I’m investigating getting a rack for my truck to replace my homebuilt wooden one. Here’s the deatials. It’s for a full size pickup truck. I want to be able to remove it when I don’t need it. I have a Access tonneau cover that is bolted to the inside lip of the bed rail already.
Any suggestions,
Thanks,
Nick
I’ve had good luck with a T-bar
That fits in the receiver and an inflatable handi-rack on the cab of my a Dodge Dakota.
It depends on the length of your bed and boat too.
Good Luck
Randy
Check out this rack
http://www.canoegear.com/catalog/product.php?productid=376&cat=41&page=1
I had it for 3 years. Bombproof. Carries up to 5 kayaks easily with the stackers. On and off in minutes.
??
I don’t think that one will work, it looks like it needs to clamp to the bed rail. I have and access lite-rider tonneau in which the rail for the tonneau runs along the inside lip of the bedrail and doesn’t allow you to clamp anything to it.
Check out the Trac Rac
– Last Updated: Aug-06-05 2:07 PM EST –
If you just need access to your bed and not really need "removable", try the Trac Rac (http://http://www.trac-rac.com/). Since you can slide the racks along the rail you can get it out of the way for hauling big things and shovelling bulk materials. I bought mine at http://www.cargogear.com and bought saddles through Amazon (cheaper).
It costs a bit more than clamp on racks but looks good and is made of all Aluminum and SS. Take a look at other racks' (Yakima/Thule) hardware in parking lots and such and you will find most rusted to the point that removing them would be a PITA.
*The Trac Rac does not clamp on -using expansion blocks in the stake pockets instead so it may work with your cover if it doesn't attach atop of the bedrail.
3hrTour (Who hears he has a "nice rack" quite often)
Stake Pockets?
Not all that many trucks have stake pockets anymore. I have a T-Rac made by TracRac. It clamps on. I hauled as many as four 16’ kayaks with it. The cheapest and, in my opinion, the best way to go is buy a 110 mig welder and custom build your own rack.
Yakima Rack
I have a Dodge Dakota 4x4 with the club cab. I have a Yakima rack on it, and it works well. The rack towesrs are clamped onto the inside the door frame of the cab, over the foam weatherstripping.
It is a secure rack, and I can honestly take it off in 5 minutes, but I fuss somewhat when I put it on and it takes 10-15 minutes until it suits me. I have the extended cab, so I had to get the stretch kit,and that takes a couple more minutes to put on.
My friend has a regular truck, with a rack like mine, and he takes his off, and puts it on every time he uses it.
ALWAYS use a bow and stern rope when driving down the highway too.
Reply to this with your e-mail address, and I will e-mail a picture to you of my truck with the rack on it, so you can better see what I am saying.
Good Luck!
I had the same issue…
I also have a hard tonneau cover, and had a hard time finding a compatible rack. I settled on a custom rear rack from Oak Orchard Canoe and a Yakima rack on top of the cab (they sell it as a package - http://www.oakorchardcanoe.com/racks.htm).
The rear rack mounts between the tonneau cover and the rails, so I still have access to the truck bed and can open and close the cover while the rack is on. They make them to fit on a truck bed with or without a tonneau cover/cap, with a few different mounting options.
To install it you have to (at least in my case) separate the rear section of the tonneau (mounting) rail from the bed rail and install a mounting bracket/plate between the two. It’s a 1/8" thick steel plate that is made to fit over your bed rail, which bolts to the inside vertical section of the bed rail. The plate extends past the truck a couple of inches (under the tonneau cover), and bolts to custom made “uprights” that hold a Yakima round bar - so you can use Yakima or other compatible saddles. Sounds complicated, but I can post pictures if you want.
I’m reasonably satisfied with this set-up because they are easy to remove if necessary (they unbolt from the mounting bracket - 2 bolts). They do sway a bit (side to side), which worries me a little, but I have not had a problem yet (I just carried two kayaks - 14.5’ & 16.5’ - 500 miles without a problem). I may be able to solve the sway by connecting the diagonal points with cam-buckle straps, but I have not had the time to play around with it.
Good luck!!