How to transport 4 kayaks without a trailer?

[scott_home]

Hi all,
My friends and I are going down to the coast with some rental kayaks next weekend. We are planning to rent either a mini-van or a truck. All the car rental companies do not allow towing. I have a few ideas but don't know if they will work:

1. Mini-van (no roof rack): stack 4 (stackable) kayaks on top of each other on top of the car roof
2. Mini-van (no roof rack): Put 2 kayaks side-by-side and then stack one kayak on each row. i.e. 2 stacks of kayaks and each stack has 2 boats
3. Pick-up truck: transport all four kayaks with tailgate closed
4. Pick-up truck: transport all four kayaks with tailgate open

The pick-up truck is either a Ford F150 Ext Cab or Crew Cab. Is the bed of Crew Cab too short for transporting 4 kayaks? Please give me some advice because I never transport a kayak in a truck. I don't want to create any road hazards
Thanks.

sf

[Hook'em]

It definately depends on what yaks you are renting. Some are more stackable than others. I haul a WS Ride and OK Drifter on the top of my Tahoe but they don't stack. I could not imagine hauling four on the roof, you may be better off with a truck. I have seen yaks transported both with the tailgate up and down.

I would recommend calling the rental place and ask them. They should be able to give you an idea of which is better, van or truck. Otherwise, post what model(s) of yaks you are trying to transport.

[CNReds]

Maybe you should rent a U-haul. No, seriously.
I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to travel in, but you would be able to keep the kayaks and all your stuff locked inside.

Just a thought.

[scott_home]

The kayaks are tandems, possibly Ocean Kayak MALIBU TWO or WS Paradise, or other recreational SOT.

[CajunDude]

I think the truck may be the only option listed that will work. I carry my 12 foot yak in the bed of my exteneded cab F150 with the tailgate down. I have seen others carry 2 kayaks in the beds of trucks with the tailgate down. My concern would be securing them especially if you are travelling long distance at high speed.

[spoonmaker]

You may reconsider renting kayaks on the coast to minimize transport. I have transported four kayaks with my Z71. I have racks supported by a headache rack and a custom rear rack. The racks include vertical pipe supports to support a kayak on either side. Works well.

Kayaks can be transported in truck bed with tailgate down. If 6 foot bed, you have half of the load not supported assuming a 12 foot kayak. That is not a good situaltion.

I would use my vehicle and rent a stake trailer from U-Haul. Much safer.

Besides, the weight of four kayaks may damage the roof of the vehicle.

Good Luck

[Barry]

sf
I agree with spoonmaker as far as waiting till you get to the coast before you rent the boats. No trip is worth injuring/killing someone or yourself trying to get the boats to the coast without the proper equipment. If you're going to be around AP, slowride rents boats and will take them to where you want to put in and then come pick them up when you get back. He'll even throw in some free information on where to go.
Just my .02 cents!

[TomL]

What spoonmaker forgot, though, is that with the tailgate down, that adds another 2 1/2 to 3 feet of bed space to place your yaks on. I've carried 3 yaks (my tarpon 120, a rental Perception Illusion, and a rental Perception Bimini) in the back of my Z71 with no problem whatsoever, and they weren't really made to stack well together. I used locking tie-downs (front and back) on each yak, and secured them so that they could not slide forwards or backwards.

On that trip, I drove 75 mph on the freeway for over an hour, and the yaks never moved.

I think you'd be fine with either a crew cab, or an extended cab. Just make sure to put the longer yaks on the bottom of the pile.

Hope that helps!

[Sardine]

I don't know where on the coast you are going, but from what i have seen the rental rates are almost double what they charge up here in Austin. It is usually about $45-$50 from what i have seen in Corpus. And that is not even a full 24 hours. Plus you can't guarentee they will be available unless the take reservations.