Kayak truck rack

admin

Made this Kayak rack to fit a sons Tacoma:Last edited by Glidertow; 01-20-2015 at 11:19 AM.
Reply:Looks pretty good. I don't think the horizontal bar across the window was necessary though. So if you need it for something else, you could cut it off, with no loss in strength of the rack. With  the front cross bar that close to the sheet metal of the roof, does it make the sheetmetal vibrate at highway speeds? That can be a problem with placing it too low to the cab roof. It can get real noisy in the cab when that happens.
Reply:That's not a kayak, it's a Tupperware dish!An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:LOL, actually that is one for the grandson, a toy kayak.  The rack is 4" up form the roof sheetmetal, maybe picture does not do justice.  He has said it runs with no sound.  The cross bar was for tie off points or something, he wanted it so there it is!
Reply:Looks great!
Reply:Great Job Glidertow! For those of us that are not in the know... can you tell us where the mounting points are and how they are fastened to the truck cap?HTP Invertig 221Hypertherm Powermax30 XPPlus other stuff
Reply:Nice looking rack!Out of curiosity, why did you build the top with two layers, with the "top" layer that holds the kayak only being a couple inches higher than the bottom layer? Why not just make it a single layer, or even just reverse the layout so that it's more of a 'basket' to make it easier to strap down other loose things?
Reply:Originally Posted by ian1386Nice looking rack!Out of curiosity, why did you build the top with two layers, with the "top" layer that holds the kayak only being a couple inches higher than the bottom layer? Why not just make it a single layer, or even just reverse the layout so that it's more of a 'basket' to make it easier to strap down other loose things?
Reply:Originally Posted by DrooopyHe made a beam out of the two layers so that there will be less flex in front of the front mounting point.  If done with properly sized materials, it can be stronger and lighter than using a larger single side piece.
Reply:Nice rack, boat and truck! Those horizontals by the window add a nice layer of protection against stray bows and sterns during the loading/unloading process, as it is not uncommon to be shuttling MANY boats and butts up river in a rig like that. Actually, you typically get nominated.. Additionally, they make good gear drying racks while frosty adult beverages are consumed during typical post paddle bro-down. Nothing like stinky wet gear to make your vehicle smell like gangreen feet/wet dog for the entirety of its life. Looks like an EZ or Big EZ up top?-Niche
Reply:As for mounting, on a Tacoma they have an inside rail system.. I made four brackets out of angle iron that bolts to the rail. The design was my sons I'm just the amateur welder. Great fun project with the added bonus of spending time with son.
Reply:Very nice work.  What paint did you shoot it with?  I like Rust Tough.-AaronJet 17.5" Drill Press1942 South Bend 16x84 Lathe1980s Miller 320A / BP --- 2013 Power Mig 2562012 Jet 7x12 Horizontal BandsawVictor O/A Setup
Reply:Duplicolor truck bed liner from NAPA
Reply:All loaded and ready for the creek.