Truck-Mounted Rod Tube Project

[BadContrakt]

Just finished putting my rod tube on the ol' green Burban! Stoked about it!

 

This thing fits all 6 of my go-to setups which consists of 5 baitcasters and 1 spinning reel. Longest rod is 7'11". It could probably fit more. It wasn't a snug fit at all.

 

if any of you are thinking about doing this, it costs about:

 

75 dollars - Schedule 40 10 foot by 6 inch pipe (hardware store)

 

45 dollars - Conduit Carrier 6 inch end caps (Amazon)

 

30 dollars - Spray paint (took 2 and a half cans! And I'm still not happy with the result! If I could go back I'd probably use a brush or roller.)

 

10 dollars - lock

 

5 dollars - Sand paper

 

4 bucks for the 2x6 board because I needed more clearance on the STOCK suburban roof rack. Didn't even need a 500 dollar rack to do this project!

 

200 dollars a week - for the therapy I'll need from using my wife as a helper in mounting it (all in jokes! My wife was actually super helpful and we got it mounted in about 20 minutes)!

 

Most guys cut the pipe down to 8 foot from what I've seen but I left it at 10 feet because I've got the suburban not a pickup. Love my suburban!! I highly suggest doing it if one of you have been on the fence about getting into it or not.

[Hog Basser]

Nice work!  I have a suburban too, but I currently use an inside rod rack that's basically two nylon straps with loops in the back for the base of the rod and Velcro strips in the front to hold the tips.  They just hook into the clothes hanging hooks on either side. 

[Stasher1]

I used two clothing rods and some Velcro cable ties to carry my rods inside the Suburban I used to own. Cost me about $30.

[Further North]

Put a nose cone on the front and four fins on the back....

[Further North]

Back to being serious...

 

Great set up, one suggestion: move it to the passenger side.  Those things usually generate a ton of wind noise, better to have them on the other side of the vehicle IMO.

[Wildbillb]

Sweet setup. What keeps them from sliding forward and you can't reach them?  It would stink to not be able to reach them when you get to the lake. The 8 foot probably allows a guy to still reach them.

[Lures'n'Liberty]

What do you do when you fish with a friend? I'm working on setting up my new truck with all sorts of fishing and outdoors related accessories, storage for 6 rods is great however I'm looking for space to fit 12-14 rods in my pickup that comfortably seats 2. I know if I had a Suburban, I'd likely be elected to haul myself and at least 3 buddies a few hours north to Erie a couple times a year, and at 8 miles a gallon, I'd be happy to take their gas money.

[islandbass]

29 minutes ago, Lures'n'Liberty said:

What do you do when you fish with a friend? I'm working on setting up my new truck with all sorts of fishing and outdoors related accessories, storage for 6 rods is great however I'm looking for space to fit 12-14 rods in my pickup that comfortably seats 2. I know if I had a Suburban, I'd likely be elected to haul myself and at least 3 buddies a few hours north to Erie a couple times a year, and at 8 miles a gallon, I'd be happy to take their gas money.

I  suppose we could put the rods in without the reels, or add another one on the other side to match, lol.

 

Nice job and very practical. I like. I keep imagining it as a rocket launcher, though. 

[Quarry Man]

1 hour ago, islandbass said:

I  suppose we could put the rods in without the reels, or add another one on the other side to match, lol.

 

Nice job and very practical. I like. I keep imagining it as a rocket launcher, though. 

 

2 hours ago, Lures'n'Liberty said:

What do you do when you fish with a friend? I'm working on setting up my new truck with all sorts of fishing and outdoors related accessories, storage for 6 rods is great however I'm looking for space to fit 12-14 rods in my pickup that comfortably seats 2. I know if I had a Suburban, I'd likely be elected to haul myself and at least 3 buddies a few hours north to Erie a couple times a year, and at 8 miles a gallon, I'd be happy to take their gas money.

try putting them in the passengers seat, near the console, facing the back. it works in my dads truck. ill try to get a pic for you. also try 8" pic pipe or get two like said above

[Lures'n'Liberty]

43 minutes ago, Quarry Man said:

 

try putting them in the passengers seat, near the console, facing the back. it works in my dads truck. ill try to get a pic for you. also try 8" pic pipe or get two like said above

Got ya there, although not putting them in the passenger seat is kinda the point of putting the tube on the roof. 

 

Really though, to the OP, not trying to kill the thread, just honestly curious. I really do like the tube, lockable storage is pretty awesome. 

[OnthePotomac]

Now that is a darn fine piece of work.  Very professional in appearance.

[Quarry Man]

Anybody know where construction workers and other laborers with trucks and vans that have the PVC pipes on em get theirs? it looks pretty similar.

[rippin-lips]

10 hours ago, Quarry Man said:

Anybody know where construction workers and other laborers with trucks and vans that have the PVC pipes on em get theirs? it looks pretty similar.

Conduit carrier endcaps would be my guess. Same thing the op used on his project. 

[fishwizzard]

I am amazed that with all the fishing gear companies out there that no one sells a purpose-made rod carrier that mounts on a roof rack.  It seems like every fishing forum has a thread or two about DYI ideas, I wonder why nobody sells one? 

[Quarry Man]

4 hours ago, rippin-lips said:

Conduit carrier endcaps would be my guess. Same thing the op used on his project. 

What are thise used for in construction?

1 hour ago, fishwizzard said:

I am amazed that with all the fishing gear companies out there that no one sells a purpose-made rod carrier that mounts on a roof rack.  It seems like every fishing forum has a thread or two about DYI ideas, I wonder why nobody sells one? 

I think they do... https://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/would-you-pay-500-for-this-truck-mounted-fishing-rod-h-1577363033

[fishwizzard]

That's just an expensive tube, I want something like the rod locker on a bass boat, but on my roof.  

[Quarry Man]

I have an FJ cruiser and want to make one for my roof rack. Any tips. Also, how do you keep the tips from getting destroyed on all the rods when you slam the brakes?

[webertime]

Make sure it's not too long that when you hit the brakes, the rods all go slamming into the front.  Could damage them...

[Quarry Man]

I also use rod socks, but I'm not sure that will keep them safe

 

[rippin-lips]

Put foam padding in the end.