How to Carry Your Kayak

A No-Tools Hitch Extender and Saddles

I have a ladder rack for my truck with Malone Rack Pads, and it works great, I even still use it when I am hooked to the RV, or I am bringing a bike along. However, It is tall for me (I'm 5'7"), and I am not getting any younger. My 14.5ft Touring Yak at 50 pounds is a beast to load. For that reason alone, I started looking for an alternate solution. I didn't want a trailer, its too much of a hassle and I have nowhere to store it.

Not long ago I had seen a truck at Home Depot that had some weird contraption mounted in the hitch allowing for him to load longer lumber than what he would have been able to do w/o it. It got me thinking, why can't I use something like that for my kayak?

After some looking around on the net, I saw that several companies were making these for Kayaks, but they were quite pricey, upwards of $200+. I took the word "kayak" out of my search, and I started getting results below a $100, now were are talking. After further searching, I found the Ecotric Pick-Up Hitch Extender for under $60 bucks! I like this one a lot because it breaks down into three parts making storing very easy.

One of the big things I don't like about loading my yak on the ladder rack is that I have to load it upside down and then strap it with ratchet straps which can lead to "oil canning," especially in the heat. This hitch extender, as is, also means that I have to load it upside down. But, the crossbar is a 1 3/4 inch square tube and that my friend means I can use roof rack saddles! Again, $200+ seems to be the norm! And yet again, digging deeper I found some inexpensive Chinese saddles for under $45, and now I can load my yak upright and use regular straps to hold things down.

Note: Since you only need two of the four, if you have a buddy that wants to do the same thing you guys can split the cost of the saddles and save a bunch!

Hitch Extender & Saddles

$68.50

Quality

10.0/10

Installation

10.0/10

Directions

10.0/10

Functionality

10.0/10

Value

10.0/10

Durability

10.0/10

Ease of Use

10.0/10

Kayak Protection

10.0/10

What I liked

Solid Construction
Breaks down for each storage
No tolls needed to build
Comes with Safety Flag
750 lb capacity
Heavy duty steel tubing
Will not crush kayak
Saddles are adjustable for different kayaks
minimal wind drag

What I did not like

A little wobbly before strapping down

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Chris Sgaraglino

Over the past 39 years of my adult life, I have gained a very diverse portfolio of adventures from which I have been blessed to be a participant. This wealth of experience and knowledge has defined my character, my morals and values, and my healthy respect for people and the great outdoors. It is a true definition of an Outdoorsman!

2 Comments

Felix on September 24, 2018 at 1:56 pm

I have the bed extender and always wanted to find the saddles. The only time I did the search the only ones that I found were the two main brands. Thanks for the article and the link to the cheaper saddle. Good thing about the extender is that it can be used upright and carry the kayak using the roof and have the bed empty for the bike and camping gear.