Transporting SUP in pickup truck

[crazybrit]

I noticed Yakima sells a tailgate pad  http://www.yakima.com/shop/water/truck/sup-tailgate-pad

The problem is that my board is 12' and the pickup truck bed is 6'.   So that leaves a full 6' hanging out the back of the truck which strikes me as a rear-ending waiting to happen.      I can see it working better for 9' long boards.   

I'm only planning to transport short distances in the truck, 5-10 miles down to the nearby river,   longer distances we'll use the wife's Subaru which has a roof rack.   When I picked up the board I put the tail at the rear of the bed and the nose up over the cab (like this:  http://surfingsports.com/images/gmc_sup_stoke1.jpg).     Probably not great for long distance or freeway speeds but as long as I stay away from any low ceiling parking garages I figure it should probably work ok.

I'm curious what others do.   If I end up transporting regularly using the truck then it would obviously be worthwhile to construct something like this:   http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/data/500/medium/bch_truk_09.JPG       I have a tig welder so I could fab up something out of steel (or use wood) but like I said, I'm not sure I'll be transporting far on the truck and also don't really want two huge U supports that I have to store when not on the truck.

Advice welcomed.

[mrbig]

Crazy yank bought the Yakima setup and used it regularly with a 12'6" Exocet Marlin. I used bungee cords on the fin attached to tie downs in the bed for additional peace of mind. Never had a problem on short - up to 20 mile trips.

I have a Subaru with racks for longer adventures, but the Yakima setup is great for local trips.  No issues with the strap and the install was a snap.

[SeaMe]

When I picked up the board I put the tail at the rear of the bed and the nose up over the cab (like this: http://surfingsports.com/images/gmc_sup_stoke1.jpg)
Probably not great for long distance or freeway speeds but as long as I stay away from any low ceiling parking garages I figure it should probably work ok.

I think that's going to subject the board to more air pressure at higher speeds/longer distances,  I personally wouldn't do it. If you're not yet ready to commit to U-supports, it's better to let it hang over the back.

The amount of length allowed to overhang varies by location, but I doubt you're going to exceed it with a SUP. 6' is nothing compared to the overhang on most of the vehicles coming out of the Home Depot or Lowes parking lots where I live. For safety, place a red flag on the end because it helps with depth perception. If you still fear being rear-ended, switch to the wife's Subaru. (Subarus are AWESOME!)

[crazybrit]

Crazy yank bought the Yakima setup and used it regularly with a 12'6" Exocet Marlin. I used bungee cords on the fin attached to tie downs in the bed for additional peace of mind. Never had a problem on short - up to 20 mile trips.

I have a Subaru with racks for longer adventures, but the Yakima setup is great for local trips.  No issues with the strap and the install was a snap.

The amount of length allowed to overhang varies by location, but I doubt you're going to exceed it with a SUP. 6' is nothing compared to the overhang on most of the vehicles coming out of the Home Depot or Lowes parking lots where I live. For safety, place a red flag on the end because it helps with depth perception. If you still fear being rear-ended, switch to the wife's Subaru. (Subarus are AWESOME!)

I'm not worried about it falling out or violating some law.  Like I said (I live in the city) and I'm just worried that some clown is not going to see 6' of board hanging out the rear and pile into me.       Oregon drivers suck 

For sure I'd use red flag tape.

Wife takes 10 month old to daycare in the Subaru on her way to work and the childseat won't work in the pickup, so no option to swap.  I work from home so I'd like to be able to head down to the river for a couple hours in the morning (~6 miles in city traffic).

[crazybrit]

Maybe I should (re)consider the u-supports.   Are there any good threads here where people have made their own?   Looks fairly easy but there may be things I've not considered.  Doesn't hurt to copy a design someone else has already debugged

[downwinddave]

why not just pop it on the roof? i used to do that with my taco before i got my racks. tie a bowline plus rope it thru the windows. 
btw i followed a guy the other day with what looked like 10 feet of canoe poking out the 6' box of a pickup. he did have a flag tied on! 

[Gramps]

If all you're going to use the rack for is an SUP or lighter loads, then there are lots of inexpensive options here:  http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A15684181%2Ck%3Atruck%20ladder%20racks

You might also check out the "What does your sup carrying vehicle look like" thread for ideas. http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,2629.0.html

[stoneaxe]

Any used market for racks around you? I bought the t-raks for my Taco for $150
Here they are on my old Taco...since transfered to my new one.


Makes for much better more secure transport....

[SeaMe]

I'm not worried about it falling out or violating some law.  Like I said (I live in the city) and I'm just worried that some clown is not going to see 6' of board hanging out the rear and pile into me.       Oregon drivers suck 

For sure I'd use red flag tape.

Wife takes 10 month old to daycare in the Subaru on her way to work and the childseat won't work in the pickup, so no option to swap.  I work from home so I'd like to be able to head down to the river for a couple hours in the morning (~6 miles in city traffic).

For that short a distance I wouldn't stress about it too much, you'll be okay whatever you choose.

[hbsteve]

I transported by board that way for about three years.  We even drove from Huntington Beach CA to Monterey CA, without any problem.
As mrbig said, make sure it is secure.   Also, find some way to cushion the nose, or some of the paint etc. meant for the board will become part of the truck.

[PonoBill]

Some guy staring at his iPhone walked straight into my 17' Bullet on my jeep in Maui. The guy started complaining about it and I said "Really. You want to whine because you don't look where you're going. Stick the phone in your pocket and wake the f*&k up". 

Being an asshole like me works better than a red flag.

A good rack is a one time investment in not screwing up your boards. Worth a few bucks to do it right.

[robon]

I transported a 12'6" in the back of my truck with a 6' bed quite a few times before I got a rack. It works fine as long as you have a pad for your tail gate and cushion the nose. Gravity does it's thing and the board stays secure as long as it's strapped down properly. Just take it easy on the bumps on and off road.   

[pdxmike]

Some guy staring at his iPhone walked straight into my 17' Bullet on my jeep in Maui. The guy started complaining about it and I said "Really. You want to whine because you don't look where you're going. Stick the phone in your pocket and wake the f*&k up". 

Being an asshole like me works better than a red flag.

A good rack is a one time investment in not screwing up your boards. Worth a few bucks to do it right.

Weird.   I knew a guy in Hawaii with a very similar story, from another perspective.  He was walking along, listening to his iPhone when he walked right into something that was sticking out right in his way (he didn't see it because he's legally blind) and some *&*hole said something to him just like what you told the guy who ran into your board. 

[crazybrit]

Thanks for all of the advice.   Much appreciated.   My wife told me noones going to rear end me, so I'll blame her if it happens 

The Yakima one actually gets pretty bad reviews on Amazon so I'll probable get the Thule one instead:  http://www.amazon.com/Thule-808-Tailgate-Pad/dp/B004L032TG

I'll pick up some surplus steel next time I'm at the steel yard and weld up something more durable.    I like the t-raks stoneaxe posted about but the truck is a 1994 Ranger and $150 is probably 1/4 of the value of the truck 

[SJV_SUP]

I picked up one of these at Harbor Freight tools and have used it to transport my 12'6 Glide and a 12' Kayak in my short bed pickup, works great. Added some thick foam pipe insulation to the crossbar and tie it down with some NRS straps

Tom