Paddling in a kayak can be an exciting adventure for those of you looking for ways to get closer to nature. However, as you probably know, one of the most challenging things in kayaking is not paddling in the water. No, it’s getting your vessel to the water that proves to be an obstacle, in most cases.
It’s easy if you have a truck. You throw the kayak in the back, strap it down, and you’re ready to go. But what about two kayaks? You might need to transport two kayaks in your truck bed, and you might be wondering how to do it. Well, it’s your lucky day. We’re going to discuss how to transport two kayaks in a truck.
What do you need to transport two kayaks in a truck?
If you are like me and prefer to be prepared for everything, you’d want a list of everything you’d need to transport the kayaks:
- Enough cam straps to tie two kayaks – at least two per kayak
- Red flags
- Truck extensions or utility rack
- Somebody to help you load the vessel in the truck
- Cleaning supplies
How to transport two kays in a truck?
The trick here would be to find a way to fit both vessels in the truck bed. Of course, in some cases, that’s not possible either because your boats are too wide or your truck too narrow. In such cases, you’d have to consider other options. We’d talk about them later on.
#1 Remove everything from the truck bed
Your first step before attempting to load your kayaks in the truck is to clean the truck bed. You have to fit two kayaks inside, so you’d need all the space you can get. What’s more, leaving objects behind in the truck bed might lead to scratches or damage to the hull.
You’d also want to clean any impurities or debris because otherwise, your boat will get dirty, which might promote mold and mildew to grow.
#2 Get the kayaks
After you’ve ensured that the truck bed is spotlessly clean, you should lower the tailgate. Then call a friend to help you transport the kayaks. That’s not difficult at all, and you can transport both kayaks in one go. You grab a handle from each kayak in your hands, and your friend does the same. Then you lift and carry it to your truck.
#3 Load the vessels
As I said already, it’s possible to fit two kayaks in a truck bed if you have a wide truck. So, try to see if your kayaks will fit side by side inside and position the boats. It’s likely that they will stick outside the truck bed, but that’s normal.
If you can’t fit the two kayaks side by side, you still have options:
- You can stack the kayaks and tie them in the truck bed.
- Use truck extensions – some work both horizontally and vertically, so they are an excellent choice if you want to stack the kayaks.
- Get a truck utility rack or build one by yourself
- Consider other options like a truck trailer
#4 Strap the kayaks
Once the kayaks are inside the truck bed or on the utility rack, you should strap them down with cam straps. Remember that the best possible solution would be to tie each kayak individually. You also should make sure that the straps are not too tight because the pressure is going to damage the kayaks.
The good news is that trucks some with anchor points on the walls, so you can use them to secure the boats. If you’re using a utility rack, you’d be looping the straps around the bars, while extension racks have anchor points to make thing easy for you.
You might install some additional loops inside the truck bed if you don’t have any or you want extra security.
#5 Attach a red flag
If your kayak is sticking out of the back, you have to attach a red flag. You have to do for safety reason – you’re warning other drivers that you have some extra cargo and that they should pay more attention than usual.
Also, when you start driving, stop after a couple of minutes to check the straps and the position of the kayaks. No matter how well you think that you’ve tied them up, it’s possible for something to get loose while driving.
When you attempt to transport two kayaks in a truck, remember that safety comes first. If you feel that the boats are not stable in the truck bed, you should explore other options like hiring a storage space near your paddling destination or asking a friend to lend you a hand with his car/truck.