Yakima cab racks for canoes/kayak

[KYboy]

I paddle 14-18 foot boats, so I thought the bed racks that are available for the Maverick would not give me enough distance between them for my boats, or give me front structure at highway speeds.
I searched in vain for Yakima or Thule racks that would fit my cab. The biggest constraint is the baseclips that attach the towers to the cab.
I found the Ford accessory site had the Yakima cab racks, and was able to order them. I couldn't tell when I ordered if they were in stock, or when they arrived if they would be complete. I received them today and am very happy. While they retail out at $769, the Ford site has a discount code to get 20% off through the end of May.
My plan is to use a hitch extender in the vertical position to fasten the back of my boats. I may switch to a rear bed mounted rack. Camper tops with boat bars were being priced out to me at about $3400, and I would still need a cab bar.
I hope this info helps someone searching.
My current Yakima racks are thirty years old and have been used on three different vehicles. The product is topshelf.

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[Delbert]

Check out the this thread. I worked it out.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...-yakima-landing-pads.10264/page-3#post-271626

Since then I've used it several times.

• You only need 2 rails for a boat. The others just get in the way. More is good for hauling lumber.
• The optimal place for a rail on the roof is, in my opinion, pretty far back.
• The uprights above the loadbar are important if you are loading the boat alone. The bow of the boat slides to one side or the other when you put it on the bar and go to the stern of the boat to push it up.
• It is important that the rear load bar be as far back as possible. It allows you to get the bow up easily. Plus, it acts as a hand grab when you are climbing up into the bed.
• Racks on this truck do not make much wind noise. I really can't hear this rack much. My Subaru was a different story. It was loud. Especially when I first started and built a custom homemade wooden rack. Don't do that.
• I bought hully rollers and a yoke for the sea kayak. Used them once and now they sit in the garage with the J-bars.
• I am very pleased with the cheap steel rack from ebay. I did modify it, but the curves of the uprights match the curves of the truck. It is bombproof strong.

 

[SkeeterB]

I use one Thule on the roof and a vertical hitch extender for my 14 foot kayak.

 

[Delbert]

I use one Thule on the roof and a vertical hitch extender for my 14 foot kayak.

How is the hitch extender for stability? Would you recommend it for long highway trips?

 

[SkeeterB]

On its own it is sloppy in the receiver. I use one of those gizzmoes that tighten up the fit. I don't remember the name, but I like the one on my bike rack better. Bolt screws through the hole in the receiver into the bike rack attachment and holds it nice and tight. We are on the highway 1 1/2 hours each way to Galveston.

 

[Delbert]

I always used a wood shim after bolting my bike rack in place. It lasted the season. The bed rack is much more secure but kind of a pain to get mounted in a way that it can be removed easily.

 

[Timothyd]

Check out the this thread. I worked it out.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...-yakima-landing-pads.10264/page-3#post-271626

Since then I've used it several times.

• You only need 2 rails for a boat. The others just get in the way. More is good for hauling lumber.
• The optimal place for a rail on the roof is, in my opinion, pretty far back.
• The uprights above the loadbar are important if you are loading the boat alone. The bow of the boat slides to one side or the other when you put it on the bar and go to the stern of the boat to push it up.
• It is important that the rear load bar be as far back as possible. It allows you to get the bow up easily. Plus, it acts as a hand grab when you are climbing up into the bed.
• Racks on this truck do not make much wind noise. I really can't hear this rack much. My Subaru was a different story. It was loud. Especially when I first started and built a custom homemade wooden rack. Don't do that.
• I bought hully rollers and a yoke for the sea kayak. Used them once and now they sit in the garage with the J-bars.
• I am very pleased with the cheap steel rack from ebay. I did modify it, but the curves of the uprights match the curves of the truck. It is bombproof strong.

How do those racks attach to the bed?

 

[Delbert]

I used rivet nuts into the bed rail and bolted into the nuts. The rails are plastic honeycomb but there is metal underneath it.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

I used rivet nuts into the bed rail and bolted into the nuts. The rails are plastic honeycomb but there is metal underneath it.

How hard was it to remove the plastic bed rails? I'm considering doing something similar to add t-slot tracks.

HRG

 

[Delbert]

I did not remove the plastic rail. Just drilled though it. I hope you can get it off.

 

[clavicus]

I did not remove the plastic rail. Just drilled though it. I hope you can get it off.

Are your bolt heads compressing the plastic, or did you make a hole large enough for the bolt head.

 

[Delbert]

The plastic was reamed out so the rivnut is only fastened the the metal underneath. The drop in bedliner got in the way underneath. You could use a simple nut underneath but I wanted it easy to remove. If you removed the plastic rail you could optimize the location of the hole and make sure you were fastening to lots of metal. In any case the bed rack sits on the plastic bedrails and there is a limit to how tight the bolts can be torqued before the bedrail deforms. The drop in bedliner gets in the way

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