Truck racks

  I needs some Yak Racks for my full sized truck.  Any advise?. I tried having the yaks up on the cab and had quite a bit of trouble with the wind blowing them off the side.

  I suppose I could find a lumber rack off Ebay, though these are quite attractive:  http://www.tracrac.com/

My truck has no rain gutters; so I use Thule gear that does a great job of securing the bars (instructions were not necessarily the most informative). Good enough grip to handle two Hullavators.

those tracracks are pretty nice but spendy. i reccomend buying a used rack-it brand lumber rack. unlike thule and yakima, they are really durable and relatively inexpensive.

Thanks.  I like the looks of the Rackit lumber rack.

I baoght a whole yakama set-up off craigslist and then made a frame to fit on my truck. It has never faled  me.

i reccomend buying a used rack-it brand lumber rack.

Oh yea they ARE the way to go. I brougt 2 T140's and a T130 tandem back from mbk to Oakland no prob. East to load with one person. just put the nose on the back rack and slide it up. My t140 fits perfectly with the nose just at the 3rd foreward bar where you can put a 3rd ftedown for safety. Plos the handle sheetrock, plywood and lumber like a champ. The rear bar comes off easily so you can get big appliances n stuff onto the back.

A regular lumber rack will outlast your truck and hold lots of weight. I have one on my trailer and added a second level with some flat iron and 2x4s. I can put two yaks on top two on the secons level and two on the tailgate/bedrail. I can put two more on my yakima rack that's on the camper shell. Let me know if you want to see some pictures. Lumber racks are also good because they are sturdy enough that you can attach a canopy and the wind won't break it.  

Bought a Thule xsporter and it works great on my f150.  Yakima also has a similar model called the outdoorsman. 

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/servlet/the-799/Thule-Xsporter/Detail

Why not just put em in the bed of the pickup?

 

i use the truck bed extender and i love it! easy to load and is wind resistant, 40 bucks at harbor freight, had a highway patroler behind me on my way back from the coast and he didnt seem worried about it , just make sure its straped to lift it up so it doesnt sag and put a red flag in the yak

i fit keos yak on it too and could of went with three!

what sharky said

I have a half size truck but have found the lumber rack superior in simplicity and function to conventional rack systems.
boats seem more secure and it keeps the bed clear for other gear.  
Some of the team bridgeport guys use the Thule x-sporter style and are pleased with the sturdiness and the abilty to handle stacked up boats on rough roads.

here are a few shots of the truck with a yakima rack and then with the lumber rack upgrade.
the other trucks are rockin the Thule.

I had the same issue trying to find something for my truck '05 ram quad cab with a 6 foot bed.
Looked all over for a used rack-it but couldn't find anything for my truck under $300.
So I finally found and purchased some universal racks which I clamp on to the bed rails so I didn't have to drill any holes in the bed.

Not too bad loading and unloading once you get the technique down.

Mine are similar to these.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Universal-Truck-PICK-UP-Contractor-Ladder-Lumber-RACK-2_W0QQitemZ220486254504QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3356013fa8

Been lurking from NWKA..

Anyways, thought I'd post up what I built from scratch to haul my yaks with.   It's been extremely handy being able to toss them up there, strap down and roll.  With the front section securely bolted to the bed railing, I cable lock through the scupper holes and around the cross beam and just keep the yak on my truck.  The rear section just plugs into the standard 2" reciever and will still accept a ball so I could effectively tow a trailer too.  Two stablizer tie downs, and one locking pin and it comes off the truck quick.

Why not just put em in the bed of the pickup?

Thats where mine goes.  On the way to elk angle's Toyota with 2 yaks on a lumber rack burned more fuel than my bed loaded duramax 2500. lol, first time I can ever say I got better gas mileage than anyone 

I think snapperhead has the right idea though.  It'd be nice to have room for all the camping gear beneath the yaks without having added wind resistance up over the roof.   

Why not just put em in the bed of the pickup?

Thats where mine goes.  On the way to elk angle's Toyota with 2 yaks on a lumber rack burned more fuel than my bed loaded duramax 2500. lol, first time I can ever say I got better gas mileage than anyone 

I think snapperhead has the right idea though.  It'd be nice to have room for all the camping gear beneath the yaks without having added wind resistance up over the roof.   

really didnt think about wind resistance. I guess my lil 85 toyota is so economical i didnt even notice. Still only used $25 in gas @ $3/g from Oakland to mbk and back.

my question is, isnt snapperheads rig waaaaay over the max allowable overhang off the back. I know for the most part LEO's dont bug on this rig, but Id hate to give them a reason to stop me and start going tho my shit.