Best bed rack for hauling 12' aluminum boat

Thinking of taking my 12' Meyers aluminum boat (100-150 lbs) with me to Florida this winter and need to know my best option for a bed rack for my '12 Tacoma, 4x4, off road, access cab.
Normally, I just toss it in the bed , but, I am towing my pop up camper also, so, I need to elevate the boat with racks.
I've seen the Thule xsporter online and called a local dealer, he wants $650, plus 50 for the bed rack adapter, 150 labor to install, total 850 bucks. Seemed pricey to me.
Also, anyone know how much carrying the boat up on a rack will affect my gas mileage.? thanks guys

 

http://www.orsracksdirect.com has the Thule 500 Xsporter for $584.95, I believe free shipping. The XK3 adapter for $44.95.

$150 labor??!!! If you can turn a Hex key set, it is VERY easy to install.

I have this setup on my DCSB. Very solid and stable.

 

Interesting idea, but, my boat is 12' long, and the trailer is a few inches taller than the back of my truck, so, that wouldn't work. thanks for the input however

 

id lash it onto the popup with ratchet straps

 

I was thinking the same thing about that labor charge! I'll try to find the installation instructions online somewhere. Hopefully I can install it myself, if I go with the Sportster. Thanks for the link an info !

 

Some dealers will sell 1/2 (one bracket of the Thule 500). Mount that close to tailgate. Mount a separate aftermarket crossbar as far forward on your roof. You're looking at 8 ft. or more between crossbars. Perfect for your 12' boat.

 

another interesting idea, would save me money certainly, but, on the other hand, every new campground stop would mean taking the boat off. worth consideration though, thanks !

 

ANother great suggestion to consider !!! thanks !

 

anyone have any idea how low i can set the Thule xporter pro 500 ? Its not clear from the info on the Thule website. I was thinking if i have the boat mounted like 6" or less above the sides of the truck bed I will have less wind resistance.

 

Saw this, this help you at all??? Mount to roof of camper?
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacoma-marketplace/297967-thule-aero-bars-feet.html

 

Probably wont work. I have the original thule xsports, because the walls of our beds angle in the racks will not adjust all the way down. I cut the bottom of my racks so i could adjust them down more. Ill post a few pics here soon so you can see what i am talking about. Also if you have the racks set that low the boat will obviously be hanging out the back and hit your trailer. I wouldn't worry about wind resitance so much, set the boat upside down, let it cantilever out over the cab, and set the racks so it is as close to the roof as you can get it.

This is as low as mine go, and i cut 4.5" off of the bottom.

 

Strap it on top of your pop up camper

 

My son had TracRacs on his last Chevy. They worked very well. Pretty sure they have a mount kit for the Tacomas IIRC (I was looking at using one by itself to mount my light forces, but I went with a BackRack instead.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_117754-25338-270001_?PL=1&productId=3179433

 

I've kinda ruled out mounting the boat to the camper. I'll be hopping from campground to campround for a couple months, many of which don't have places to fish, so, I'd prefer keeping the boat on the truck, rather than having to take the boat off every nite.

 

well, the trailer is a popup (hard sided aframe) , pics attached, sits 4' above the ground, same as the top of my truck bed walls, but, there are a couple protruding domed windows on the top of the trailer when it is folded down for towing. Those windows add a few inches to the height of the trailer, which is why I was thinking of mounting the boat 6" above the truck bed walls.
But yeah, my maine fishing buddy has racks on his Tundra for our backwoods fishing trips with 2 x 12' aluminum boats, one he thows in the bed of the truck, the other he mounts as you suggested, upside down, bow pointing forward, works great. However, we are traveling at interstate highway speeds, so, thats why I asked about wind resistance.

 

Ya I'm sure there will be some wind resistance, but the bottom of the boat is a very aerodynamical shape. If you think securing the boat at the same height as the top of the bedrails is the best way to go, then the adjustable thule racks may not be the best option. As you can see from the pictures i added they do not adjust very low without modifications. I don't know about the newer style, it may be different. I have seen cross bars that sit at the top of the bed rails that would work well, but i do not know who makes them. If you end up doing that you should probably make sure it will work with the trailer before you make a purchase. Throw some 2x4s across the bed and strap the boat down, hook up the trailer and make sure the boat will not make contact, think about sharp turns while backing up and also things like backing up a hill when the angle of the trailer changes. My buddy did some damage to his tool trailer while backing up carrying lumber on his racks.

 

Thanks ,am looking at the TracRacs right this moment........at first glance, I really like the movable brackets on the top of the racks, would be very helpful in bracketing in and tieing the boat to the racks, but, am worried how the racks will attach to the tacoma, need to read more.

 

I've seen those cross bars, even from a gentleman here who sells them, but, I need to elevate the boat a bit and those cross bars don't seem to do that. Yes, will experiment with two by fours to see what kind of clearance I need. My first estimate is that the boat needs to be elevated from the side walls of the truck about 6" to make sure the boat safely clears the top of the camper in all situations. But, I have plenty of time to figure it out, don't leave for Florida til after Christmas.

 

I know this isn't exactly what your looking for, but if he still has it you might be able to get a good deal
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/buy-sell-trade/262171-thule-375-truck-rack-475-shipped.html

 

Hey guys found this on craigslist, i believe its the Thule Xsporter 422xt with the xk1 clamps? correct me if i am wrong guys, as I am gonna go buy this tomorrow. 295 bucks, seller said he never actually installed it on his truck, so, like brand new.. good deal?

http://nh.craigslist.org/pts/4168462731.html

thanks for all the help guys!