Stake pocket kayak rack
We had kayak carrying well in hand with the Sequoia. With the F-150 it's a whole new ball game, including the players - we've upgraded our daughter's little sit-upon to a larger kayak. We n...
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LOADING
We started with Dawn's kayak.
We loaded my boat on the passenger side, then positioned and installed the J-racks for Emily's.
Securing Em's kayak.
All three on, tonneau cover closed; per the design, the cover can be opened and closed with the rack in place. And yes, my kayak is a little far back but with no bikes on the trailer this trip there was no
interfence. We pushed it much further forward for the trip home and that worked fine.
This system was designed with easy loading in mind (it can be done by one person but it's quicker and easier with two). Here are the steps.
Step 1: Rest the bow on the tailgate.
Step 2: Pull the kayak into the bed.
Step 3 - Rest the bow on the forward rack.
Step 4: Slide the boat forward until the stern clears the aft rack.
Step 5: Pivot the boat on the forward rack and place the stern on the aft rack (be sure not to hit the cab roof with the boat).
Step 6: Position the boat on both racks.
Step 7: Tilt the boat cockpit inward and secure to the rack with straps.
In our case the middle boat - Emily's - is racked left of centre with the cockpit facing the passenger side. And while the boats can be loaded by one person, it's faster and easier with two.
Our first camping trip with the kayaks loaded on the rack provided an acid test. Roads varied from rough rural at 80 km/h to smooth freeway at 100 km/h. Close to our destination we crossed a set of railroad
tracks at about 70 km/h and were surprised by a severe and unmarked hump which resulted in a crashing bounce for the truck and trailer. When we checked we were pleased to see that everything was still
secure.
We started with Dawn's kayak.
We loaded my boat on the passenger side, then positioned and installed the J-racks for Emily's.
Securing Em's kayak.
All three on, tonneau cover closed; per the design, the cover can be opened and closed with the rack in place. And yes, my kayak is a little far back but with no bikes on the trailer this trip there was no
interfence. We pushed it much further forward for the trip home and that worked fine.
This system was designed with easy loading in mind (it can be done by one person but it's quicker and easier with two). Here are the steps.
Step 1: Rest the bow on the tailgate.
Step 2: Pull the kayak into the bed.
Step 3 - Rest the bow on the forward rack.
Step 4: Slide the boat forward until the stern clears the aft rack.
Step 5: Pivot the boat on the forward rack and place the stern on the aft rack (be sure not to hit the cab roof with the boat).
Step 6: Position the boat on both racks.
Step 7: Tilt the boat cockpit inward and secure to the rack with straps.
In our case the middle boat - Emily's - is racked left of centre with the cockpit facing the passenger side. And while the boats can be loaded by one person, it's faster and easier with two.
Our first camping trip with the kayaks loaded on the rack provided an acid test. Roads varied from rough rural at 80 km/h to smooth freeway at 100 km/h. Close to our destination we crossed a set of railroad
tracks at about 70 km/h and were surprised by a severe and unmarked hump which resulted in a crashing bounce for the truck and trailer. When we checked we were pleased to see that everything was still
secure.
