Yak rack for the Nissan

Built this rack this morning out of 1 1/2-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe. Took five 10-foot sections, 8 45-dgree angle fittings and eight "side outlet elbow joints." I had to order the latter. I have right at $75 in the thing. I did not glue the four uprights, so that I can take the top and bottom assemblies off and store it easily in the garage. Also makes it easier to get in and out of the bed of my truck. This has probably been done a hundred times before, but I think it will work out great. Chuck from Clamvac is going to help me with advice on painting PVC.
Parts loosely dry fitted:

In the bed:

How it flows around wheel wells:

Does it actually support the weight without the yak bending the pvc till it hits the roof of the cab?

I'm interested in seeing how it holds up over time. 

Also, did you make it cab height on purpose, or is that just an illusion from the angle of the picture?

There are some good rattle can paints that stick to plastic quite well.  I believe Fuzion is one of them.

Everything made of PVC breaks eventually!  Make sure you have a bow and stern line for when the rack does fail. Last thing you want is your kayak to go sliding down the freeway. Personally I would have gone for a steel lumber rack.
Good luck with it.

I was wondering about the tie downs too. You can't ramp down hard on the pvc. Unless I'm really missing something I wouldn't want that thing anywhere near me on the road.

Looks really nice though.

Yeah, sorry to say that the sun will end its life eventually.  Your boat, truck, or another driver may pay the price if not properly secured.

If you decide to change up the rack and go with a bit more conventional material (metal) for your trucks's kayak rack, your current setup won't be a complete waste of PVC, as you can still use it for storing the kayak in the garage or back yard. 

I also picture the top cross pieces flexing a good bit, perhaps where the kayak is resting on the cab top.   Maybe stiffen them up by sliding a 1" wooden dowel inside.
 
Painting with a light color will drastically help it stand up to UV exposure.

I have the same truck.  Why not just invest in a bed extender?  You can haul a couple of kayaks that way?  Here's my set up. Granted, I'm hauling a Pro Angler 14 so I can fit only one in the back of my pick up.  This one is made by BooneDox USA called the T-Bone.  They are $190 less 15% and free shipping if you buy through Austin Kayak (sign up for their newsletter to get the discount).

Or save a whole lot more, avoid something slickly marketed to kayakers, and and get something like this $70 bed extender - http://www.discountramps.com/hitch-bed-extender/p/TBE-48/?CID=PSC-PLA-Google-TBE-48-hitch-accessories&st-t=google-hitch-accessories&vt-pti=94805268022&vt-k=&vt-m=&CAWELAID=1783898728&CAGPSPN=pla&gclid=CjwKEAjwwZmsBRDOh7C6rKO8zkcSJABCusnbHcZMHgFTrWLCj9OR4rKMEkyeHN8i7nFvlkLxF7k9lxoCm5fw_wcB

I think it looks awesome. I'm also curious about how it works over time. I was forced to make a yak rack for my truck in a time crunch with no money so I made one using two by sixes and a couple of pieces of galvanized pipe that were sitting in my garage. It lasted the drive from ca to ak and is still going strong,  but I'm not sure how long it will last.

There's a guy here in Seward ak that has a sweet rack made out of ~4" diameter trees.  It looks super strong but I also wonder about how long it will last.

Way to DIY!

Well, I have only used it once so far to haul my wife's Santa Cruz Raptor. Worked fine, of course, using the wonderful tie down hardware that Nissan puts in its Frontier beds.
Have to admit that T-Bone of yours is awesome, Brad, and not nearly so much lifting required.
Wondering how it would handle both the Raptor and the Outback I hope to buy this week. Will check it out at Austin Kayak.
I have been thinking about buying a Dodge Ram EcoDiesel, but after reading about the new Navarra-styled Frontier with the Cummins diesel in it, may wait for that one, which means I can still use my goofy rack in my current Frontier. Will paint it, though, to reduce UV damage.

I bought a steel lumber/kayak rack from www.usrack.com and it has worked out great. I did have to drill two holes through the bed but I do not intend on getting rid of the truck (04' Ford Ranger) anytime soon. The two poles snug up to the bed rail and it holds my 12' SOT just fine. The bars that it sits on will also mate with any Yakima and Thule products that will cradle your yak. In addition, it totally frees up the bed of my truck for all of my gear. It is stainless, was about $300.00, and was made and shipped from Sacramento. Highly recommend at least looking at the site because there are a lot of options. That PVC will fail at some point.

That T-Bone looks like the bomb!

https://www.boonedoxusa.com/product/t-bone-bed-extender/