Wagon or SUV?

[kevinfry]

I use my midsize Colorado pickup with a cap and It works great for me.
If we go camping, or if I am hauling multiple boats, I use the ladder rack on the top of my cap.. Most of the time I use the bed with tail gate down. I'll did cuss why this works great....though I'll admit it worked way better with my 12.5' that my current 15' boat...more later

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[Pineapple24]

I have a short bed f150 which is sweet because I live a few blocks from my community ramp. When I fish with my neighbors, we just throw all the yaks and gear in the truck. Of course trucks aren't for everyone, but if you can find and have the money for an old beater truck, that's what I would do.

[ReelLucky22]

I traded in my Chevy S10 pick up for a 2016 Subaru Forester in November. I also like to go camping. Loading the yak in the truck bed was a breeze but there's no space left for camping gear (unless you use a bed rack). With the subaru I can car top the yak and put camping gear inside (where it can also stay dry). To make loading the yak on the roof as easy as possible I'll soon be buying a Thule Hullavator rack. Subies are popular with outdoor enthusiasts because they're so practical for our needs. The all wheel drive has shined this winter, and 32mpg with my 110 mile round trip commute has been great!

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[sega]

I'm with the other people suggesting a truck. A small truck would be ideal. Definitely the easiest way to load up a boat. I had a cherokee for awhile and loading my kayak alone sometimes could be a major pita. I think one of the reasons I went out way more this past season was because it was so easy to just throw my kayak in the back of the truck and ratchet it down.

If you did decide to go the truck route and you're still looking for some decent MPG that you'd get with the hatchback or small SUV I'd recommend a Ranger, or if you're willing to spend a little money a Tacoma. If you bring a lot of stuff camping you could always invest in a roof rack/turtle top. I have a tacoma short bed, and on trips to the OBX and what not we just use the turtle top.

If you're thinking of the SUV route I'd go with a Grand Cherokee, or an Xterra. Both of those are decent ORVs and won't break the piggy bank. If you want something a little nicer and a much better ORV, get a 4runner.

If you're going the hatchback route the only vehicle I would recommend is a subaru. I'd go with an outback.

[kevinfry]

A mid sized truck (fuel efficiency ranges from 19-29 MPG) has some other advantages. But, I strongly advise getting a carpet remnant that extends to end of tailgate. With this it is super easy (depending on the steepness of the ramp) to un load and load. The tail gate is close to the water, I just lift the stern on and then grab the bow and push it into the bed. The carpet gives a little friction so the boat does not fall out as I move to the bow. It also keeps the yak from sliding around in transport. I then drive to a spot and get everything lashed down and put away. With my new Xfactor I am certain to put a nice pad at the end of the tailgate and lash down the stern to avoid extra pressure on the boat at the end of the tailgate. With my Malibu2 tandem, it being just slightly over 12', I often would not even bother to lash it down. I just left the seat on (high backed seat in the center position) and closed the hatch on my truck cap. The yak could not fall out the back due to the seat back...though I only really needed that one time when I had to break on a very very steep driveway, otherwise the carpet friction was enough for everything to stay put. It is definitely a quick drop and go and stow and go....I do flag the end of the kayak, which I believe complies wuith the law

[dhawk]

I have mazda b4000 now which is basically a ranger which I made a homemade rack for. It makes loading more than one kayak easy I can carry 3 with my set up or load mine on top and have the bed for storage which is nice for camping gear. It also makes quick trips easy by just tossing it in the bed. I also use my wife's Xterra which is a bitch to load my fully rigged yak on but doable for me because I am tall. I used to have a Honda accord which was very easy to load but not much space for any thing else. I don't think there is a perfect vehicle you just have to weigh your options. I like the truck for versatility and ground clearance because I also hunt and get firewood in out of way places but if I was just fishing and camping a wagon seems to be a good way to go.

[kevinfry]

. I like the truck for versatility and ground clearance because I also hunt and get firewood

b4000? What year? My dad's company used to have a fleet of those in Oregon and he loved them. .......Definitely a significant amount of sawdust and deer blood in the back of mine....so far I have kept blood off the carpet. I also haul garbage cans to the transfer station rather than doing curbside pick up which saves me every month

[moc]

I guess with all of this advice and all the different choices that all of us have, we must have confused the heck out of 22Tango...LOL....

[coop1486]

Well let me confuse so more.I have Kia soul great car 29 mpg that use for transport my kayak and room for gear.Really easy for loading since roof high is low.But just not enough room for camping.So I brought a use Kia mini van took out all the seats except for front two.Built a platform on the floor of the van which has drawers for gear.Great van for camping which has room for me to stretch out and sleep comfortably.Get 26 mpg.
Now for loading my outback on roof with help of the slipstream is hardly any effort at all.This van is strictly for kayak ready at all times.

