I found this item much better…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/10/2008
I found this item much better than I expected. Bought it to travel 150 interstate miles with a new canoe when I couldn't find a proper roof rack for my short bed Tacoma truck. Though heavily made, at first I thought it was a bit rickety. But, once I strapped my new 15 ft. canoe down to my rear bumper and the front of the bed, it was solid as a rock. Drove up to 70 mph on the interstate on the way home, watching it with a hawk eye and stopping twice to find it remained firm. I now have confidence in it.
Next test will be in the vertical position with a single roof rack on the cab so that I can use my Tonnuau cover but I expect that I'll have to add additional straps to prevent slop in that position.
We have a 2001, F150, Supercrew with a short bed, so when hubby bought an Extend-a-Truck, I thought it would be just one more things to add to his 40+ year collection of "men things". Wrong! Not only do we use it to haul building materials, but I can use it to carry my kayak. I am only 5'2", but even I can install it, slide my boat in the truck, tie it down snug, and be on my way in a short time. We put outdoor, felt type carpet on the cross bar to help prevent scratches. Paid around $100 for it from Northern Equipment mailorder catalog. It also helps as a step up into the truck box for me.
Use mine on GMC Sonoma to…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 11/13/2003
Use mine on GMC Sonoma to carry 2 Tarpon 140 (14') Kayaks. Works very well and makes loading easy as wife and I are not that young any more. All she has to do is set bow of Kayak on tailgate and then I slide into bed on old carpet remant. Then we just strap them down.
Use the EXT on our Tundra.…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 11/12/2003
Use the EXT on our Tundra. Fits perfectly in standard 2" hitch receiver. Carries our two NC 17 kayaks (in the truck bed). We use the accessory pads on the t-bar to protect the hulls. Combined with the Danuu LLC covers, the kayaks travel without damage. Very easy to load/remove solo.Solid, well designed, simple to use.
Great product for kayaks or…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 5/2/2003
Great product for kayaks or even wood sheet rock ect. I bought this system last year to hall my kayaks till I could get a roof system on one of my trucks, but found it was much better than roof racks. Very easy to get kayak on and off. I have a six foot bed and no problem with my eighteen foot Qcc-700. It is very secure and with a little foam on it no scratches.
If you own a pickup and have…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/30/2003
If you own a pickup and have a receiver hitch installed, this Extend-a-Truck product is an excellent investment. It attaches or detaches from the truck in less than 30 seconds, and it takes less than a minute to launch or retrieve your boat.
It handles a 12' kayak and/or a 17' canoe with equal ease. Actually, it can handle as many boats as you can stuff into the back of the truck, stacked high or otherwise. If you have ever declined to go out onto the water because of the difficulty of loading your boat onto your truck, this product is for you.
I've extolled this product…
I've extolled this product often on the chat forums of paddling.com. It enables me to carry 1-3 canoes/kayaks in the bed of my Ford Ranger, which is far easier and more stable than putting paddle craft on top. Essentially, I lift the boat thigh-high rather than over my head, and tie it back to the rear bumper to avoid sliding out. Sitting in the truck bed eliminates wind forces on the boat in transit. Paddles can ride in the boat, lighter stuff in the truck cab. The L section which forms the crosspiece on which the boat sits behind the tailgate can be inverted so that a person can carry cab-high if they wish. The MINOR drawbacks are that it's a little heavy, and requires a receiver hitch to be installed.
