that might work
Maybe the Oak Orchard rack with a set of yakima towers over the cab would be a good solution. Only a few hundred dollars new, so that’s nice.
I wonder how sturdy those Oak Orchard “option 2” racks are. Does anyone have them? Do they wobble?
Would that combination be strong enough to hold 4 kayaks? (about 200 pounds?)
bed extender good
I have a bed extender like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/HitchRack-HITCH-EXT-Truck-Bed-Extender/dp/B002MAK7XQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1258480061&sr=8-3
2 kayaks are a breeze on this and the kayaks don’t catch much wind while driving thus I have no issue with hatches flying off and such.
If I need more kayaks I use Malone HandiRack. Not the best product but it does the job well in the instances when I need to carry more kayaks.
OakOrchard
I have this setup on a 2001 Ranger with a hard tonneu cover. It works well. Only carry two kayaks. Easy on and off with the rear rack.
and is it stable?
Does the rack seem robust? Would you put four boats on it? Does it wobble on bumpy roads?
Oak Orchard
Very stable with the two kayaks. No sway. I have taken trips 100+ miles and you don’t notice the load. I am not sure about the 200+ lbs. The only downside with this system is the round bar and the rolling of the cradles when unloading. I looked a long time for something with the hard cover and this is the best I could find and it works well.
Thanks
Good to hear some first-hand feedback.
Yakima rates the q-towers on my truck for a 175 pound load. That’s 3 kayaks.
Another solution would be to get two oak orchard racks, and just use those. I like that they’re removeable.
Topper
Ditto what guideboatguy said. I have been there and back with my own Tundra. Had the Thule rack and didn’t like it, had the TracRac which is - IMO - the best rack money can buy and worth every penny of the price. But couldn’t lock/store anything in the bed and didn’t like their tonneau option. Not sure if it’s still the same one, but the one they offered when I was looking was fabric, which to me is a waste of time. When TracRac wises up and makes a hard, lockable tonneau, maybe along the lines of what’s on the Chevy Avalanche, they’re going to make a lot of money.
So about 2 years ago I broke down and went with a Snugtop camper shell with the Thule tracks pre-installed. Also sprung for the installed interior light, the fold-down front window, and the clothes hanger rack. Whole setup works great. And I actually get 1-2 more MPG with it on (and the rack removed, though).
I put a Bedrug inside, which is padded on the underside to match the grooves in the Tundra’s bed. Have slept in there several times, including across the country when I moved. Nice and comfy.
Oak Orchard Rack
I had the Oak Orchard “Style #2” setup on my Chevy S-10. I also had a hard tonneau cover, which is why I ended up buying it.
The rear rack mounted under the rails of my tonneau cover (no problems opening/closing the cover without removing the rack).
As far as quality, it worked well for me. When I first used it, I was a little nervous because it swayed back and forth a little. This is likely because the plates that bolt under my rails are made (IMO) of a thinner gauge steel than they should be. The style that bolts to the inside of the bed rails may or may not have the “sway” problem. This said, I have carried 2 boats (14.5’ & 17’ - probably 130# total) on 3-4 hour trips (each way) many times, and have had no problems. After each season, I had to spray the mounting plates with some Rustoleum because they would get some surface rust (they are not powder coated like the upright bars).
They were very east to take down after a trip, just 2 bolts with lock-nuts on either side to take down the uprights (one bolt needed a hex wrench, so they were not as easy for the casual thief to steal). The mounting plates stay on.
Here are some pictures of my setup:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iSv0nKX8zkC0cebbuxS-Xw?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PRIE0UDNJKNCZXO0Ayu-iw?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u7J2wG4750h8KrSatnwYxA?feat=directlink
The mounting plates stick out a little from the truck side, and I did accidently bump into one of them - got a nasty bruise on my side!! (not as bad as whacking your shin on your hitch ball though!)
Anyway, good luck!!