On the off chance that anyone here has an F150, any recommendations for the best rack system? It would be a bonus if it also could accommodate my 12 foot canoe. I’ll primarily be carrying a QCC 500x …
F-150 Help
I’ve got an 07 F-150 supercab. Here’s a link to an F-150 owners web site with lots of links for factory and aftermarket equipment. http://www.fordf150.net/
Check the forums for your year and then search the threads and you’re bound to find the help you need. I’ve found great links to bed liners, tonneau covers and mechanical upgrades. Good luck.
try this instead…
You got me curious so I went to the f150 site and came up with nothing useful. Try this google link insead
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=kayak+racks+for+trucks&aq=1&oq=kayak+racks+for+
Thule and others. Happy shopping.
carrying ontop of truck
I drive a F250 crew cab which I put Yakima roof racks w/ Q-Towers, mako saddles for my kayak and Yakima’s canoe holders for my canoe. They both can fit up there at the same time. Just know that once you put racks up there, that then you’ve got to somehow get your boat that high up into the air to rest on those racks!!!
I have one with a cap on it
– Last Updated: Aug-30-08 6:47 AM EST –
and I have three sets of Yakama bars. Two on the cap and one on the roof.
All of them are on Yakama landing pads.
The two on the cap are bolted through to the inside,
and the one on the roof is also a landing pad which has a device similar to a toggle bolt, only much bigger that goes between the outer roof and the inner head liner.
I travel at high speeds all over the country with three boats on and am very confident in them.
I keep a four foot step ladder in the truck for tying them down.
If you don't have a cap just use the front roof.
the cantilevered rack in the center is just a home made device for a 23 foot long tandem kayak that I have.
[http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/60/460/6/96/52/2857696520088080270BHMWSA_th.jpg](http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2857696520088080270BHMWSA)
Cheers,
JackL
Nice rig jackl
Thanks
Cheers,
jackL
But kin’ yer…
– Last Updated: Aug-30-08 11:58 AM EST –
pick up de BBC wit dat, Jackl?
FE
Look up Yakima Sportsman racks.
Rock solid. I used a homemade rack I built on my F-150.Esay to build and cost about $30.
cheap alternative
If you want to do it on the cheap, this worked for me and my (seldom used) f150 shortbed: pick up a bed extender (looks like a small goalpost) from harbor freight for something like $40, tape some thick foam on it, and there you go. I’d tie the front of the kayak down from one side of the bed to the other with the ford’s built in hooks (near the bottom of the sidewalls) and then I’d secure the kayak mid-section by strapping to the bed extender. Finish the job by tying a big red flag to the kayak stern. It’s not the most elegant solution, but I used it for my sea kayak and canoe for hundreds of miles without any problems ever. It also makes it easy to load up/unload because of the low height. The bed extender also came in handy for hauling long 2x4’s, tables, etc. I now use thule racks for my car - the truck just sucks too much gas.
Thanks …
I’ve been looking at bed extenders and wondered if they’d do the trick. Even with the extender, the kayak would hank way out back there, but I’m thinking it really shouldn’t be a problem and as you note, it would be a lot easier to load that way than heaving it onto a roof rack or one that rides above the bed …
bed extender
Yep, it works. For the long kayak (18’10") I used a 2’ hitch extender along with the harbor freight extender. It added another two feet to the overall length. For a shorter kayak/canoe I wouldn’t have bothered. On longer trips I used two old 2x10x16’ boards that I laid lengthwise in the bed and over the goalpost. I then nailed two short 2x4’s horizontally so that the goalpost beam fit snugly in between them (the 2x4’s). It added a little more support at the stern end of the kayak, but I’m not sure if it was necessary. I also put a lawn cushion under the part of the kayak in truck bed to protect it from bouncing around. In my opinion loading/unloading a kayak to the height over the truck cab would be a pain in the butt, especially after a good workout.
Listen to me here please…and
you will be shocked! Go to an aluminum fabricator and have a custom rack welded to your personal design. It can be a bolt off, canopy surrounding, rack that can be made to accomodate after market attachments. I had mine made over 400k miles ago by an aerospace welder for about $500. It’s hauled hundreds of boats and big loads flawlessly for years and still looks new. It will last a lifetime! I can’t imagine doing it any other way with a truck…
Commercial folk, pro’s, reps, etc, know this and that’s what they do. Al is better than steel as it’s lighter and will not rust.
I’m amazed at what people pay for kayak specific racks that are a joke compared to a commercailly built custom product.
Few listen to this advice but should you choose to, you will be forever happy. Trust me!
For less than $500, I’ll take my
Yakama Rack system that can be and has been transferred from one vehicle to another, and has not only water sports attachements but bike and ski racks that go on and off in seconds.
Cheers,
jackL
Price
I didn’t know we were getting into the price of racks but since we are… my yakima system all came off of e-bay!!! Took me several different auctions but finally got everything. Well almost. Had to go to my local outdoor outfiter for the hardward specific to my truck w/yakima to fit the rack to my truck. But everyone will have to do that. That’s just a small joining piece of metal from truck to rack and it’s VERY model specific. Anyways, look on e-bay or locally even craigs list some times has used racks and odds and ends that you can put together. I used wider poles than what were listed on the yakima site and they worked out much better for carrying my canoe & kayak together.
The best rack system
Since we are getting into cost a bit here… I guess I am cheap, but I just cannot see forking over $500 to Yakima or Thule for something so simple. I built a rack from 2x4’s using Simpson (metal) connectors. Total cost with Minicell saddles was about $20. It’s worked flawlessly… stores easily, is light-weight and can be installed or removed by one person in about 60 seconds.
racks
I have a Ford Ranger and got a Yakima Sportman rack for hauling our kayaks. I’ve had other Yakima products in the past (bike racks), and they always have performed and lasted well for me. The Sportsman wasn’t inexpensive, but it works fine and is very stable.
For attachments, we use Mako saddles in the front and Hully Rollers in the back. The rollers make it very easy to load and unload our boats. I tried the J-racks and returned after loading my kayak one time because it was so difficult to do by myself.
Bed extender
I have a Ford F150 crew cab and have transported a roto T170 and T165 with a bed extender.
I nylon tie two foam noodles on top of the extender, put a boat cushion against the bed and one under the end. I turn my boats upside down and use one strap for each boat around the hull and extender and one strap across the end of the boats using the cargo hooks. Top off with a red flag on the end.
For real long trips I think I would consider Teletwang’s idea of the 2xs for extra support.