Anyone have a car topper boat or kayak when towing a 5er?

I used a Darby T-bar and a front mounted receiver to carry a 14' kayak. Used one roof rack on the back of the cab. Worked well.

We have a Yakima roof rack and J holders and carry two 10' kayaks with no issue, about to upgrade to 12' kayaks and should still have plenty of room. Rack easily comes off when not needed.

I carry a 10' anglers kayak on the roof of my crew cab. I've got roof racks on the roof. It works very well.

We have a dually quad cab with two Yakima bars mounted across the roof. Then a kayak rack mounted to each bar in the middle. The kayaks are stacked (one on top of another). I use a ratchet strap across each bar and over the kayaks. Then there is a ratchet strap from the rear of the kayaks to the fiver hitch bolt. This is an 8' bed. Then a ratchet strap from the front of the kayaks down to the bike rack that is mounted to a receiver under the front end. I'd take a picture but they are off for the season while we are in Yuma, AZ. for the winter. When we use them here in the Colorado River we just throw them in the truck bed. In Montana and Idaho during the summer, I often see trucks puling a fiver with a canoe or kayaks over the truck roof.

It depends on how much clearance you have between the front of the trailer and the truck roof but I use a Thule roof rack on my F150 Supercab to carry my 14' canoe. I could certainly fit a couple kayaks up there instead. I have about 8" between the canoe and the trailer with the canoe centered on the rack. Could probably do a 16'er if I stuck the front out over the hood more. With the right rack and feet, and the correct canoe mounts, it's very solid.

The only hassle is reaching up there with the canoe, would be easier if I used a loader, which is just a cross piece extension to hang one end of the boat from.

I pulled my front tow hooks and installed a DIY receiver in there place. I can slip in a overhead rack or my winch. I find the square tubing a lot more useful than the tow hooks. If needed I carry a clevis that slides into either side.

Fisher Bill wrote:
Started thinking about how to go fishing from a 5er and wondered if anyone has been able to fit a rack over the tow rig to carry a small boat or Kayaks.

Pictures would be great to see if they're out there.

Bill

If I were to do that I would get a headache rack that installs in the front stake pockets. Then I would install a front receiver on the truck and make a T-brace that mounts there. The transom of the boat would set in the headache rack and the bow would set over the front T-brace. Done and done.

KJ

If you search for kayak on this forum you'll turn up quite a few posts on the subject.

My buddy has one, it mounts by two posts to a cab guard and a single post to an aftermarket front bumper. It uses an atv winch to load the boat facing backwards. He has it removed for the winter so no pictures available.
It works if the truck occupants don't mind the overhead view being partially blocked. His also needs beefing up, the front to rear rails are a little too flimsy.