How To Transport A Kayak In A Truck?

Kayaking might be an excellent activity for those of you who love spending time outdoors. But as you know, transporting a kayak can be quite the challenge, especially if you don’t live near your paddling destination.

In some cases, you can strap the vessel to the roof rack of your car. But what are you going to do if you have a truck, for example? You can’t tie the boat to the roof. You can always get a kayak rack for a truck to save your self time and effort but if you don’t have one to hand what will you do?

Well, do not sweat. Today we’re going to talk about how to transport a kayak in a truck, so don’t stop reading.

What do you Need to Transport a Kayak in a Truck?

Before we begin discussing our main topic, I would like to make a list of all the necessary equipment you’d need to transport your kayak in a truck. In this way you will know what to buy:

​​What to ​Buy:

  • ​Cam s​​​​​tra​ps
  • ​A red flag
  • ​A rubber mat
  • An extend-a-truck (optional)

How to Transport a Kayak in a Truck?

Transporting a kayak in a truck is one of the easiest ways to get your vessel to water. However, it’s natural to be confused about how to do it, if you’ve never done anything similar. So, here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it.

1. Clean the truck bed

Your first step before loading your kayak in the truck would be to remove from the truck bed because you’re going to need all the available space. You should also clean the bed of any debris or dirt to ensure that your kayak stays clean and that there are no objects that could damage your vessel.

You might place a rubber mat inside on the floor of the bed to provide some cushioning so that your boat does get scratched during transportation.

2. Lower the tailgate and get the kayak

After you’ve clean up the truck bed sufficiently, you should proceed by lowering the tailgate. Then you can go and get your kayak. Ask somebody to help you because it will be easier for two people to carry it than for a single one. Just remember to pick it by the grab handles.

3. Place the kayak inside the truck bed

To load the vessel, lift it and slide it into the truck bed. If you have a long bed and your boat is on the short side, you’ll probably be able to fit the kayak inside and close the tailgate. That’s the best possible option.

However, your kayak might be too long for the truck bed. Don’t worry. In such cases, you leave it lying flat on the truck bed.

4. Position the boat

Once the kayak is inside, position it correctly. One end should be facing towards the corner near the cab, while the other should be at the opposite corner of the tailgate.

If the kayak doesn’t fit the length of the truck, do not attempt to close the tailgate and leave the kayak’s bow over it. That’s dangerous because it adds extra height to your vehicle and the wind is more likely to damage it.

Instead, you can purchase an extend-a-truck rack which will extend the length of your truck bed and offer you more stability and safety. What’s more, you wouldn’t have to worry about hitting something with the sticking end of your vessel. Watch this video for more information.

5. Strap the kayak

Once you’ve got the kayak inside the truck bed, it’s time to strap it down. Fortunately, this is not a hard task, because most trucks have anchor points on the bed’s wall. If yours doesn’t, you’d have to purchase ones and install them.

You’ll need two cam straps – one for the bow and one for the stern. Simply thread them through the grab handles, pull tight and tie them to the wall’s anchor points. Then make sure that your kayak can’t move around much.

I already mentioned the extend-a-truck option for kayaks sticking out of the truck bed. Well, they come with anchor points, which will make it even easier to strap the vessel securely.

6. Attach a red flag

If your boat hangs out of the truck, you have to attach a red flag to rear end. In this way, you’re warning the other drivers that you have an extra-large load.

7. Do a double check

Once you’ve been driving for a while, it’s an excellent idea to stop and make sure that your kayak is still secure and that the straps are tight.

As you see, transporting a kayak in a truck is a piece of cake once you get used to it. It takes less effort than strapping it to a car, and you wouldn’t have to worry that the kayak will fall from the roof.

What do you think about the subject? How do you transport a kayak in a truck? Share your ideas in the comment section.