[mytmouse]

Pickups are great! Not that I own one, but I loathe fishing with people that do because of their ability to simply stow and go while I am stuck breaking down to car top. LOL Not a huge issue if you're only hitting one spot, but it gets tired real fast if you plan on a few launches in different spots on the same day/weekend. So for that, I want a pickup. But what's holding me back is simply costs. Even a small truck(which I can't really get because I have a family that will need to roll too so that automatically bumps me to crew cab class) won't give you as good mileage as a hatchback or small SUV. Of course they have eco-classed trucks now, but look at the price! And while gas is ridiculously low right now, I have no doubt in my mind that it will be jumping back up sooner than later.

I'd recommend a hatchback. Outback has been named, Scions XBs get good reviews as far as durability, and I also like the Mazda 3. All hatchbacks and can easily lay down the back row for additional space. I wouldn't concern yourself so much with a rack being an option as they can be easily, well relatively easy with some gumption to install. I own a Toyota Yaris Hatchback. And it's tight. But it works. I can stow everything I need for fishing and camping easily. When you add a person, it gets tricky but it works. But a bigger hatchback I think wouldn't be an issue. The only REAL drawback to my tiny car is stowing my rods. I can't go over 7' one-piece which is ok bc that's all I use. But you gotta lay them just right. The car is low so it's easy to hoist my yak on top and pull down. But what I really enjoy is my mileage. Folk crack jokes, but when I'm getting around 34 mpg with a yak on top and up to 40 without it I can take the heat. LOL!

One thing that this little car has taught me is to be compact in what I bring with me. I can't bring the whole kitchen sink with me so I have to bring the essentials. Everything I pack for fishing goes in my Plano sportsman trunk. Not including my rods, paddle, and seat. If I can't get it in there it doesn't make the cut. Which is fine. Less junk makes it easier to rig up and break down.

[silasvirus82]

I've loaded/unloaded kayaks from about every type of vehicle (my dads xterra (SUV), I had an Evo (sedan) with a roof rack, my wife's Subaru, an F150 double cab, even kayak trailers). By far the easiest of all of them is the truck. I can leave my kayak fully rigged and ready to go at my house, load it into the truck with a bed extender in about 5 mins, throw all my gear in the passenger seats behind me, unload at the ramp still fully rigged and be fishing in a few minutes (assuming I don't need to put on a dry suit ect.). The next best option is a trailer, you can sill usually leave the kayak fully rigged, but you have one extra step/hassle of dealing with a trailer. Car with a roof rack is the next best option, but then you're doing the rigging/unrigging dance at the ramp and at home which takes a lot of time. SUV would be my last choice. I have considered however that you could use the SUV like the truck, just lay the seats down in the back and leave the hatch open while transporting, but on a long haul that would not be ideal. Truck is the way to go.

[J.A. Veil]

Speaking of minivans, if you can get over the "un-sexy or not-macho" aspects, they are wonderful hauling vehicles. I can place either my Slayer Propel 10 or my Manta Ray 11 fully inside my Toyota Sienna, close the hatch, and drive away. I don't worry about roof racks or straps. There is plenty of room for my other kayak and fishing gear inside.

Here are some photos showing my previous minivan -- a 2003 Honda Odyssey.

004.jpg 053.jpg


For longer kayaks, I can tie them off to a support inside the van and drive with the hatch open.

[Pineapple24]

If you can store the kayak and gear inside a van or SUV that's great. The thing you have to keep in mind is are you OK with a potentially wet, sandy, etc... Kayak in the car with you? If you don't mind that, that is obviously the most secure route to take.

[DonV]

Nice compromise between a truck, wagon and SUV is one of these. Frontier
2016-nissan-frontier-side-view-night-armor.jpg

Love mine, with a low rack pretty easy to load a kayak. Never tried the bed extender thing. It is a short bed but have seen others haul in short beds with extenders. Nice compromise between a SUV and truck. Can fit five passengers and got the whole bed for gear. I do wish it was a long bed once in a while but everything is a compromise. One thing I can complain of, the turning radius is horrible, don't know if there have been any changes since I got my 2008 but have to watch them uturns.

[22Tango]

I guess with all of this advice and all the different choices that all of us have, we must have confused the heck out of 22Tango...LOL....

I really appreciate all of the insight. I'm going to look at doing a pickup. I had never really thought of that. Probably an older model to keep the price down. This won't be my primary vehicle - really just for the kayak, my bike, and my camping an hikes. I'll keep looking at the wagons too - like the Subaru Outbacks, but those just seem to be even more expensive than the trucks.

Thanks.