pickup truck bed size

[zeebyrd]

I am now out in Allegany County and loving the potential fishing locations out here. Just waiting for warmer weather.

I am considering replacing my 12 year old GMC pickup 6' bed. I am looking at something that isn't as expensive as the $60K GMC pickup that I built online.

My brother-in-law suggested I look into a Hyundai Santa Cruz because it is smaller and doesn't chug gas like my GMC.

The Santa Cruz has a 3' bed. I have a 10' Perception Pescador Pro. While this does hang out over the tailgate with my GMC I know it would definitely hang out over the Santa Cruz tailgate. I do not want the tailgate extender that I've had in the past and probably didn't really need with the GMC. I found the extender to be just another thing to lug around.

Does anyone here have a pickup with a 3' bed and could give me an idea of how their kayak fits/ travels in a short bed? I am not set on buying the Santa Cruz. I am just researching pickups at this time.

Thanks in advance.

[dsaavedra]

I can't speak to a 3 ft bed, but I can provide some insight on bed sizes. I have a standard 6 ft bed, the tailgate adds another 2 feet so it is 8 ft with the tailgate down. I am able to haul my 12 ft kayak (it's more like 12.5 ft according to the specs) without a bed extender, but I would not be comfortable hauling anything longer. My bed+tailgate supports roughly two thirds of the kayak, which I think is the minimum you should shoot for. A 3 ft bed plus 2 ft tailgate would only support roughly half of your 10 ft kayak, which I think has the potential to be sketchy unless you could verify firsthand that it's okay.

[J.A. Veil]

Pickups and SUVs have a better image than minivans. But for 11' and shorter kayaks, you can transport a kayak fully inside the van and close the rear hatch for total security (no straps required). I have been doing it for 10 years. Unless you want or need a pickup for other reasons, consider a minivan as a worthy kayak hauler. The photo shows my 11' Native Falcon 11 kayak inside the minivan.


2021-05-11-002_1.jpg

I returned today from a 23-day driving trip to Florida. I drove 3,448 miles with the kayak inside the van. I averaged over 27 mpg during the trip.

[Redfish12]

John, that's a long haul with a plastic passenger! I don't think I could stand the smell of mine in the car after a week of fishing on it. Did you go to the carwash first?

[Jigsup]

I’m in the same boat as Dave. My 2017 Chevy has a 6ft bed. With tailgate down I get 8ft. My kayak is 12ft and sits on the bed just right. I bought a bed extender but never used it. I do utilize straps to hold down the kayak. The kayak will slide off the truck if not secured. It’s nice because I can store my rods in the rod holder in the vertical position which lets everyone know either I’m going fishing or just got done fishing. Lol.

I work on Hyundais and I can tell you the Santa Cruz wouldn’t be ideal for kayak hauling. That bed is way too small for a ten foot kayak. Definitely not practical. You’d have enough room for about two weeks of groceries on the back of the Santa Cruz.

John does promote the idea of using a van to haul his kayak. There is another member on this forum who does the same with an older van. Definitely works. I really like the security aspect of it. But I wonder how often you will have to clean/shampoo the interior. Im real particular about smells, specially in a vehicle.

I’d say a pickup with no less than a 6ft bed would be ideal.

[Redfish12]

My tacoma has a 5 foot bed and I need a bed extender with my Outback. I think I could get away without it if I had a 6ft bed. I'm intrigued by the Ford Maverick due to the advertised MSRP and 44mpg around town mileage. I think with an extender it would be a great kayak rig.

[J.A. Veil]

For those who commented on the smell factor of a kayak inside a van, it is a non-issue for me. My water shoes, fishing gloves, and rag smell far more than the kayak itself. If my kayak did get stinky fish slime or poop on it, I would clean it off prior to sliding it back in the van. Note that I rarely fish with bait or keep fish to eat. That may make a difference in the smell factor.

I currently have a Toyota Sienna van and used to have a Honda Odyssey van. By folding and/or removing the second and third row seats, I can accommodate up to an 11' kayak. I tried a 12' Native Ultimate one time as an experiment. I need to flip the kayak upside down so it would fit under the angled windshield. So realistically, 11' is the upper limit of what can be carried conveniently. Also, when I carry my kayak inside the van, I am unable to carry any other passengers.

[Mark]

I believe a minivan is the idea "fishmobile". I have used one as such for most of my kayaking years.

