Cheap, easy ways to haul kayaks

Looking for ideas for when winter is over. Saw this pic in another thread. Any ideas/suggestions welcome. (Also suggestions on the best way to strap them down)

I had a dakota with a hard trifold tonneau cover and I would just angle them them in with them sticking up over the tailgate. Couldn't fit much else back there that way though.

 

How long of a kayak?

most people I’ve seen just toss them in the bed and maybe add one of those hitch supports.

 

12 footers usually.

This is how I used to carry them. (Just imagine kayaks instead of lumber)

 

Like the harbor freight ones?

 

I guess? Kind of a t shaped thing that just hooks to the hitch. I’ve never shopped for one.

 

Two straps

 

I have one, adjustable length, width and height. Cheap and serves the purpose.

 

Square tubing cost is on the rise, but still a fairly inexpensive method. Here is mine:

 

15' ya sissys.

 

I bought an old jet ski trailer dirt cheap on Craigslist. Works great and keeps my bed clear for other gear.

 

My kayak is 14' 9", I use a bed extender or a Malone trailer, depending on how many people I'm paddling with. Simple NRS cam buckle straps work well. Many people use ratchet straps and overtighten them.

 

My yak is 11.5 ft and I lay it in the bed and run straps through the tailgate hinges. I miss the bed in my Tacoma AC but this works OK.



Tacoma

 

My 15' Swift Keewaydin on a bed extender. I haul a 17' Souris River Quetico the same way...I think it's just a few inches shorter than the total overall length of a passenger vehicle here in Ontario! My only issue is when driving on gravel roads you have to really slow down or run the risk of throwing stones up from the rear wheels and tagging the inside of the hull.

 

Throw um in, strap um down.

 

Sub'd, as I plan on purchasing a kayak this year. A 10ft angler. I have a diamondback and wondering how folks transport their kayaks and keep the bed free for gear. I don't want to put a roof rack on my truck, so I was considering the bars that Diamondback sells but I'd rather save some money if there is a more creative/cheaper solution out there....

 

Yeah if you're not worried about them I also just throw mine in and strap them down with the tailgate up. But they were free and old and i barely use them.

Once it's a bit warmer I'm going to the scrap yard to see if I can pull a roof rack from a flat roofed car to install on my cap. That's probably the cheapest solution that's not destructive to the kayaks

 

I use bed bars and a Yakima bed extender. My girlfriend has a smaller 10 ft boat and I thought I could use j cradles on the bed bars but couldn’t get it to fit.

 

$80 on Amazon.
this pic is the test fit when i got it.

 

This is how I do two 10ft kayak on short bed
The mobtown bars were $150 on Craigslist.
Check Craigslist people get rid of bars like this or above the cab ladder style racks .

 

I resemble that pic. Hahaha!

With the TG chains, it does allow you to carry two boats easier.

Last year, I upgraded to a Pakayak, which is the absolute easiest way to carry a 14ft boat, but you kinda pay for the easy transpo in a different way.

https://pakayak.com/