How To Transport A Kayak In A Truck
Having a pickup truck is one of the most useful things I own. Anyone who owns one feels this way too. One of my favorite things to haul is my kayak.
There are several ways you can transport a kayak in a truck.
- Smaller kayaks can fit in the bed with the tailgate up.
- Medium kayaks can be strapped in with the tailgate down.
- Larger kayaks can be hauled using a bed load extender.
- You can carry multiple kayaks using truck bed racks
- Lastly, you can transport multiple kayaks in a truck bed rack
We walkthrough all of these methods with pictures and videos.
Let’s get started.
Average Truck Bed Lengths
There are three standard bed lengths. They differ by a few inches depending on the manufacturer.
- Long Bed – 8 feet long (96″)
- Standard Bed – 6 feet 5 inches long (77″)
- Short Bed – 5 feet 7 inches long (67″)
- Add 25″ to the bed length with the tailgate down
How Long A Kayak Can A Truck Bed Carry?
You can load a kayak onto a truck bed either straight out or diagonally. You can carry slightly longer kayaks if you load it diagonally. Learn how to determine how long a kayak your car can carry here.
State Requirements
Any cargo that extends back past the bumper 4 feet or more requires a red flag at the rearmost point during daylight hours.
TRANSPORTING YOUR KAYAK – FLORIDA SPORTSMAN
Diagonally Loaded
Here are the max kayak lengths you can load diagonally in the truck bed. For each truck bed type you see the longest kayak that can fit inside the bed.
Max Kayak Diagonal Length
| Truck Bed | Tailgate Up | Tailgate Down | Tailgate Extender |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8′ – Long Bed | 9′ 2″ | 11′ 0″ | 10′ 8″ |
| 6′ 5″ – Std Bed | 8′ 0″ | 9′ 6″ | 9′ 2″ |
| 5′ 7″ – Short Bed | 7′ 5″ | 9′ 1″ | 8′ 9″ |
The easiest way you can load diagonally into the truck bed is snug and secure:
- Diagonally loaded and tailgate up
- Diagonally loaded and tailgate down using a tailgate extender
Straight Loaded
You can have some overhang length when you load the kayak with the tailgate down. Make sure most of the kayak weight is on the bed floor and not the tailgate.
Here are the max kayak lengths you can load straight in the truck bed with the tailgate down. You will also want to load your kayak straight in when using a bed load extender, also known as a hitch extender.
Max Kayak Straight Length
| Truck Bed | Tailgate Up | Tailgate Extender |
|---|---|---|
| 8′ – Long Bed | 10′ 0″ | 16′ 5″ |
| 6′ 5″ – Std Bed | 8′ 5″ | 14′ 10″ |
| 5′ 7″ – Short Bed | 7′ 7″ | 14′ 0″ |
Truck Bed Anchor Points
The easiest way to secure your kayak in your truck cargo bed is to anchor it to the side walls. There are alternative methods like bull ring or D-ring anchors usually tied on top of each side wall.
- Cargo Bed Boxlink Plates. These are easy to add to the side walls of your truck bed. You will need 4 to properly lash down your kayak properly.
Tie Down Anchors. These are terrific anchor points to strap your kayak within the truck bed. Make sure to get one that fits with the boxlink plates you have in the truck bed. They are removeable and come with a key lock for easy securing and removal.
The Supplies You Will Need
- Rubber mat. A heavy duty bed mat will that is tough to protect both your truck and kayak from dings and scrapes. Prevents your kayak from shifting while transporting.
- Tow Line. Useful for tying your the bow to the front of the cargo bed to eliminating the kayak from sliding out of the truck bed.
- Cargo Straps. I use 1′ x 15′ NRS-1 cam straps and ratchet straps to tie down kayak to tie down anchors. NRS-1 straps are rated at 1,500 pounds which is sufficient for any size kayak.
- Red Flag. All states require a red flag to hang off the end of any oversized cargo, including kayaks and canoes, that extend 4 feet or more beyond the vehicle.
How To Transport A Kayak In A Truck Bed
Prepare The Truck Bed
- Lay rubber bed mat in in truck bed
- Insert tie anchors into boxlink plates on bed side walls
- Locate cargo straps, tow line and red flag
- Measure the size of the kayak
- Decide if the kayak will fit in the bed straight in or diagonally with tailgate up
Load And Tie Down Kayak In Truck Bed
- Load kayak into truck cargo bed and position into a secure position (straight in or diagonally)
- Attach the tow line to the bow and secure to the truck bed near the cab. This will prevent the kayak from sliding out of the cargo area
- Secure the kayak with two ratchet or cam straps using the installed bed anchor points
- Run one end of a strap through a anchor point loop
- Find out the average costs and standard conditions for renting a kayak for you or a friend by checking out our latest post.
- Run the other end of a strap through an adjacent anchor point on the other side of the truck bed
- Buckle or synch the strap ends using the ratchet or cam connector
- Repeat for the 2nd set of anchor points and tighten and secure the kayak
Using A Bed Extender
Truck Bed Extender
- Follow the assembly and mounting instructions for the truck bed extender
- Install mount bracket set each end of the tailgate D-pillar
- Mount bed extender to the brackets and use provided straps to attached to tailgate
- Load kayak into truck cargo bed and position into a secure position (straight in or diagonally)
- Engage bed extender over tailgate
- Secure the kayak with two ratchet or cam straps using the installed bed anchor points described in the section above
Using A Bed Load Extender
14 Foot Kayak On A Bed Load Extender – Short Bed Truck
My short bed truck with a bed load extender installed, can safely and securely handle the length and the weight of the 125 pound Hobie Pro Angler 14.
- Follow the assembly and mounting instructions for the truck bed load extender
- Assemble the bed load extender and attach to a 2″ hitch receiver
- Load kayak into truck cargo bed straight in
- Adjust the crossbar height. The height is correct when the kayak weight is resting on the truck bed and the extender crossbar and not the tailgate.
- Secure the kayak with two ratchet or cam straps using the installed bed anchor points described in the section above
- Attach a red flag to the end of the kayak
Using A Truck Bed Rack System
There are many rack systems for a truck that could be used for hauling kayaks. Most are wide enough to handle two kayaks side-by-side. They can also handle up to 800 lbs.
- Follow the assembly instructions for the truck bed rack system
- Lift and load kayak into truck rack system straight in
- Secure the kayak with two ratchet or cam tie down straps using the rope hooks located on the side of all four uprights
- Attach a red flag to the end of the kayak
Roof Racks For Trucks
For pickup trucks, roof rack vendors require a 24″ span between racks, so only consider four-door cabs for adding a kayak roof rack.
Nearly all truck cabs a naked roof. Therefore, without side rails or crossbars, you will use one of the naked roof options for your truck roof rack.
As with kayak mounts for cars, you are somewhat limited in the kayak carrier options that will mount to your roof rack.
The J-cradle rack and the saddle kayak rack are sensible choices. The stacker is not a good option here.
Read about additional roof rack options in the Ultimate Guide to Transporting Your Kayak.
How To Haul Two Kayaks In A Truck?
How do we transport two kayaks in a truck bed?
For hauling in the truck bed, you can stack two kayaks by doing the following:
- Load the first kayak on the bed straight in
- Strap the first kayak to the truck
- Place a rubber mat over the bottom kayak
- Load a second kayak on the first kayak
- Strap and secure the second kayak using the same anchor points as the first
You can also use roof racks with J-cradles or truck bed rack system when carrying two kayaks.
