How are you transporting your 16' kayak?

*****Please keep the discussion focused on transporting objects 16' in length.  The suitability of a particular boat for one thing or another is not why I started this thread.  Thanks!*****

I'm leaning toward ordering a 16' Hobie Revo next year, and am trying to consider all the angles before I pull the trigger on it.

I need some input from more experienced yakkers. How are you transporting your 16' boat?

My truck is too tall to car-top a boat. My 13' boat fits in the bed (6.4') with the tailgate down, no T-bar required.   My options for the Revo 16 seem to be a T-bar (that's a lot of boat hanging out back there) or trailer ($$$).

I put an outback...two actually on top of my two doc civic.  But it s almost just as easy to load on an SUV.  So I think I might go with something like this:


Though being the lazy guy that I am I would likely just throw it into the bed with a flag on it with maybe some kind of bed extender.  I'm talking a sheet of plywood or the like, nothing fancy.  lol. 

I wish I had enough balls to fish the Revo 16.  I here it is an amazing open ocean kayak.  Super fast.  Just can't get my self to do it since I go out alone so often and every bit of extra stability is important to me. Also I have a few trips planned where I plan to apply more than my normal 10 pounds or so of drag on it.  My outback already tips precariously when a big halibut heads for the bottom while I still have my drag on a higher strike setting. It would definitely take some getting used to. 

I may end up getting one though since I am fishing with my son as a partner more often.  Jealous!!!!!!!

I car top my 16 on a sequoia, not a whole lot heavier than the 13 revo, just a little more awkward especially since the carry handles don't seem centered on the boat.  The bow has more weight it seems.

I personally don't recommend the 16 for an offshore and surf launch boat (seat scupper sucks in surf).  I also feel the stability is lacking a bit.  Not bad but not great.  The 13 is wider and maybe more stable. Have not used one.

I still use my T-15 when the surf is bigger or the wind is up.  The 16 is really fast though.

I personally don't recommend the 16 for an offshore and surf launch boat (seat scupper sucks in surf).  I also feel the stability is lacking a bit.  Not bad but not great.

You can't be serious ....
The 16 excels offshore and through the surf. You will get wet because the boat punches through white water instead of riding over it but it is a great boat for beach launches. 
I've landed 80+ pound halibut off mine and pulled shrimp and crab pots.

As for transport I use roof racks. Either on the Outback or Tacoma. 

I need some input from more experienced yakkers. How are you transporting your 16' boat?

I use the factory racks on my outback and lumber racks on my ranger to transport my Adventure.  Very easily in both cases.

Would a small step ladder and bar extenders help witn your situation?  Much cheaper than a trailer.

With the Venturi scupper you take on water with a surf launch and the boat becomes a bit unstable.  Not the best time for that.  Maybe the adventures don't have that problem.  I feel way more stable in my Trident 15.

Thanks for the ideas, group!  Snopro, I had not considered a ladder.  That would make a roof-level T-bar like Kardinal posted a lot more feasible.  The roof of my truck is 6'8" high, and it will get an inch or two higher after I wear out the current set of tires.  If I end up roof-topping a boat, I'll have to put a sticky note on the inside of the windshield that says "NO DRIVE-THROUGH'S!!!"

I guess I'm still on the fence.  Do I want all that boat hanging out the back, or taking out migratory birds in flight up on the roof?  haha

This is what I'd be hauling that Revo around in. 
IMG_0965 by John Sievert, on Flickr

I've been launching a Rev 16 through the surf all season. The venturi scupper is kinda the bane of my existence. You definitely take on water faster than it drains, even with it locked in the open position. The only time it was debilitating was in the B-10 fishery. I pulled out on Sand Island to help a friend with mirage drive issues. When I went to launch again, the venturi had plugged solid with sand and a single wave filled my boat beyond what it could handle. I had to stand waist deep fighting to keep her on a rail while I cleaned out the drain. Overall I still adore the boat, and woudn't dream of taking anything else into big water though! Some hings I wish it had that are on my addy are: Regular scuppers in the seat well, The cupholder for large water bottles behind the seat, and the bungee paddle holders on both sides. It's only on the right side in the rev 16.

Oh, and I either trailer or truck top. A hitch extension will get the job done though.

Oh, and I either trailer or truck top. A hitch extension will get the job done though.

I'm working with a not entirely different issue, smaller Revo, smaller truck.  Right now, I use a PVC "rack" and the factory bed extender on a Nissan Frontier.  The rack is like a fork with the prongs upwards (an "E" lying on it's back?).  I slide the Tarpon 10 and the OK Venus 11 between the prongs with the sterns sitting on the bed of the truck.  It angles the hulls upwards at the bow and minimizes the overhang.

I'm working towards a Revo 13 or Trident 13 for next year and it looks to me that even with my "rack", a 13-footer will overhang the bed extender further than I'd be comfortable with at highway speed.

The Nissan does not have factory rails on the cab.  In the photo, does your Tacoma have factory rails on the cab or are you using something aftermarket?

Not sure I see the original issue with the RAM.  Six-foot eight inches plus 18 inches, give or take, puts the keel of a kayak at just a hair over eight feet.  Most drive-through's are a bit taller than that.  Or just train yourself to get out of the truck for your Egg McMuffin...

You may be better off with a trailer.  I'm doing all I can to avoid hauling with a trailer, but may end up with one if I can't work out the roof rack issue.

It's a kayaking forum.  Folks are going to tell you what they think about a purchase you haven't yet made.  Skip past the posts you think are off topic because we're often out of control.  :-)


     

Or just train yourself to get out of the truck for your Egg McMuffin...   

I'm a former Army tanker, Tinker.  Death before dismount!

The venturi scupper is a launch killer if your bait gets stuck in it during a launch.  Don't store ANYTHING under that seat.

I just put mine on top.  Carry a little 3 step ladder if you need to.  The yakima boat loader extension bar works great for solo loading too.

I'm a former Army tanker, Tinker.  Death before dismount!

Thank you for your service.  I'm grateful.

The hitch-mounted bar/rack kardinal_84 posted has a tilt-and-load design meant to allow one person to push the kayak up into position (http://www.rhinorack.com/en-us/products/water/kayak-carriers/t-load-hitch-mount_rtl002).  You'd still risk whacking low flying aircraft and wreaking havoc at Mickey-D's drivethroughs, but they claim it'll make it easy to get a Revo 16 up on a rack.

But you'd still need a rook rack of some type.  The RAM doesn't appear to have factory track on the cab for mounting a rack.  Rhino Racks and Yakima make bolt-on tracks for smooth-topped cabs, but now we're talking about a lot of new hardware to buy and install.

Get the Revo 13.  Fewer problems - not just bait-in-the-scuppers problems.   

I feel your pain.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to haul a longer kayak than will fit my truck bed, too, and the cab of the Nissan doesn't have factory tracks/racks either.  Don't know what I was thinking when I bought it - if I was thinking at all.

If you figure out the way that will work for you, let us know.  I'll be very interested.

Lee, are the kayaks supported only on the bed cap?  I don't see a rack on the cab of the truck in your photo.