Let's see your Kayak Hauler, old school or not

[Plasticpirogue]

What are those cross pieces the kayaks are sitting on?

It's a Jeep Padre; I am sure they are nothing more complicated that structual cellulose with an exterior polymer coating (2X4 spray painted black).

And I agree, cool looking YJ. I always loved the long flat hood on the YJ (think it looks really old school) but the ride leaves alot to be desired.

[Plasticpirogue]

PP - i didn't know jeep also offered the HOOK 1 green option.

Ha! It's called Gecko Pearl, limited production (2-12 thru 12-12), and MUCH brighter in person on a sunlit parking lot. Should be SAFE! You either love it or you really, really hate it. Personally, I think it's the coolest thing since ribbed condoms.

[rigged up]

hahaha.....priceless

[rigged up]

Not to hi-jack the thread with jeep talk..

Heres the scout, still lots of work to be done. Saving it for a winter project but the hope is to make this dependable enough for hunting, camping, and hauling the yak. At that point stop spending money and start saving for gas..haha.

[Plasticpirogue]

My exfather-in-law had a Scout Traveler (ugly looking stretched out Scout). Yours look REALLY good. I would drive one.

[rigged up]

thanks, the wife still says it resembles a station wagon. 4 in lift sitting in the basement should help add some hair to the chest.

a good mix of classic American vintage but still practical for outdoor activities.


where is everyone else post up some more cool haulers......

[Cole]

What are those cross pieces the kayaks are sitting on?

2x4's wrapped in commercial grade carpet. The carpet is inside out so the rubber backing on the carpet helps grip the kayaks.

[Steve G]

Commander 140, Ride 135 and the Tarpon 160...riding high on a 12 year old F350. Maybe not old school but getting close.

[vakayakangler]

Edited, I found the pics of the very first truck, an old Ford F150 with 450,000 miles on it that we used as a Farm Truck. Tina would zip over to the Farm Pond to fish in that one when the urge struck her. Granny Low good for about 5mph, but could pull the house off the foundation.


Then we started out, I had a B4000 mazda and built a wooden rack for the bed of the truck. It actually worked out rather well, but I only used it once or twice. The truck was a 2wd and not really suited to the new area we had just moved into and winter was coming.



Tina called around and found a Big Sale in progress on Subaru's. We needed a 4x4 because of where we lived, and my job in LE and AWD would do it. I turned the wooden rack from the bed of the Mazda into a firewood rack and the Subaru Forester got racks for the roof:


As our physical conditions deteriorated, we began to think we would have to give up kayaking, but Miss T isn't one to give up on anything and she began to research... she found the Rack and Roll trailer, and we put our rack behind us..


We towed the kayaks everywhere on the Rack and Roll... to the farm pond, Tina's favorite place to fish...

The Rack and Roll and Subaru made the run down to FL to visit my dad, and to Virginia Beach so often for salt water fishing that the forester knew the way! We put 240,000 miles on her, but it got to be time to trade it in, and we went back to the same dealer, and got an 09 Nissan Frontier... Sweet!



The 09 Nissan clocked 100,000 miles and never hiccuped. Pulled the rack and roll everywhere as well and did a great job. A buddy and I ran up to Scottsville following one of the infamous floods and the ramp was two feet deep in mud. He figured we'd have to fight it, draggin the yaks... Nah, I said, I'll back down in there and we'll unload. Truck never missed a beat, he couldn't believe it.


When Miss T and I started our HOW chapter and added the Big Ol 12 kayak trailer we went back to the same dealer again and added the Big Titan Pro4x to haul the big trailer. The truck has been a blessing, and Miss T keeps it shiney as a penny.



Now when I went out on retirement, Miss T talked me into trading in the 09 Frontier for the sports car I always wanted. Sorta... I wanted a Vette, or Mustang Cobra, or the 370z... but I settled for a Dodge Charger since big guys fit that better... I put 12,000 miles on it and realized that I am a pickup man, and the HOW Chapter needed two trucks... so...

Enter the 2012 Frontier... same dealer again.. and we still have the titan for the big trailer and some events we pull the big trailer and the small one, as we need all 15 HOW kayaks plus our 3.



So, that's where we are with our Tow rigs......

[inrll]

My '06 WRX. I don't have a picture of it with the trailer and yaks hooked up... at least not a pic that looks this cool.