Transpoting a kayak on a ford ranger?

JPChavez · Post by **JPChavez** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:54 pm

I'm about to get a Ford Ranger Super Cab and I want to know if anybody has one and how do you transport your kayak. I have a car right now and I have a yakima roof rack but from the looks of their web site it recommends nothing longer that 8' can be loaded on the racks securely and my kayak is 16' long. What options are available or any suggestions are welcome?

shawn · Post by **shawn** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:03 pm

get a bed extender from harbor freight. they go on sale for 22 bucks every couple weeks then use 1 of your racks on the cab to secure the front of the boat and your good to go

Cyber Yak · Post by **Cyber Yak** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:21 pm

You could get a Yakima Dry Dock / Thule counter part . . .

http://www.yakima.com/Product.aspx?id=51
http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/product ... dept_id=10

Doug Poudre · Post by **Doug Poudre** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:28 pm

Had a customer come in the store the other day to buy a bed rail rack for his truck be cause he got a $300+ ticket the other day with his kayaks on a bed extender. HPD said the extender was illegal. Just some food for thought.

JPChavez · Post by **JPChavez** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:34 pm

I dont want to transport my kayak in the bed. I'm looking for options for carrying it on the roof.

Cyber Yak · Post by **Cyber Yak** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:36 pm

DRY DOCK OR GOAL POST are two of your option . . .

If you want to go with a rack that they use to hold ladders thats another option.

greyloon · Post by **greyloon** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:48 pm

Doug Poudre wrote:Had a customer come in the store the other day to buy a bed rail rack for his truck be cause he got a $300+ ticket the other day with his kayaks on a bed extender. HPD said the extender was illegal. Just some food for thought.

I'm betting what was illegal about the extender was no lights or the license plate was obscured. If day time, he should have had at least a red flag on the yak or extender.

Tomagus · Post by **Tomagus** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:59 am

Got a Husky ladder rack at Home Depot for $99... Its adjustable and the top half can be removed when not in use

yak on flats · Post by **yak on flats** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:55 am

Been using the Yakima Dry Dock for a few years now driving a Dakota crew cab and works good for me.

SlipperyWhenWet · Post by **SlipperyWhenWet** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:27 am

I would recommend buying or making a rack that fits in the bed mounting holes. I made one out of angle iron and another out of steel pipe.

The ticket from using the bed extender came from one of the violations below.

From the Texas driver's handbook...

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/DLhandbook.pdf

8. Extensions Over Front and Rear. No vehicle may carry a load extending
more than three feet beyond the front nor more than four feet beyond the
rear, unless a special permit is obtained. When any load extends more than four feet beyond the bed or body of the vehicle’s rear, there must be attached on the rear extremities of such extension, red flags at least twelve inches square during daylight hours and at night a burning red light visible for 500 feet or two red reflectors visible from 100 to 600 feet. (See exceptions.) (Motor vehicles or combinations thereof used exclusively for the transportation of poles or pipes may exceed the length or extension limits over front and rear of a vehicle, except that such vehicles may not exceed 65 feet in length and may be operated only between sunrise and sunset.) Exception to the rear extension requirement. A load may extend more than four feet beyond the rear of a trailer if the load consists of a motor vehicle that:

a. is designed and intended to be carried at the rear of the trailer;
b. is used or intended to be used to load or unload a commodity on or
off the trailer;
c. does not extend more than seven feet beyond the rear of the trailer;
and
d. complies with each applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Regulation.

Doug Poudre · Post by **Doug Poudre** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:07 am

greyloon wrote:
Doug Poudre wrote:Had a customer come in the store the other day to buy a bed rail rack for his truck be cause he got a $300+ ticket the other day with his kayaks on a bed extender. HPD said the extender was illegal. Just some food for thought.
I'm betting what was illegal about the extender was no lights or the license plate was obscured. If day time, he should have had at least a red flag on the yak or extender.

Nope, he's got reflectors and flags and I can see his plates. I've seen his whole rig and it looks pretty much like what everyone else has.

greyloon · Post by **greyloon** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:25 am

Doug Poudre wrote:
greyloon wrote:
Doug Poudre wrote:Had a customer come in the store the other day to buy a bed rail rack for his truck be cause he got a $300+ ticket the other day with his kayaks on a bed extender. HPD said the extender was illegal. Just some food for thought.
I'm betting what was illegal about the extender was no lights or the license plate was obscured. If day time, he should have had at least a red flag on the yak or extender.
Nope, he's got reflectors and flags and I can see his plates. I've seen his whole rig and it looks pretty much like what everyone else has.

The cop probably was having a bad day.The guy needs to get out and measure from the bed, with tail gate up to the point where the yak ends, he may have a case for beating the ticket. Of course, if he just appeals, in Houston, the trial wll be delayed 3-6 months and the officer wont show.

Fubar · Post by **Fubar** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:45 am

Spuds son has a Ranger with an extender on the back. Maybe he'll chime in soon.

Ensign Pulver · Post by **Ensign Pulver** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 9:24 am

I don't have my Ranger anymore but I used to carry my 14' Prism on a Yakima Rack. It worked great. I now use the same rack on top of a Toyota Tundra extended cab.

JPChavez · Post by **JPChavez** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 9:47 am

When you used your Ranger to transport your kayak did you just have the Q Towers and Crossbars? Or did you also use the stretch kit? Also did you use saddles on your rack?

Ensign Pulver · Post by **Ensign Pulver** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:28 am

I had (and still have) the Q Towers with cross bars and saddles. I also have the extender kit in order to place the rear cross bar at the very rear of the cab. I use this same set up on my Tundra and carry a T-160 Tarpon. The boats always ride very well in the racks. I do tie down the bow and stern.

Milkjug · Post by **Milkjug** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:32 am

I have a ranger and just carry my yak in the bed.

Do ya'll have trouble lifting your kayaks onto the roof or those high racks? Or am I just weak?

sherwood · Post by **sherwood** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:25 am

Use a bed extender and carry the kayak above the truck top (not on the bed). Problem solved.. the kayak won't be 4 feet beyond the back. Do it this way and you still have the bed to use for your fishing gear.

As for getting the kayak that high, it just requires pushing and then standing on the truck bed to get it into the position you want.

Crank-B8 · Post by **Crank-B8** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:54 pm

I use the Thule racks, they work just fine. I don't have saddles, but they would help. I use the rack pads from FTU. Depending on the length of your boat, it will also be better to carry it upside down (hull up). In this picture the 160 is right side up but I've since started carrying it hull side up and it rides much better. I can also carry one in the bed.

In this picture I've got a 160 on top and a Ride in the bed. Drove all the way to Lake Limestone and back like this, no problem.

GisXXXr1000 · Post by **GisXXXr1000** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:49 pm

Q Towers with cross bars, stretch kit, land shark saddles

Kieth-Tx · Post by **Kieth-Tx** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:17 pm

Cheap & effective.
Don't know why the pic won't enlarge.

Mr Bill · Post by **Mr Bill** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:58 pm

This is not a Ford Ranger but it might still work for you. The whole rig cost less than $20 bucks. I can easily load them by myself, and have many miles on this rig....

redloon · Post by **redloon** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:56 am

Loon on top, SPTW in the bed using a bed extender. Redloon

Hookem · Post by **Hookem** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:19 am

Here is how me and chris roll, well not anymore...

Gordo-wannafish · Post by **Gordo-wannafish** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:10 pm

redloon wrote:Loon on top, SPTW in the bed using a bed extender. Redloon

Off all of them, this would apear to be the "most" illegal. Is that thing like 6 feet beyond the back? Not that I care, but it's way out there!!