We are wanting to purchase kayaks but are having a problem finding a way to transport them when we go camping. We pull a 5th wheel and need to know if others have figured out a way to transport them while on the road.
Details?
What is tow vehicle? Crew cab or shorter?What kind of kayak (length and weight)? How many? Ive seen smaller whitwater boats rigged onto the rear ladder on 5ers. One other “solution”. Is a front hitch mount, a t-bar boat rack to go in the hitch mount (like smaller cars use off the back) and a second rack mounted near the front edge of the trucks roof. Depending on truck configuration ive seen this setup with fairly long canoes/kayaks. The hitch mounted t-bar would stick about 1" out from the front bumper and the kayaks overhanging that substantially so it will hamper your manuvaribility.
To make you feel better my long bed truck with a tow trailer barely can carry my 17’ canoes on the bed cap mounted racks without interferencw. If i went longer i would need a 3rd rack over the cab
Transporting with a 5th wheel
The tow vehicle is a long bed, extended cab pickup and we are planning on purchasing 2 ten foot kayaks. Our 5th wheel is a 32ft Cardinal. Ever seen a way to mount two kayaks on the back of a 5th wheel?
5th Wheel and Kayak
Using the front mount and “Tee Bar” I have carried a 16ft Sea Kayak on a exteneed cab long bed pick up. As I was only carring one I centered it (right to left )on the cab. This gave me the room needed for the 5th wheel to pivit when turning.
Front reciever hitch
www.thehitchstore.com
They should be able to hook you up.
Front hitch is great for T-bars,bike racks.clay bird throwers.Heck they even have a toilet seat that slips into the reciever.
That’s what I did - third rock over the
– Last Updated: Jul-31-11 9:05 AM EST –
cab, and I carry a 23 foot long tandem and two sea kayaks. No problem at all with any overhang interferring with the swing of the trailer.
Jack L
PS: in the title of my post, that is supposed to say "rack"
Inside
You can always put them inside. My wife’s and my boat (16’-6 & 18’) go on top of our Suburban, my daughters 10’er goes inside the camper. We have a toy hauler that has a side ramp but found it just as easy to take it in through the regular door. It sits on the floor just fine, and doesn’t interfere with closing our bump out.
i drive a 2015 chevy 2500 and i tow a pull behind camper with a golf cart in the bed of the truck, but i cant figure out a way to haul my 2 kayaks, one 12ft and one 10ft. I cant use a front hitch mount, is there another way to haul this setup at an inexpensive way?
$MITH52, roof racks on the cab of the truck if you have a double cab or a quad cab. Perhaps a ladder rack if you don’t?
Get folding kayaks. Pakboats’ models are just as efficient and comfortable as hard shell boats, around the same price as quality plastic boats and can be stored in duffel bags in the baggage compartment. Also half the weight of equivalent sized hardshells. I’ve owned 8 of them over the years. Most practical boats for any kind of travel.
Most that carry sea kayaks use a rack off the front bumper and a roof rack on the roof of the truck. For my truck that puts the kayaks, 17ft, too far forward for my taste so I stay with a travel trailer. Some in another string of posts months ago showed pictures of this rack above the cab. They also centerline stacked two sea kayaks to avoid conflicts with the trailer on the 5th wheel.