Before I Over-complcate Transporting a Kayak...

I thought I'd talk about it.  I'm renowned for overthinking things and have a large and growing pile of parts and pieces in the garage that seemed to be a good idea when I bought them.

I have a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab.  The bed is 56.4 inches long, or 72.7 inches long with the bed extender.  The Hobie is 13 feet six inches long.

There isn't enough hull in the bed to keep the Hobie stable and I have to lash it pulling backwards and jamming the rudder assembly against the front of the bed.  This sorta works for the less than a mile trip to the cove and the lake, but won't work for longer distances - and it may be why I had to tune the rudder.

First thought was to get one of the Harbor Freight T-Bars, mount it so it stands upright and add a track and bar to the cab - until Nissan said there is no support for a rack system anywhere on the roof.  They add special bracing for the cabs that have the factory bars.

Second thought was to use the T-Bar as intended, but that leaves seven+ feet of the Hobie hanging out the back, and I don't have the kind of faith in other drivers that would make that feel safe.

So I'm back asking for suggestions.

Keep in mind that:

(1) the Nissan bed does not have "sockets" for bed rails.  Can't slip anything in.

(2) the roof is weak.  I'm told that unless I use really strong tracks to spread the weight, it's going to dent - and even then, the tracks could rip out at highway speeds.

(3) I live on the coast and I really don't want to gouge or scratch or drill into the bed when mounting things like ladder racks.  It'll rust practically overnight.

Should've bought a real truck...

Get a bed extender and put the boat in bow first,  leaving the rudder hanging out.

Get a bed extender and put the boat in bow first,  leaving the rudder hanging out.

And also a big orange flag so you're street legal.  Maybe a trailer is in your future.

Thank you, Lee.  If you're talking about the stock bed-extender that folds out over the tailgate, I tried it, but there's a lot more weight in the stern of a Revo than in the bow, at it's mighty tippy in that position.

If you're talking about one of those T-Bar extenders that go into a hitch receiver, I'm leery of having that much of anything extending behind the truck on US 101.

Maybe a trailer is in your future.

Thanks, Chris.  No trailer if I can possibly avoid it.  Storing a trailer is an issue when I'm not using it.  You've seen how I carry it right now and that's fine for close to town, but I don't even want to think about hauling it much further.

The after market extender that sticks into your hitch receiver.   Unless you build a rack that will put the boat above your cab,  you're going to be sticking out the back. 

Gotcha.  Thanks.  It's a cheap solution and I'm not dismissing it, but it worries me for those times of year when tourists are out-and-about and zipping along US 101.

Maybe a modified extender that doesn't go back so far, but raises the kayak up higher, at an angle?  If the stern of the Revo is at eye-level, it would be a lot harder to not see it.

Perhaps a bright yellow milk crate in the tank well?

Don't know if you thought about using these. You could put the kayak under the bar, run a strap through the drive well and tie it to bar to hold the nose down. A couple pool noodles under the kayak and a strap around the kayak and tail gate would hold it down. I have never had problems with people hitting anything sticking out the back, but there is no reason you couldn't put a "LONG LOAD" sign on when transporting. Also drive slow and brake check a lot to keep tailgaters off.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-Carry-Power-Ratcheting-Cargo-Bar/17043485?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=17043485&placement_id=irs-106-t1&strategy=PWVAV&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=6fae3fb7-3508-411b-bebd-ffb486998644&customer_id_enc&config_id=106&parent_item_id=29522960&parent_anchor_item_id=29522960&guid=09448787-a83d-4c4d-93bf-01047775d869&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

Go check out the conclusion of my Truck Rack thread. Aluminum ladder rack in the bed, no weight on the roof, no drilling. I used loctite on the clamp threads to keep it from being unbolted. Snarf has a similar setup, using a steel rack that drills to mount.

You can do like I did and use a sweet roll or hully-rollers and haul it hull-down, or put some kind of foam or other padding and carry it hull-up.

The rack itself was less than $250 on the Amazon. Sweet rolls added another $200.

With a short bed and a 13' kayak, you'd be able to have it extend, say 5' forward from the back window so somewhere around the middle of your hood, and say 3' back from your tailgate. Again, HIGH, and with a flag.

You also wouldn't be bashing your rudder anymore.

I have that pickup too.  I put yakima bars on a canopy. If you don't want a canopy I think the next best thing is a trailer.  Does your bed have a track system in it?  YOu could install an over cab rack if you have the track system.  If not, that's a lot of money.

Go check out the conclusion of my Truck Rack thread. Aluminum ladder rack in the bed, no weight on the roof, no drilling.

I had read that thread but you were so concerned that someone would run off with the rack that I didn't think about it as much as I could have.  How'd you solve that concern?

Don't know if you thought about using these. You could put the kayak under the bar, run a strap through the drive well and tie it to bar to hold the nose down. I have never had problems with people hitting anything sticking out the back, but there is no reason you couldn't put a "LONG LOAD" sign on when transporting. Also drive slow and brake check a lot to keep tailgaters off.

It would keep the end of the kayak up about nose high, wouldn't it?  If the driver behind me - the one from out of state who has never been in Oregon before - thinks the kayak will come through their windshield, they might pay more attention.  I've been rear-ended by someone who didn't understand the rules when I was stopping for a pedestrian crossing the street.  Could have been a crappy day if the kayak had been back there.

I have that pickup too.  I put Yakima bars on a canopy. If you don't want a canopy I think the next best thing is a trailer.  Does your bed have a track system in it?  You could install an over cab rack if you have the track system.  If not, that's a lot of money.

No tracks.  Wish it had a canopy but alas, it's a naked bed because I haul tall stuff a lot more often than I ever thought I would.  The thing a trailer has going for it is not having to lift the Revo, but the downside is storing it.  I'm out of space in the garage and keeping it in the salty air...

Like the bed extender, a trailer isn't out of consideration, but I hope I can come up with a different but equally effective solution.

Maybe get a different vehicle?  Unless there's a reason you're attached to the Nissan??  Don't you also have a transit?? You could take your short trips in the Nissan and longer trips in a different vehicle (more suited to a roof rack).  Mojo is making a roof rack for CS's motor Home!!

Maybe get a different vehicle?  Unless there's a reason you're attached to the Nissan??  Don't you also have a transit?? You could take your short trips in the Nissan and longer trips in a different vehicle (more suited to a roof rack).  Mojo is making a roof rack for CS's motor Home!!

I love it  Trade in your Nissan for a motor home 

Maybe get a different vehicle?  Unless there's a reason you're attached to the Nissan??  Don't you also have a transit?? You could take your short trips in the Nissan and longer trips in a different vehicle (more suited to a roof rack).  Mojo is making a roof rack for CS's motor Home!!

Thank you, Barb.  I am quite attached to the Nissan.  It has less than 70K miles on it, hasn't (yet) given me a problem, and except for hauling a Hobie, it does all that I need it to do.  The Transit has mounts for a rack system and I'll use it for longer trips because I can sleep in it if it comes to that, but it's darned hard for me to get the Revo on top of it by myself, so if I wanted to run up to Coos Bay or down to Brookings, for example, it's too much of a PITA to load it on top of the van.  I'm searching for a way to transport it with the Nissan on shorter trips, but trips that are longer than a mile.