Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Best rack for hauling kayaks?

I have been either dropping the kayaks in the lake from the backyard ( ), or hauling them on my wife's old CR-V (now gone).

I just picked up a '13 Tacoma last month, and with paddling season just around the corner, I need to outfit the truck to haul the kayaks and canoes.

My kayak is 16 feet long, so simply sticking it out the back of the bed is a no-go.

What's the best option? Receiver hitch and bar on the cab roof? H-bars in the bed? Something else?

Well, it depends. If you plan to fish rocky rivers with three or four bass rods, cooler, tackle etc. Then you'd be much better off carrying the kayak upright in the bed. Harbor Freight sells a "hitch extender" that makes this simple. I usually carry my tandem canoe in a canoe trailer, rigged and ready to float/fish.

If this isn't your cup of tea, then something in the Yakima catalog is what you need. LOTS of different approaches there.

Thanks t-a-k.

I'm not a kayak fisherman, but more of a big lake paddler in a closed boat.

And even with an extender, a 16 foot boat is gonna stick way out of the back of a 6 foot bed.

I considered a trailer, and even bought one to convert into a kayak/canoe hauler, but not sure I want an extra "vehicle" involved when I can throw them on top and stay much more compact and maneuverable on country roads.

My main decision I guess is to go with the Y-ish shaped receiver hitch setup, or the H bars that bolt into the bed.

I like the convenience of the hitch route, but the other sure appears sturdier.

You might want to consider one Yakima crossbar on the cab, that would center a long boat better on the truck, and have something that fastens to the bed.

If you have a shell then get a yakima or thule rack with appropriate hardware for the yaks.

If you don't have a shell, then get a work rack and adapt as required.

That's the plan for the front, I'm just wondering what's the best for the back.

Nope, open bed on this one.

It was really easy with my wife's CRV and racks.

Didn't need to do anything beyond bolting the Yakima cradles/bar to the factory roof rack and go paddling.

As of now, I'm thinking I'm probably gonna go with the receiver hitch option, for simplicity and convenience (just pop it off when not needed). The more I look, the more I'm hesitant to bolt an H bar inside the rear corners or a full rack in the bed.

How about something like this Link

You could mount your cradles to it, and you wouldn't have a kayak sticking out in traffic...

You can get a welder to fab up a reciever hitch tower with a bracket to the appropriate height to carry your boat, probably only an hour of labor and materials.

I have had both Yakima and Thule cab racks and prefer the Yakima. Seem just a little stronger and easier to attach to the round bar.

Just did that, with my dad as the welder.

For the price of a factory-built unit, I just couldn't see it, so we cut apart an old receiver hitch, and fabbed everything from there up.



I already have a set of Yakima cradles, so that's what's going on the cab.

Now, if the lakes would just thaw...

One of these. Be sure the rear cross bar is removable or it'll always be in the way when you're not hauling the boats. Google 'ladder rack' for lots of options.