foot bed. I have a set of magnetic lights (that i also bungeed) in case a pothole jars the magnets loose. I did do research on the magnetic lights and there were some complaints about those available at harbor freight (weak magnets). i got mine from Grainger (cost twice as much) but the magnets are strong as hell...get near the metal and you cant hold it from sticking. If you already use your truck bed to haul your yak, i think you will b delighted w the extender.

[BassMoore]

yeah i mean the 6ft bed is prolly amazing for you... i look near stupid haulin a 14 ft yak with a 4.9 ft bed lol... it works tho so ive been doing it

but the more i realize how stupid people are... im afraid of getting rear ended... and i think i should be able to like cement those magnetic lights on to save some money right?

or some kind of substance would like glue them down permanently. how do they attach to your truck tho. wires to the plug?

i feel like the extender wont make a huge difference .. like i said ive never had trouble with it moving around. i just want lights a little farther back. 4 lights are better then 2 . to save me from going thro an insurance claim bc some idiot re ended me lol

[wfauby]

Well if you are not concerned about the extra support the extender will give you...you could always rig-up the towing lights on something that could attach 1/2 to 3/4 ways back, along the top of your kayak, to support the lights. I would certainly put lights on it somehow. you have nearly 10 feet sticking out. The lights plug into a normal 4-prong trailer harness.

[Memory Maker]

The extender does make a huge difference. It makes it easy to load and takes alot of stress off of the middle of the yak because the support is further back. That said, the HF one is only 3 ft which is not much more than the tailgate. I think most of them are @ 4.5 ft. The extender can also be used to put things on top of the roof if you want ....... a 3 foot one can't. Yu can get the 4.5 ft for about $30 more and give you better support and give you the roof option.

[echo5oscar]

What? Only one set of ...........???

[rwh]

I recently bought the one from Harbor Freight. Seems pretty sturdy and a good fit for my Ride 135 and 6' truck bed. Darned thing was on sale all winter for $49.99 then when I decided to go ahead and get it, I missed the price by two days and it went to $69.99. One thing I noticed about mine is the two tie down loops on top were not welded very well. One of them looks like the weld didn't stick to the main bar on one of the legs of the loop and the other just looks like one side has a very thin weld joint. I think it is a minor flaw that may not ever cause an issue, but fortunately, I know a welder that can tighten that up for me just in case. I have some of the white/red reflective tape I plan to put on it. Even though there is no requirement for them to have lights in Virginia, I still want to put something on it for early morning or evening hauls and considered the magnetic lights and the bolt on lights, but since I'll be taking out of the hitch and securing it in my truck when I'm on the water, I would be worried about the lights & wiring getting banged around and broken, so I was thinking about just using the reflective tape on the extender and a battery operated bicycle tail light on either the extender or the end of the kayak. Something like this:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...8185506&ppp=27

[Shield]

Hey Zach, I just measured my HF bed extender and it is 4' 3". I think it will work fine with your bed. If you wanted to you could add a 2' extension with it. The added lights are nice also. Go for it.

[BassMoore]

i called HF yesterday and they only carry the 3 ft one now, atleast at the closest store to me in Glen Burnie.

Which is no bueno bc the 4' online all run at 100 bucks haha. but the 2' extender i seen for like 18$ i believe. would fit a little better.

i seen some photos of rigged up bed extenders yesterday with the tail lights and reflective tape, and its exactly how i want it. its perfect for a dark travel. deff enhances the view of the brake lights.

[BassMoore]

P9160389.jpg


P9160408.jpg

[Shield]

I agree on the lights. I added them just like in that picture.

[rwh]

How do you run the wiring along the extender? Do you zip tie it to the lower and upper portions? I wan't to be able to take mine apart after each trip for storage, but seems like once you run the wires, you kinda have to keep the upper and lower portions connected together.

(edit) took a closer look at the picture and now I see that the wiring isn't connected to the lower part at all, it runs directly to the connector on the truck. Definately going to pick up a set of lights for mine as well.

[dsiekman]

Maybe we should just trade boats! I've got a 9.5' yak and an 8' bed. It almost fits on the diagonal. I have to say, it looks a little rediculous backing an f250 diesel long bed down the ramp without a trailer...