Best Kayak Truck Racks

Kayaking is all fun and adrenaline until you have to transport your kayak to the river. As a water sports enthusiast, moving your kayak from one place to another is an essential thing to consider. Owning a good kayak truck rack is an absolute must-have if you plan on transporting your kayak to your favorite rivers and lakes on your vehicle. We know that searching for the best kayak truck rack can be challenging because they are not the easiest thing to transport using your car. If you try any other form of transportation method, you run a significant risk of your kayak scarping or harming the exterior of your car, and you also run the risk of your kayak becoming loose and falling off of your vehicle as you drive as well, which would be a huge disaster, right? The last thing you want is to end up with a damaged car or a broken kayak. 

Fortunately, there are many good kayak truck racks available on the market. In this article, we’re going to point out some of the most popular kayak truck rack models and discuss the pros and cons of each to help you make the most informed choice. 

First, let’s go over what some of the different kinds of truck racks are.

Kayak Truck Racks Comparison Chart

We’ve found the most popular and top-rated kayak racks and organized them in this comparison chart.

AA-Racks Model X35

The AA-Racks Model X35 is extremely easy to install because no drilling is required. It will just clamp right onto the rails of your truck bed. However, this also serves as the biggest con for the Yakima, as it is designed for compact pickup trucks and there will not work the best for larger models.

AA-Racks Model X35 includes truck rack with J-racks for two kayaks.

The AA-X35 rack contains very awesome features that meet your requirements. These features include an adjustable width, the presence of a strong and durable load-bearing test and the presence of five drilling holes on the upright plate.

1 . Adjustable Width

One of the most amazing features of the AA’s X35 rack is the presence of an adjustable width of a minimum of 51 inches and 71 inches. This makes you not to worry if your truck’s width is more than 51 inches.

2. Load Bearing-test

The load bearing test of the X35 rack is very strong and can hold loads of up to 800 pounds. This is because the X35 rack is made up of steel. The X35 rack is also very durable and does not get dust easily because it is coated with a watted black powder.

3. Drilling holes

The rack contains five drilling holes, two for inner bed-rail drilling and three for outer bed-rail drilling. This special feature makes X35 a very good rack for compatible drilling on different sizes of your truck’s bed margin

What’s in the package?

The X35 rack comes together with 8 bolts, nuts and washers.

How do you fit a X35 rack on your truck?

To install the X35 rack you must first drill holes on your truck’s bed rail. The installation features the top cross bar which can be extended from 51 inches to 71 inches, the ‘L’ shaped plate and the height of the rack which is 31 inches to the clearance and 26 inches to the cross bar. Choose two racks with dimensions that match your bed rail and fix the X35 rack on your truck by use of the 8 bolts and nuts.

PROS OF THE AA X35 RACK

• The X35 rack model has an adjustable width
• It is made up of steel meaning that it is strong and cannot break easily.
• It is coated with a durable black powder meaning that it cannot rust and get dust easily.

CONS OF THE AA X35 RACK

• It can’t be installed on new Toyota trucks with pre-installed inner truck systems.
• It cannot be installed if your truck has toolboxes, bed covers, and camper shells.
• The rack cannot fit on trucks with a bed rail less than 51 inches.

Conclusion

The AA’s X35 rack is a very efficient rack for your truck and it can ensure efficient carriage of your loads because of its amazing features. The X35 rack is very suitable, efficient and durable pickup truck rack that cannot ashame you once you have bought it. It is therefore highly recommended that you take a step and buy your X35 rack today to enjoy its amazing features.

 

Thule TracRac TracONE

The first thing you should know about the TracRac 27000-01 Universal Track Rack is that it has a total carrying capacity of eight hundred pounds, and yet the weight is distributed evenly across both racks assuming it is installed correctly. What’s more, is that this rack is incredibly lightweight at only fifty pounds, despite its huge carrying capacity. This is thanks to its strong and yet light aluminum construction that comes coated with a rust-resistant material.

All-purpose Rack

The TracRac TracONE is the all-purpose rack that you need. It is made of aluminum which is lightweight and high-quality material. This is an advanced rack that you have to put your hands on. If you need to carry ladders today, the TracRac TracONE is for you.

Carrying out long items is easy with the TracRac TracONE. If the items will not fit in the bed of your truck, the TracRac TracONE is what you need. You can also install the TracRac TracONE within an hour by using a clamp system that has been designed for this.

Tons of Value

TheTracRac TracONE can also be used for almost any truck. It is also quiet and aerodynamic, can minimize wind resistance with its elliptical crossbars. Air will not penetrate into the slots because the airfoil trip strips can do the job pretty well. The TracRac TracONE also has the increased strength that you want. The TracRac TracONE has also been designed to resist wear. There is a wide array of compatible accessories.