I have owned two Sienna vans during the past 13 years. Unlike John, I never put my kayaks into my vans. I cartopped them. One reason I never put my kayaks inside my vans (aside from the tight fit) is that my minivans also serve as a family vehicle that I use for everything from grocery store shopping, to doctor visits, to hauling grandkids to vacation travel.

However, as my age approached the weight of my heaviest kayak, cartopping got more difficult. So, a few years ago I bought a Tacoma pickup. Sliding my kayaks into the 6.5 foot truckbed is infinitely easier than cartopping them. (Also, I use lightweight aluminum Yakima bed extender on my truck. I won't go fully into its attributes here, but the stability it adds to my kayak hulls during transport and the accompanying peace of mind is important to me. Plus the extender folds up easily for storage on the truck when not in use.)

But...with my truck, I really miss the secure (out-of-the-weather) storage of my rods and other fishing gear that my vans provided, especially with the third row of seats hidden under the floor.

I work around that with my Tacoma now. I carry 9 foot fly rods fully rigged in the truck bed by laying them beside my kayaks. (Carrying them fully rigged saves me time at the launch -- a personal preference, not a necessity.) However, they are exposed to the weather and to potential theft should I stop for any reason short of my destination. I can store a few other fishing items behind my seat. But overall, interior storage is not as large or convenient in my truck as in my van. And I miss that.

So, again, I believe a minivan is a great vehicle for kayak anglers providing they are still young and fit enough to lift their kayaks to the roof. Not trendy and not cool. They won't turn heads on the road. But a minivan is very functional as a "fishmobile" for kayakers.

[zeebyrd]

I used to get comments from my sister- a BMW snob about my truck. When I told her it was easier to load a kayak into the bed of a truck than on top of a vehicle she understood.
I have a horrendous back which can act up if I’m
not careful. It’s the reason I have a fairly lightweight kayak.
I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I am thinking of a midsize GMC or Chevy truck when the time comes. The Hyundai idea was something my brother in law suggested.
I don’t have to replace my GMC - it’s just that I would like to. It’s 12 years old with 96K miles which isn’t much for a 12 year old truck. It’s just started having issues with some of the windows no longer working. I don’t know what to expect price wise if I had them fixed. The power steering went and that wasn’t cheap.

[FishnFun]

My truck has 5' bed; 6+ with gate down. Am using a Boonedox T-bone to hold up my 12+ ft Outback. If I had a 3' bed, I'd get a rack and load the yak on the roof.

[ronaultmtd]

Been a while since I have been on the forum...hello all...I have used a old Ford Ranger 2007 truck for years...only haul garden supplies and my kayaks with it...I built a cradle that fits securely inside the bed that extends a few feet off the end of the bed with two 4X4 landscaping timbers...I tapered the ends abd covered the wooden beams with indoor-outdoor carpet...my 2016 Outback Lady Luck fits it perfectly and securely...the 2018 Compass has a different hull due to its stern, but still works fairly well...I bungee the kayak in and go...very quick launch/recovery at the launch...

[DanMarino]

I'm a trailer guy, but that can be a pain sometimes too. Loading on and off the trailer is easy, but hooking up to the trailer is an extra step. I'll eventually get a cheap pickup truck or one of those old fashioned full sized vans. I like the security and ease of throwing the kayak in an empty cargo van. Same with a pickup. My other hobby is pinball machines, so the cargo van or pickup would come in handy for that too.

[gliebig]

I'm a trailer guy, but that can be a pain sometimes too. Loading on and off the trailer is easy, but hooking up to the trailer is an extra step. I'll eventually get a cheap pickup truck or one of those old fashioned full sized vans. I like the security and ease of throwing the kayak in an empty cargo van. Same with a pickup. My other hobby is pinball machines, so the cargo van or pickup would come in handy for that too.

They still make pinball machines?

[zeebyrd]

DanMarino,

I would love to have a pinball machine but with all the hobbies I have I fear it would go well beyond one machine.

I have considered a trailer. I do get a hitch receiver on every truck I have had. It doesn’t add much to the price of the truck. There may be a time when I have to use a trailer but I’m holding off for now.

[Mark]

I can see myself using a trailer in the future.

Yakima makes a lightweight trailer that folds for space saving storage. I would consider one of those.

However, as always, there are tradeoffs. Some of the launch sites here in Anne Arundel County do not permit trailer parking.