hypothetical. how would you drive a kayak across the country?

[Darth-Baiter]

right now, i just put it in the bed of my truck with a bed-extender.  

 

i have been kicking around the idea of driving around to fish some bodies of water you all talk about.  my current method would work, except luggage and stuff.  my truck interior is fairly packed with pedal drives, boxes, etc.  not to mention my rods.  

 

game over if my plan for my wife to fly occasionally to meet me.  i really wont have the space.  i am thinking a trailer might be my only option?

 

my luck, i'll be the Typhoid Mary of Zebra mussels and spread them around like johnny apples seed.

[TnRiver46]

I usually do it like this 

 

truck bed would also work fine but my wife’s little car gets way better MPG so we take it 

 

zebra mussels have already escaped Pandora’s box and they are awesome 

[gimruis]

46 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

my truck interior is fairly packed with pedal drives, boxes, etc.  not to mention my rods.  

 

Can you put some of that stuff in the yak or the bed of the truck instead of the interior?

[Darth-Baiter]

yea.  but most items are hight theft value.  a Hobie drive is $1800 new.  i see them for sale from dudes that dont know jack about them..

[WRB]

Yakima SkyBox Carrier should solve the problem.

Tom

[Way2slow]

Personally, I wouldn't try to drive it, think of all the rigging it would take.  ?

If it's one of those high dollar ones, I would get something like WRB suggested if your truck roof has provisions for attaching something like that.  You can always add a center support to help make sure it stays in place.  You see those things all over the highways around my parts.  Second option would be flipped upside down and a regular roof rack, again, if your vehicle supports something like that. 

Sticking way out the ass-end of a pickup would not be desirable for a long trip for me.  Just more potential for problems, especially when parking and having to leave it unattended.  Trailering would be my least favorable option, that's just another major potential for problems.  Those small tires really don't like to be spun at high speeds for long durations, especially on these hot summer days, then you have the parking and just plain aggravation of having to deal with a trailer behind you.

 

[TnRiver46]

This was 2018 Atlantic Ocean same boat same car but we had Friends bring boats too. It’s no biggie. You can see that Subaru forester my buddy drove with 2 yaks and a canoe on top. 
 

last month we drove 2200 miles with that canoe on her car, only rigging was 2 straps and some cut up pool noodles. 

[Way2slow]

I was joking about "Driving" it, you know, like getting into like a car and heading out.

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, Way2slow said:

I was joking about "Driving" it, you know, like getting into like a car and heading out.

? Seems like I saw someone in Minnesota do that on a frozen lake with a big saw blade digging into the ice and sled rails under a canoe 

[Standard]

Bed rack with a rod box is my preferred method.  I'm usually camping, so security isn't as much of a concern.  If I'm away from the truck for any amount of time it usually means I'm on the kayak with all the expensive stuff.   Camping gear goes in storage totes in the truck bed.  I do get nervous fishing when the truck bed is full of gear, but nothing has walked away yet.  

 

There are tonneau covers that have t-track, and you can get bed racks that mount to that.  It would give some security to the bed, but they can get expensive quick.  The ADARAC series is one of the lower cost options I've seen, been tempted to pull the trigger on one.

 

https://shop.agricover.com/category/coverandrack

[TnRiver46]

^weve got the same rack ! 

[thomas15]

I have a Taco and was thinking about getting an old school truck cap.  The Leer fiberglass cap painted to match the truck with a hinged window is about $2300.00 You can get this with roof racks I think that is a few hundred extra. That would give you a place to tie your boat and secure extra storage. 

[Bankc]

One more hypothetical to add to your hypothetical... what are you gonna do at night with it?  Because if I was going across the country with one, I'd be weary of someone stealing it.  If you're camping in a tent, then it's probably safe, as could hear someone trying to steal it.  If you stay in cheap motels, you could probably take it down and drag it inside, assuming you request ground floor rooms.  If not, I'd be afraid to leave it out overnight.  Unlike a real boat, which still do get stolen, a kayak is a high value item that's not hard to steal and resell.  

 

As for transportation, do it however way you want.  Other than time, it's little difference going 3 miles or 3,000 miles, assuming you travel the same speed.  

[Darth-Baiter]

i've done it at closer hotels.  i go thru the pedal drive hole with my motorcycle cable.  it is about 1" thick and weighs a lot.  i lock it to my hitch reciever.  everything else is labor intensive.  i carry it all into the hotel room.  all of it.  SUCKS

[12poundbass]

Leave the Kayak at home travel and hire guides or ask around on here to see if members have an open seat on their boats. I’ve seen plenty on here offer up an open spot on their boat. 

[Scott804]

If I am driving more than 3hrs, i'll break everything down and put it in the truck. Otherwise the only thing that comes off the kayak is the drive and the graph. I will only stay at a hotel if I have no other choice, I will do an airbnb where I don't have to worry about thieves and I have my own space to do all my rigging and prep for whatever tournament I am traveling for. I will usually camp before I have to do a hotel too. If I am forced to stay at a hotel, I'll bring the kayak inside if I can get one of those first floor rooms with an outdoor door. Otherwise it'll stay in the truck, backed up against something. If I feel paranoid about the area, I will bring that pricey hobie seat inside too, as well as whatever rods I have stored in the hobie mini side rod lockers. 

 

I also have an insurance policy on my Hobie though, so that also gives me some peace of mind.