Tons of Capacity

The TracRac TracONE has tons of capacity for you. In fact, it has a capacity of 800 pounds. You can even distribute this weight across both racks. But you need to install the item properly too if you want to achieve this result. If you have to deal with longs items, the TracRac TracONE is for you.
The TracRac TracONE knows how to match the finish quality of any truck. The TracRac TracONE is also perfect to carry up to two kayaks. The TracRac TracONE has a wide array of instructions in its manual, but you will follow them quickly. They are also very easy to follow.

pros

• Lightweight aluminum truck rack
• Feels very solid
• Will not take up a lot of your time to be installed
• You can install the TracRac TracONE by yourself

The TracRac TracONE will give you the huge capacity that you need to see in your truck. Carrying out a wide array of items is easy with the TracRac TracONE. The TracRac TracONE is also very easy to install, and it also made of high-quality materials. It is an all-purpose rack that you need to put your hands on today.

Lund 601021 Truck Bed Extender

– With over seven inches of ground clearance, the Lund Hitch Rack Truck Bed Extender is designed to fit a standard two-inch receiver hitch, with a total carrying capacity of seven hundred and fifty pounds and side wings that are adjustable from twenty-seven to forty-nine inches.

· Tricam SLE-1 2-in-1 EZ Hitch Mounted Load Extender

– This is a hitch-mounted loader that is constructed out of heavy-duty tubular steel material. It’s the biggest pro is that it can be mounted either vertically or horizontally on any hitch receiver that measures two inches. There are also five adjustable heights for you to choose from, and it sells with a one-year limited warranty from the manufacturer as well.

· Darby Extend-A-Truck 944 4-Feet Truck Bed Extender

– With over four feet of support and fully adjustable, the neatest feature about the Darby Extend-A-Truck is how it can be stored flat right behind your seat when it is not being used. It is designed out of heavy-duty materials for the most secure hauling of longer loads possible.

· TMS 800 LB Adjustable Fit 2 Bars Utility Ladder Truck Pick Up Rack

– The TMS Truck Pick Up Rack also has a total carrying capacity of eight hundred pounds, and yet only has a height of thirty inches with an adjustable width of five inches to six inches. It’s constructed out of a heavy-duty steel, so it can also carry other items besides your kayak such as construction materials.

· TMS T-NS-Hitch Bed Extender

– This kayak rack is designed to extend your truck bed in order to carry longer items. It is designed to fit two-inch hitches and is held with four separate quick-release clevis pins. The side arms can be folded to save room.

 

· ROLA 59742 Haul-Your-Might Removable Truck Bed Rack

– The best pro about the ROLA Haul-Your-Might Rack is the fact that it is a universal fit, meaning it can fit practically any truck bed including those without an integrated bed rail system. Another pro about this rack is its anti-theft features such as the mind-lockable covers.

Kayak roof racks are not included!

· Thule Xsporter Pro Aluminum Truck Rack

– The Thule Xsporter comes equipped with a number of neat features, including an AirTrip technology that is built into the bar in order to redirect airflow, resulting in vastly superior aerodynamics over other kayak racks, and an adjustable bar height to make this rack as versatile as possible. The only major con about it is that it requires Thule rack system crossbars in order to work.

· Thule Goal Post Truck Rack

– Built to transport kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards, the Thule has installed the Goal Post Truck Rack with an anti-sway feature for more stable transport and two vertical hook straps that further stabilize the canoe. As with the Xsporter, however, it requires Thule rack system crossbars in order to be fitted onto your vehicle.

Buyer’s guide

One of the most popular kinds of kayak truck rack is a horizontal rack. In this system, your kayak will lay flat on top of your car. It’s also one of the easiest ways to load and unload your kayak, so if you’re in a hurry to go for a quick kayaking session, this can be one of the most efficient systems to use. Horizontal kayak racks are also easily adjustable in order to accommodate practically any size of kayak there is.

Vertical kayak racks will stack up your kayak on their sides, permitting you to store more than one kayak on your vehicle. In fact, some vertical kayak racks are capable of holding four kayaks at once. As with horizontal kayak racks, vertical racks are extremely easy when loading and unloading kayaks.

J-Style Kayak Racks, also known as J-Cradles, will fold down when they are not being used. This allows you to carry other toys and equipment for water adventures on your vehicle rather than just the kayak. Finally, hitch mount kayak racks feature a load bar mounted to the rear of your vehicle, with a hitch receiver. This way the hitch will be fully secured and won’t wobble at all. 

Choosing the best kayak truck rack is not an easy task, this is why it is essential to consider some factors.

One of them is the amount of time you spend kayaking. This is an important factor because some truck racks are easier to assemble, install, or deconstruct than others.

Your comfort while driving your car with a truck rack attached is another factor you should consider since any accessory of this kind can interfere with your driving abilities.

Another thing to consider is the truck rack’s mounting system. If it requires drilling, you should probably check with a specialist before doing something permanent to your vehicle. 

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the best kayak truck rack, there are many options. We hope that this article helped you find some relevant information so you can make the best decision and take your adventures to the next level. Any one of these kayak truck racks can be a high quality and easy to install option for transporting your kayak from one place to another. All of the products we have presented are safe and sturdy. Conduct more careful research into each one to find a model that best fits into your budget and is compatible with your vehicle.