I’m getting ready to build some racks for my new pickup truck. I plan on using the stake pocket holes and I want the rack removeable.
Anyone have any plans or pics of their DIY racks.
I have an idea of what I’d like to make. Just curious to see other folks systems.
Thanks,
Nick
for 1 kayak
If I were making one tomorrow … I would base it on the same kind of rack that you see on utility pick-up trucks for carring one ladder to one side … its only suitable for carrying one kayak at a time … but thats prob all I would need 91.354% of the time anyway
… there are two steel uprights along one side of the bed that extend just above the P-U cab … with a short horizontal member on each one.
To those I’d mount some sort of shaped carrier (small piece of plywood?) for holding one kayak … a curve suiting the side of the kayak cut into the plywood … so the yak would be rolled up near 90 degree from level.
That way the pickup bed is still nearly fully unencumbered for other duties.
(without removing the rack)
My be able to help
Nick. I don’t know where you live, but I have a goal post style rack that fits the post holes on a full size Toyota Tundra sitting in my garage, just waiting for a home free! It is made out of square steel. I ended up going with the Yakima Outdoorsman. I live in Newport News, VA.
There is a pic of a rack
I threw together last Friday from some plans that “String” from this board-faxed to me. It is on my webshots page-the link is in my profile. I made it so it can be put together and taken apart easily, as I use my truck for hauling hay and the horse trailer. I had to modify it a bit as my stake holes are covered-but it works great!
Mira
Yeah
I would love to see some nice rack pictures, wink wink, nudge nudge!! L
No pics but…
Mine was 2X4 uprights, measured for a height that would clear the truck roof by 3 inches. 2X4 front and rear upper cross beams. 1X4 upper right and left beams. 1X2 lower right and left support beams, mostly for decoration. Glued and screwed the whole assembly. 6 inch right triangles made of scrap marine ply for gussets 4 each, to enhance rigidity glued and screwed on the inside upper corners. Stained the whole thing with walnut stain. 2 coats of varnish. To describe it would be to call it a big walnut stained rectangular frame with posts, measuring the same as the inner demensions of my truck bed (4’ by 6’). My Chevy S10 does not have post holes so I use 3/8 course thread hook-bolts and wingnuts. Holes drilled through uprights. Hook went into tie-down hooks in lower portion of truck bed. Wing nuts cinched it all down. Weighed around 12 to 15 pounds total. Took 5 minutes to put in truck. Cost was zero as I used scrap lumber and finishes left over from other projects.
To haul two kayaks, I initially just used the blue foam blocks. I enlarged the slot in them so they would snugly fit over the thickness of the 2X4 cross beams. After I built my canoe, I built a reinforced 1X4 upright “side stacker” frame (2 each) that would bolt to the cross beams, front and rear. Then I could carry three boats on their sides.
Now that I have the camper shell, I just use the side stacker frames and bolt them to the stock ladder rack that came with my shell.
They are easy to build. Just apply common sense and enjoy!
I have one of those too
Actually, I have that kind of ladder rack in my one pickup truck and I can actually fit two kayaks on it. But for my new truck, I have the need to carry more than 2 boats. and with teh way the rack mounts, I won’t be able to use that type and my tonneau cover. Plus I’m cheap and don’t want to spend $300 on a rack.
Nick
NJ
I’m in NJ, so I’ll have to pass on the offer, but thanks.
The Garden State
I grew up in Wayne!