towing boat in pickup truck bed

[kjfishman]

23 hours ago, texaslawdog said:

Wow, that is something like what I'm considering.  And yes it looks easy to attach lights.  Thanks for the pic, helps me visualize mine!

I have since taken them apart and bolted them to the bar.

 

[texaslawdog]

1 hour ago, kjfishman said:

I have since taken them apart and bolted them to the bar.

 

Oh I see, you mean instead of using the plastic ties.  Good move!

[texaslawdog]

On 2/1/2020 at 7:46 PM, kjfishman said:

I have since taken them apart and bolted them to the bar.

 

Where did you get the tailgate support bar?

[WRB]

Look at boat carriers for pickup trucks; 4boys mfg for example.

Tom

[kjfishman]

12 hours ago, texaslawdog said:

Where did you get the tailgate support bar?

I got mine at Harbor Freight.  E-trailer has a nice one for $64.95 https://www.etrailer.com/Bed-Extender/MaxxTow/MT70231.html?feed=npn&msclkid=669981ff1853131bfd96dfc7d161de3b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bing | Shop - Bed Extender&utm_term=4577473066785624&utm_content=Bed Extender

[texaslawdog]

9 hours ago, WRB said:

Look at boat carriers for pickup trucks; 4boys mfg for example.

Tom

Will do Tom, 15+ huh?  WOW!!! makes my 4.5 look like a minnow.  And thanks!!!

26 minutes ago, kjfishman said:

I got mine at Harbor Freight.  E-trailer has a nice one for $64.95 https://www.etrailer.com/Bed-Extender/MaxxTow/MT70231.html?feed=npn&msclkid=669981ff1853131bfd96dfc7d161de3b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bing | Shop - Bed Extender&utm_term=4577473066785624&utm_content=Bed Extender

hey kjfm, really appreciate your help.  I have to say, with everybody's help, I'm really getting into this and definitely putting a pretty good plan together here!!!      Because I hate trailers!!!

[Michigander]

I lived the johnboat in the truck bed life for years. It is fine but sucks if you don't have a fishing buddy available when you wanna hit the water. I have a kayak now and would never go back though.

[texaslawdog]

3 hours ago, Michigander said:

I lived the johnboat in the truck bed life for years. It is fine but sucks if you don't have a fishing buddy available when you wanna hit the water. I have a kayak now and would never go back though.

I hear ya and I agree it would not be as good if you had to do it all by yourself, but I have 2 or 3 guys that will probably go with me on most trips.  Even so, I don't think it would be extremely uncomfortable to do it by yourself, we'll see!  Thanks for the input!

[michaelb]

I don't have one, and so not saying this is worth the money or a good idea, but the t-bone is curved to avoid bottoming out the bed extender on rough ground.

 

https://boonedoxusa.com/collections/vehicle-accessories-1/products/t-bone-bed-extender

 

I end up at put-ins that are rough enough for this to make sense.

 

 

[Bankbeater]

Back in the 70's we use to haul my Dad's 12' aluminum V around upside down in the truck's 8' bed.  We would tie a red rag on the end of the boat for safety reasons.  Most of the places we fished were trolling motor only so it worked out pretty good.

[Ratherbefishing75]

I tow my canoe it’s a 16.5 assend square back  I have it loaded with everything  and it is much easer then trying to lift it into the bed or o. Top of my truck  if I’m going somewhere where I cans launch it off the trailer I have a smaller pack Canoe that old as that come but light enough to toss in the bed  and carry to the water  

[texaslawdog]

On 2/8/2020 at 7:59 AM, Bankbeater said:

Back in the 70's we use to haul my Dad's 12' aluminum V around upside down in the truck's 8' bed.  We would tie a red rag on the end of the boat for safety reasons.  Most of the places we fished were trolling motor only so it worked out pretty good.

Hey Bb, thanks for the info, I'm taking in all the posts here and have been given some great info!!!

[JakeyPoo]

I regularly throw a 14' Starcraft 130lb aluminum boat into my 6.5' bed on my 2nd gen Ram. I put a Johnson 9.9 2-stroke and the gas in back by the stern. I tie the bow rope to the hook on the inside of the box of the truck, then one ratchet-strap with an old orange lifejacket wrapped around the bow and that gets strapped to the other hook on the otherside of the box.

 

Legal (here in Alberta). Easy. Can launch anywhere. A 130lb aluminum boat for a 210lb 5'11" guy with eh 86ish pound motor is VERY doable. It's dragging it from the truck to wherever the water is can be a bit more challenging. Furthest I've ever dragged my boat is across my yard, about 85 feet. 2 guys makes the whole process A LOT faster. With one guy you get the stern of the boat to go in first, you offset it and deadlift the back end so the left or right corner of the stern of the boat can be put up on the corner of lowered tailgate. The you push it in so the back slides across the tailgate and lines up with the middle. Then go to the bow, and deadlift the bow of the boat up and push in at the same time. DONE. I do keep a 3/4" piece of plywood because I was strapping the boat so tight the transom handles were bending the front of my pickup truck box in towards the cab.

 

I'm considering getting a 14' Jon boat to do the same thing. The lightest Jon I've seen is a Crestliner 1436L which is 145 lbs. But to get more durability the 1436 is 185lb. I might still be able to do that by myself. It's just the dragging that can be a bit tough. But I think 185lb by myself would be my MAX limits, I can do 130 pretty easily though. The motor is the next challenge, a 15/20hp new EFI Merc is 99lbs with 15" and no electric start. Which is about 15 pounds more than my current motor. Honestly, getting the motor in is a LOT harder than getting the boat in. But I want to get an aftermarket jet for it, that might add a couple extra pounds. So lifting a 105ish pound boat motor byself UP into the truck would be tough, carrying it around isn't as big of a deal. One problem is, those 4x4 2nd gen rams ARE VERY tall trucks stock. A short cab truck like a 2wd or a Chevy (they seem to look smaller maybe I'm wrong) would help with the whole process too.

Toodleloo

[PourMyOwn]

18 minutes ago, JakeyPoo said:

  One problem is, those 4x4 2nd gen rams ARE VERY tall trucks stock. A short cab truck like a 2wd or a Chevy (they seem to look smaller maybe I'm wrong) would help with the whole process too.

Toodleloo

I feel like all the newer truck beds are too tall. I went from a 2014 to a 1995 and bed accessibility is so much better on the older trucks. I'm not sure when this started, but it is difficult for those of us who use our trucks. 

[BassNJake]

On 1/26/2020 at 8:49 PM, texaslawdog said:

Does anybody tow their boat in the bed of their pickup?  How big and what weight is too much for this?  I am thinking that with supports it could be done like with a support in the rear coming out of the hitch.  Any other innovations to help with this?

You dont even need a truck- a 4 door will work

 

[Jleebesaw]

On 2/5/2020 at 9:37 PM, texaslawdog said:

hear ya and I agree it would not be as good if you had to do it all by yourself, but I have 2 or 3 guys that will probably go with me on most trips

Fishing with 3 or 4 guys in a boat that can be carried in a pickup bed is probably a bad idea. 

 

 When i was a kid i used to haul a 12' v bottom all over the place in my pickup. It sucks though. A few years back i bought a 14' v bottom and did the same thing for 2 trips. After dealing with that crap for 2 trips, i went to a local marine dealer and got an old trailer for $200. Just go with a trailer man. Its SOOO much easier. You will also be a lot quicker at the boat launch. I have had to wait for someone loading a boat into a truck at the ramp many times. It takes so much longer than a trailer.