The most complicated part of kayaking seems to be actually getting your kayak down to the river or lake. Most people choose to strap their kayak to the top of the car with the use of a roof rack and a few tie-down straps. But your options are limited if you have a pickup truck instead.
A kayak can fit in a truck bed if it’s around 8 feet long and positioned diagonally. You’ll need a long-bed pickup truck and a few durable tie-down straps to strap down your kayak in the bed. If your truck bed is too small or your kayak is too large, you’ll need a utility rack or a bed extender.
Whether or not a kayak will fit in your truck bed depends on quite a few factors. So, let’s talk about the average sizes for both truck beds and kayaks. Then we’ll talk about how to actually secure your kayak on your pickup truck.
Average Truck Bed Sizes
If you haven’t purchased a kayak yet, then it’s important to figure out just how large your truck’s bed really is first. This can help you to figure out which size kayak will actually fit and the best method of securing your kayak in the bed.
There are generally three sizes of truck beds: Short, standard, and long.
Here’s a quick look at how long these truck beds typically are:
- A short-bed truck (like the Jeep Gladiator) has about a 5-foot long truck bed.
- A standard-bed truck (like the Ford F-150) has about a 6.5-foot long truck bed.
- A long-bed truck (like the Ram 3500) has about an 8-foot long truck bed.
Just keep in mind that these are just the average lengths of pickup truck beds. In terms of width, most measure in at between 4 and 5-feet long.
You also need to consider that these lengths are with the tailgate up. With the tailgate down, you might be able to add an extra 2 feet or so to your truck bed length. But kayaks can also be secured with a bit of overhang.
Average Kayak Sizes
The length of a kayak will depend on the type of kayak that you’re getting. Obviously, a kayak built to sit two people or a kayak intended for ocean or lake use is going to be on the bigger side.
Here’s a look at average kayak sizes:
- Recreational Kayaks: Between 8 and 13 feet long
- Touring Kayaks: Between 14 and 18 feet long
Simply put, most kayaks won’t fit in a truck bed when pushed in unless you have a large truck bed and a small-size kayak.
But you also need to take into consideration the fact that you can store it diagonally in the bed. This can add an extra foot of room in some cases. So you might actually be able to fit a kayak that’s up to 9 feet long in a long-bed truck.
Securing Your Kayak in Your Truck Bed (Smaller Kayaks)
If you happen to have a large truck bed and a tiny kayak, then you’re one of the lucky few that can secure their kayak in a truck bed without any extra work. But it does need to be secured properly in your truck bed for safety purposes.
Make sure that you have tie-down straps or cam buckles that are heavy-duty and attach well to the anchor points in your truck bed.
How to Do It
Even though your kayak isn’t hanging out of your truck bed, one large pothole or bump can send your kayak flying. This can be extremely dangerous to fellow drivers on the road.
So you’re going to need two tie-down straps for this, such as the Perception Deluxe Kayak Tie Down Straps.
Now, here’s a step-by-step guide to securing your small kayak in your truck bed. This process will also apply if you’re leaving the tailgate down with a larger kayak:
- Position the kayak diagonally. Unless you have the perfect combination when it comes to bed and kayak size, then you’ll probably need to lay your kayak diagonally in the bed. Make sure you’re opening the tailgate to slip your kayak in first.
- Attach your tie-down straps to the anchor points. The anchor points in your truck bed are hooks or loops that are usually made of metal. Send the tie-down straps through the anchor points on each side of the truck’s bed.
- Hook through the carrying handles. You want to make sure that your kayak is physically strapped down. So make sure you’re looping the tie-down straps through the carrying handles of your kayak to keep it strapped to the base.
- Use a second tie-down strap. Just one strap isn’t going to be enough to hold down a large kayak. Make sure you’re attaching the tie-down strap around both ends of the kayak and holding it down at the anchor points.
- Tighten the straps. Your tie-down straps mean absolutely nothing if they’re hanging loosely from your anchor points. Be sure to tighten them as much as possible, so there’s minimal movement from your kayak while en route.
This is only going to work if your kayak can fit into your truck bed comfortably or if only a few feet hang over the edge of your lowered tailgate. Otherwise, you’ll need to look into other transport methods with your pickup truck.
Here’s a quick and easy video describing this process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsgS9YYVaIw
Other Ways to Transport Your Kayak via Truck
When your kayak is longer than 11 feet in length, it’s practically impossible to tie it down to your truck bed without it being a safety issue. While it’s possible, it’s not recommended. The good news is that there are other methods that you can use.
So let’s talk about what your options are.
Truck Bed Extenders
If you have a rather long kayak and insist on storing it in your truck bed, then a truck bed extender like the one from MaxxHaul is what you’ll need. This type of product is meant to attach to your pickup truck’s hitch. These add an extra few feet to your truck bed and can even support more than one kayak at a time.
Utility Racks
Utility racks move your kayak from inside your truck bed to over your truck bed. The utility rack (ladder rack) from Apex will support up to 800 pounds of a load, so you can feasibly transport two kayaks at a time. These are generally seen as safer since they’re not at eye level with other drivers on the road.
Safety Considerations
No matter which alternative method you’re using, you need to make sure that you’re following local laws and ordinances and properly strapping your kayak(s) down with tie-down straps.
The last thing you want is for your kayak to fly from your truck and enter the path of a vehicle.
Some states have laws called “overhang laws.”
These laws generally mean that you need to hang red flags or reflector lights from the end of your kayaks, so other drivers know they’re there. Otherwise, you might be at risk of getting pulled over and ticketed.
But it’s usually a good idea to hang these red flags regardless of how much overhang there is.
Conclusion
No matter how you’re choosing to transport your kayak with your pickup truck, you need to make sure that you’re doing it safely. Every method involves securing your kayak to your truck bed with the use of rope or tie-down straps.
If you’re not using a rack but your kayak hangs over the edge of your truck bed, make sure that you’re complying with the local overhang laws. You want to make sure that you’re not getting pulled over and ticketed. And you also don’t want to put other drivers in danger.
