The McCoys & Ms Pat
Brownington,Vt
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Joined: 02/02/2006
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Has anyone figured out how to haul 3 Kayaks on a fifth wheel yet?
2005 Forest River Wildcat 29BHBP
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jshul
Belmont, CA
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Joined: 04/15/2003
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Install a front receiver and a goalpost rack on the front of your truck....rear rack attached to cab of truck. I have used this setup wiyh up to 22' kayaks.
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gillguy
Valdosta, GA
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jshul wrote:Install a front receiver and a goalpost rack on the front of your truck....rear rack attached to cab of truck. I have used this setup wiyh up to 22' kayaks.
Or a rear rack that fits in the stake holes on the truck bed. Well, mine is actually 2X4's that I attach with bolts and wing nuts, works for me.
I only haul one canoe though. With 3 yaks, your probably going to need a goal post and rear bar with three J saddles.
On mine I drilled holes in the top of the 2X4's and used 1" pipe for the cross bar that way if I needed to haul 2 canoes (once in awhile) I can use my 78" Yakima bars that I used on the Suburban.
I do wish I could find a factory rack for my crewcab truck though.
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HappyKayakers
Sebastian FL for the winter season
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Are you carrying 3 full size yaks? DW made me sell my whitewater kayak before hitting the road even though it would've ridden very comfortably on the couch inside 
The 2 touring boats rest on a Yakima Dry Dock and standard bar over the cab. We could probably fit 3 by using J saddles instead of Mako saddles as gillguy suggested.
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Mike_5667
Southern Ohio
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I designed and built a rack to carry two kayaks on the back of my fifth wheel, and it works well. It could have been made it a little longer to hold three kayaks. If you went this route, you would have to weld it yourself or get someone to do it for you.
If you are not into this kind of project, truck roof racks or front racks are probably your best bet.
Happy kayaking,
Mike
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Betsy II
BC
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My solution was a simple box shaped roof rack made from aluminum. It is supported through a headache rack at the front of the box and a support structure pinned to two receivers bolted at the tow hook locations up front. There is a photo of the rack on my profile page.
cheers,
Roy
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attitude 26fsak
Inland Empire, Ca.
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jshul made what I consider the best suggestion. Front receiver, goal post rack, long bar over your cab. Puts a little weight on your front tires were you need it. When you drop your load your ready to tool down to the ocean, lake, river, stream, whatever. Even when you have a toyhauler like mine it's still better to be ready to get wet and the idea of portgaging up the ladder of your FW to offload your yaks every time you get there only makes you wish you married superwoman.
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ken burke
phoenixville, pa, usa
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The McCoys & Ms Pat wrote:Has anyone figured out how to haul 3 Kayaks on a fifth wheel yet?
Good question. We have the same problem as we have 2 kayaks that are 14 foot in length. We still have a travel trailer, but are planing on a 5th wheel.
The goal post installed on the front of the may work; however, I am not sure that I could get used to having the posts in my driving view all of the time. Somehow you would have to weld the front rack on the frame of the truck.
Maybe a truck roof rack would work if you have a crew cab with a long bed. I will have to check some day.
let us know what you decide.
ken
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ken burke
phoenixville, pa, usa
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HappyKayakers wrote:Are you carrying 3 full size yaks? DW made me sell my whitewater kayak before hitting the road even though it would've ridden very comfortably on the couch inside
The 2 touring boats rest on a Yakima Dry Dock and standard bar over the cab. We could probably fit 3 by using J saddles instead of Mako saddles as gillguy suggested.
How long are your kayaks? Do they get in the way with the 5th wheel? Any pictures?
ken
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jwill
Lansing, MI
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Joined: 10/28/2003
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Several companies (Curt & Reese for example) make front hitch receivers that just bolt on (that's what I have on my truck for Kayaks.) I use the same Y support in the front receiver that I use in the back receiver when the 5th-wheel is not attached.
Quote:The goal post installed on the front of the may work; however, I am not sure that I could get used to having the posts in my driving view all of the time. Somehow you would have to weld the front rack on the frame of the truck.
ken
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