PVC Truck Rack

Cole · Post by **Cole** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:46 pm

Heading to Florida in May and will need to haul 2 Native Ultimates and I am thinking I am going to build a rack instead of buying one.

Has anyone perfected the pvc truck rack and do you have any photos? The last thing I want is for this thing to break half way there or back.

chazbo · Post by **chazbo** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:18 pm

You will get responses of folks who have made PVC rack.......my advise...stay away from PVC. It breaks at the joints.......been there, done that.

My current rack is made of 2x4's and is much better.

Fished · Post by **Fished** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:49 pm

I had a PVC truck rack I made. It's going in the trash tomorrow. It's broken about four times. I'm tired of fixing it. I'm either going to buy one or make one out of a different material.

Redfish4me · Post by **Redfish4me** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:15 pm

CCkayaker has a nice PVC rack. He has added braces for structural strength. He has been using his for several tournaments with little to no problem. I would PM him to see if there are any problems or what he would of done different.

killjug2 · Post by **killjug2** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 3:54 pm

Buy some cheap 2x4 studs and put them together with deck screws and gorila glue. I built 1 in an afternoon and it works great.

islandspeed2001 · Post by **islandspeed2001** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:42 pm

If there is one thing you can count on it is the fact that PVC will fail you at some point in time. Just hope it isn't when your going 70 mph down the hwy

UV rays will make the PVC brittle in short order

My recommendation is to buy yourself a bed extender that fits into your hitch. Probably pick up a new one for around $30 bucks.

CopanoCruisin · Post by **CopanoCruisin** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:25 pm

FYI killjug2, if you paint the pvc it will protect it from the uv. There are many high rise building coolingwater systems on roof tops with pvc piping that is painted without any issues of uv degradation.

killjug2 · Post by **killjug2** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:06 am

Painted PVC works great for moving water but as you stress the joints with loads the PVC cracks and weakens over time. PVC pipe is not made to be structurally sound it is made to contain a set amount of pressure. Metal racks, wooden racks, or bed extenders are all better options. Wood is much cheaper than the pipe and joints you will need to make a rack and will last much longer with stronger joints.

Cole · Post by **Cole** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:24 am

Does anyone have any photos of a wood rack, I can build?

buzhazzard · Post by **buzhazzard** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:31 pm

I saw Chazbo's this past weekend and it looks stout. I tried to do a search for pics, but could not find any.

word-doctor · Post by **word-doctor** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:30 pm

Have to agree with the majority. My PVC truck rack is now a garage rack--at least it keeps the yak off the floor.

killjug2 · Post by **killjug2** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:16 pm

I will post a pic of the one I built when I get my pics transfered to the computer. It is not completely painted yet but it works and I have used it several times.

Fished · Post by **Fished** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:39 pm

My PVC rack was painted and it still broke 4 times. The last time was the last for me, I cut half of it up today and put in the trash. The other half will go next week. I'm going to get some 2X4 and build a new one.

chazbo · Post by **chazbo** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:38 pm

Simple 2x4 rack, with pics:

This fits my needs really well, functional, and cheap, and easy to store. One of my difficulties with most manufactured racks, is that I have to have my toolbox on my truck, and most won't work with a toolbox (Thanks Thule and Yakima). It also allows me to get the yaks up, and still have full use of the truck bed.

1. I measure the stake pockets on the truck, and cut down the bottom s of my uprights so that they fit in. I just cut a couple 2x's in half, and work on the bottom 1st. That way if you make a boo-boo, you can still have a do-over.

2. Once I get my bottoms done, I put them in the stake pockets, and decide how high I want my cross bars. My front rack, and back rack are different elevations, with the front being higher. That way I can get my Fnd on there upside down, and the bow of the yak is still above the truck cab. Once I have determined where the crossbars will be, then I notch the 2x, to recieve the crossbar.

3. Plywood gusset for added strenght, and to keep it from racking. You could also get some metal brackets from Home Depot for this if you wanted. At some point, you can trim the tops of the "H" to the height you want.

4. Finished product: It ain''t much to look at, but total cost is under $20. It waggles some in the stake pockets, but by the time you get a yak on top, and a couple straps on it, it's very stable. Good enugh for me.....