We pick up our new kayaks Saturday, a wilderness systems aspire 100 and a Native slayer 12 XC. 30 minutes home from the store. After that are current longest drive to a spot is a 20 minute ride. Closest is 2 minutes. 

 

I have a Tacoma with a 6 foot bed. We have seen many transport them strapped in with the tailgate up, is this an ok way? Not sure we have the time or budget right now for fancy contraptions. I was thinking of slicing one side of a pool noodle and put it on the top edge of the tailgate to protect the finish on the yak. 

 

Then put the yaks in topside up and run the tie down strap through the handles in the front of the bed and one around each in the back. Does this sound like a good plan?

 

would welcome pictures of how you all truck you yaks. 

 

 

My opinion:  get a bed extender from Harbor Freight for about $60.  Look on youtube for how to strap them down.  The Aspire could be transported without the extender (really, both could), but the Native will benefit from the extender.  Wrap a pool noodle around the extender with tie wraps where the Native will rest and place two under the kayaks between the bed and the bottom of the kayaks.  Place some kind of cushioning between the end of the kayak and the bed where the kayak would touch the back of the bed nearest the cab of the truck.  You can carry them with tailgate up, but they may be distorted on the bottom if left there for long (keel/bottom distortion).  Also, half the Native will be outside of the truck with the tailgate up.  Not the best for safe transport.

 

Rick

I put my 12 footer in the same truck you have with the tailgate down and a red flag on the back. No bed extender needed. Strap across the front and through the handle and a second strap wrapped around the back of the yak. 

 

ETA:

Your yak can only extend a certain length even with a flag, I THINK, but that could depend on state. I think it's four feet here but I can't remember. I looked it up when I bought it. Was gonna get a bed extender but there weren't any local so went without. Look up the laws.

 

On the day we bought it my friend thought we should close the tailgate and prop it up over the cab. I didn't like that idea, but once we saw it we both agreed with the method I used. It's actually 11.5 feet.

18 minutes ago, schplurg said:

I put my 12 footer in the same truck you have with the tailgate down and a red flag on the back. No bed extender needed. Strap across the front and through the handle and a second strap wrapped around the back of the yak.

Awesome and that is great news for this weekend. We knew we were going to get a couple as a Christmas gift, we never expected now. Just couldn’t pass up the end of season sales. 

I edited the hell outta my post. In short I'd suggest checking your local laws on length of objects hanging out of your truck   Not sure if they measure from the tail lights or the tailgate door or what.

 

Editing this post too haha. I put it in right-side up. It's in there pretty solid. I have a ratcheting strap around the back. The yak starts to narrow there just a little so there's no way it's sliding out through the strap. I don't like it super tight, just tight. Who doesn't like it tight? :P

5 minutes ago, schplurg said:

I edited the hell outta my post. In short I'd suggest checking your local laws on length of objects hanging out of your truck   Not sure if they measure from the tail lights or the tailgate door or what.

The only thing I could find is it needs a red flag if it overhangs by more than 4 feet. Doesn’t give a maximum overhang for WI. 

Just now, cgolf said:

The only thing I could find is it needs a red flag if it overhangs by more than 4 feet. Doesn’t give a maximum overhang for WI. 

Oh that's awesome. You're all set!

I have a Tacoma with the long bed 6 foot I believe it is. I put my WS ride 135 in the bed and just strap it down sure it sticks out but as long as it's secure and you have a flag your fine dont overthink it 

I like using a bed extender with lights added. Come in handy for hauling other stuff to.