Transporting yaks

I have a short bed F150 with toolbox.  I don't have any racks...what do you suggest as the best/ safest method of transporting a kayak ? Lol

Tailgate down and strap in with a flag on the end ?
Tailgate up and strapped up over the roof ? 

Hadn't really given it too much thought to be honest.  Lol.

What do you guys all do ?

gate down would be easier I would think, you could have it already rigged up and ready to go..and yes dont forget that flag

The downside...I have visions of some jackass rearending me and me having to kick his ass for messing up my new kayak !   Lol

Tailgate down and strap-in.  :smt044Red flag, red flag

The downside...I have visions of some jackass rearending me and me having to kick his ass for messing up my new kayak !   Lol

That's exatly y I put the bow on the back of the cab with a foam block when I put my kayaks in a trucks. Try both ways and see what works best for u

Harbor Freight has the bed extenders and those seem to work, you hook then up to the hitch on your truck.

Many of our customers come to pick up rental kayaks and go out of their way to bring a truck thinking that they can just toss them in the back.  However, this is often not the best first choice unless they have a rack on the truck.  Many customers do not realize how long kayaks really are.  Whether you can just slide the kayak in the bed totally depends on the length of your kayak.  Having a short bed (6 feet) with the gate down (plus ~18 inches) and a tool box (minus ~ 18 inches) will give you 6 feet to work with plus a little more if the kayak is placed in at an angle.  Generally for it to work well, the support area under the kayak (truck bed) should be more than half the length of your kayak, but ideally ~3/4 or so.  Using this as a guide a kayak that is 10 feet or so should work okay, but this is a very small kayak.

You can get the hitch mounted bed extender supports that vwool mentioned if you prefer to carry your kayak this way, but most kayaks will stick out way back from the end of the truck.  Remember that CA law states that for projections beyond 4 feet past the taillights in darkness you need to have two red lights and at any other time you need at least a 12 inch square red or fluorescent orange flag.  For the specific language see http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc24604.htm  You can see how the above may not be ideal especially for night driving.

Our preferred way to secure a midsized to long sized kayak to a truck is to keep the tailgate up, pad the cab, and rest an upside down kayak on the rear of the cab and tailgate.  At first this may seem like the kayak will be sticking way up in the air, but you will be surprised that it's not bad.  Be sure not to pad the tailgate too much as a foam kayak cradle for example could pop off and the load become dangerously loose.  A towel draped over the tailgate usually works well for this.  For padding the cab get yourself some foam kayak cradles (we sell them) or something else that will prevent denting of the cab and won't slide around.  To secure the load use the 4 anchors in the truck bed.  Lastly and very importantly, we recommend tying the overhanging stern of the kayak to the rear bumper to prevent it from sliding back.  If it's past 4 feet from your lights which is unlikely, see the above laws in California.

Disclaimer: Remember that you are ultimately responsible for assessing the security of your load and the information provided below is just a guide on how we like to rig kayaks.  This is not a a complete and definitive guide on how to secure kayaks to vehicles and no guarantees or warranties are implied.

 

That's awesome, thank you !

Stogie has a long bed truck, and does like Jay suggested, placing in the bed, and on top of the cab.  However he was able to put a roll-bar on the tailgate, with a piece of pool noodle for cushion, so when he loads the yak, he just rests it on the tailgait, and does a lift and push to get it up on to the cab.  Using the scupper holes on his yak he threads the tiedowns through the scuppers and down to the bed.  Works really well

Shortbed.....shoulda gotten more than half a truck     I'd go with the hitch extender, you will be supremely satisfied at the end of the day when you don't have to do a 70 lb military press to get your yak back up on a roof.  Plus, you won't have the wind resistence up high killing your aerodynamics and driving your fuel efficiency further into the toilet.

Al - That's actually how i did it last night.

I have a buddy who does custom metal fabrication work that I'm talking to about building a low profile rack that's not in the way when not being used.  Until then, the way you described works perfectly. 
Thank u !

Hey...don't be hatin' on my truck ! Lol
I'm still worried about having more that 6' sticking out behind my truck.  I do like the idea of better gas mileage though. Lol

I've done all of the above and the best way is just putting it in the bed and strapping it in...  That's IF the toolbox isn't in the way.  I ditched my toolbox because of this, it's now a backyard kayak crap storage bin.

A six foot bed with the gate down is plenty for my 14' kayak. 

Don't forget the red flag, (and after dark you're supposed to have a red light on there, too).

That's the problem.  My toolbox takes nearly 2' and I need it for my work crap.

WWMD....love it !  Lol