Best fittings for kayaks compatible with Tonneau

[Doughumes]

I just bought the Maverick hybrid. I would like to have a secure cover for the cab, but also would like to have a rack of some kind that I can load two kayaks on for weekend adventures. But a quick look at some of the accessories seems to point out to me that one of these accessories would likely interfere with the other. If you put the tonneau cover on, then you cover up the area that would have to host the rack system. And so each time you used one you would have to disassemble the other. And yet I see a lot of posts with a lot of creative solutions here. So just putting this issue out there to see what any of you can recommend. Thanks.

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[Johnkn]

I just bought the Maverick hybrid. I would like to have a secure cover for the cab BED, but also would like to have a rack of some kind that I can load two kayaks on for weekend adventures. But a quick look at some of the accessories seems to point out to me that one of these accessories would likely interfere with the other. If you put the tonneau cover on, then you cover up the area that would have to host the rack system. And so each time you used one you would have to disassemble the other. And yet I see a lot of posts with a lot of creative solutions here. So just putting this issue out there to see what any of you can recommend. Thanks.

fixed it for you....

good luck....


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[Doughumes]

fixed it for you....

good luck....


.

oops! Thanks.

 

[icegradner]

You either need a roof rack, or a bed rack that works with the Elevate rails. The rails allow you to mount a cover and use a track mounted bed rack. If you want security, and use a bed rack like this, I'd recommend a hard rolling cover, rather than the hard folding cover. I got my cover 6 months before getting the bed rack, kind of wish I got a rolling one, since the hard folding cannot be fully opened with the rack on.

 

[jcnnjc]

Here is what I use, just roll up the top when the kayaks are used. Rack is less than 100 bucks.

 

[Bear]

I have the Elevate racks, hard cover rollup tonneau and Thule DockGrip. The Thule DOckGrip holds my 17 wood kayak pretty good and more importantly doesn't scratch it! I don't have any issues with the kayak shifting left or right while driving.....it's held in good. It sticks out about 4 feet from the bumper and can't see the front of the kayak from the front windshield.

Thule or Yakima have a device to help you load your kayak onto the rack by yourself. With the Elevate rack I'm going to strap a 2x4 onto the front rack and have it extend out 3 feet so I can place my kayak on and pick up the rear kayak on the back rack. Elevate doesn't sell anything like what Yakima or Thule have.....At least I didn't see anything.

If the Yakima or Thule racks would have worked with my hard cover rollup tonneau I would have went with one of them b/c they have the device so I can load my kayak by myself. I will post more pictures in a couple of days on how I load my kayak by myself.

 

[olman]

I have the Elevate racks, hard cover rollup tonneau and Thule DockGrip. The Thule DOckGrip holds my 17 wood kayak pretty good and more importantly doesn't scratch it! I don't have any issues with the kayak shifting left or right while driving.....it's held in good. It sticks out about 4 feet from the bumper and can't see the front of the kayak from the front windshield.

Thule or Yakima have a device to help you load your kayak onto the rack by yourself. With the Elevate rack I'm going to strap a 2x4 onto the front rack and have it extend out 3 feet so I can place my kayak on and pick up the rear kayak on the back rack. Elevate doesn't sell anything like what Yakima or Thule have.....At least I didn't see anything.

If the Yakima or Thule racks would have worked with my hard cover rollup tonneau I would have went with one of them b/c they have the device so I can load my kayak by myself. I will post more pictures in a couple of days on how I load my kayak by myself.

Nice looking yak !

 

[zendog]

With these really long yaks (one of mine is 18 feet long), has anyone tried one rack over the bed and one on the cab so they don't hang so far odd the back? Plus it would let you have the racks further apart to reduce any tendency for the bow to push sideways and twist on the racks at speed.

 

[sundancer370]

Elevate rack system and lo-pro tonneau cover from Realtruck.com. Thule Hullavator kayak system

 

[MitchMav]

fixed it for you....

good luck....


.

This is what I did with my Maverick. Bought a $300 rack from Harbor Freight and mounted it to a rack system I created in the bed. Didn't like attaching them to the side of the bed. Easy to remove and put soft cover back on.

 

[Bear]

Elevate rack system and lo-pro tonneau cover from Realtruck.com. Thule Hullavator kayak system

How high is your kayak sitting above your bed racks? Looks like it's sitting higher than my kayak on my bed racks.

 

[sundancer370]

How high is your kayak sitting above your bed racks? Looks like it's sitting higher than my kayak on my bed racks.

I used a Thule Hullavator Kayak Rack which sets the Kayak about 4" above the Elevate Rack.
I had the Elevate Rack set at 23" from the bed sides which would put it about 45" above the bed floor. Could do Elevate at 18" (40" above bed).

 

[sundancer370]

I have the Elevate racks, hard cover rollup tonneau and Thule DockGrip. The Thule DOckGrip holds my 17 wood kayak pretty good and more importantly doesn't scratch it! I don't have any issues with the kayak shifting left or right while driving.....it's held in good. It sticks out about 4 feet from the bumper and can't see the front of the kayak from the front windshield.

Thule or Yakima have a device to help you load your kayak onto the rack by yourself. With the Elevate rack I'm going to strap a 2x4 onto the front rack and have it extend out 3 feet so I can place my kayak on and pick up the rear kayak on the back rack. Elevate doesn't sell anything like what Yakima or Thule have.....At least I didn't see anything.

If the Yakima or Thule racks would have worked with my hard cover rollup tonneau I would have went with one of them b/c they have the device so I can load my kayak by myself. I will post more pictures in a couple of days on how I load my kayak by myself.

First of all love the wood kayak especially the joinery visible on the sides.

I have a 16' Hobie kayak with the Elevate Rack and Thule Hullavators which allow me to load by myself. I use additional ratchet straps (yellow straps) to better secure kayak. Could also attach bow and stern tie downs if required for long trips.
Did modify parts of the Hullavator to make attaching to the Elevate crossbar easier (by choice not absolutely necessary)

Hullavator Mods I Made
1) original unmodified bar (can find on internet for about $60) if you ever need to replace after mods
2) Option 1 for attaching, use a t-slot bolt/slider and drill hole in bar (#1). Recommend doing it by the near the current clamps NOT using the existing hole as you may have clearance issues with the rivet head and nuts and the remaining hullavator rack.
3-5) option 2 for attaching, drill out rivets holding clamp to bar and remove it (#3). Use extra T-Slide (#4) that came with the Elevate and drill out hole in bar to accommodate (5/16"). I recommend using a serrated lock nut. Once assembled on Rack crossbar, cut T-Slide bolt to length to allow for Hullavator clearance.
6) Bottom view of bar and T-Slide

 

[maverickVT]

I have the Ford hard Tri-fold tonneau cover, the Elevate rails, and a bed rack from Harbor Freight. I drilled some holes in the bases of the rack, and bolt it to the rails with the included t-bolts. I cut the posts down a bit so it didn't stick up so high, which makes loading the kayaks a lot easier. I can fold the cover up tight to the back rack, so I still have full access to the bed. I have an Old Town Sportsman 106 PDL in the middle on some cheap amazon saddles, and the two side kayaks on J-hooks with longer bolts. Nothing moves around, and it's not terrible getting everything up there. And with the tonneau cover closed, I can keep all my fishing gear and life jackets secure and out of the weather.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Elevate rack system and lo-pro tonneau cover from Realtruck.com. Thule Hullavator kayak system

Let the adventures begin! love it!

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