I've been meaning to make a canoe rack out of 2x4s for my truck for a while now and finally made it happen. I wanted it wide enough so I would have plenty of room for hauling 2 canoes and didn't want to have to mess around with canoe pads or any sort of trailer. After making the initial structure for the canoes out of 2x4s and deck screws, I also added three rod holders to each side of the canoe rack using a hole saw and 1x4s. The idea here was that when I am going on a bwca trip with 2 canoes, that means the truck cab is full of people and my 5.5ft box has to haul all of our gear. That doesn't leave much room for fishing rods, so I want to make sure I had a secure place to store the rods for the 2 hr ride to the bwca, especially because I like to bring expensive rods with me.

This past weekend was the first trip I used the rack for and it worked out better than I could have hoped for. The rod racks really proved useful and the rods had no problems staying safe and secure.

Another part I like is that the rack can easily be removed by 2 people when it is lifted straight up.

Nice, the rod holders are a pretty neat touch!

Sweet build!!

Just curious how do you secure the poles? And I’m also thinking why not a paddle rack as well!!

Very nice! Looks like a project you enjoyed, too. Have same curiosity as Grizzlyman. Seems a possibility that on a bumpy road or strong winds, the rods could work themselves off the rack.

mjmkjun: "Very nice! Looks like a project you enjoyed, too. Have same curiosity as Grizzlyman. Seems a possibility that on a bumpy road or strong winds, the rods could work themselves off the rack. "

I would just use eye loops to tie the tips in place. If you want it to be really secure then you could just use eye loops again to bungee the reel in place so it doesn't come out of the handle hole. Pretty easy method to secure them and only requires short bungees.

As I was driving home from my trip on Monday, the idea of adding paddle holders also crossed my mind and is now on the to do list for another modification. I think I am going to add paddle holders to the top section of the rack, so they will sit right underneath the canoes when loaded.

Its hard to see but the middle rod holder board on each side has the holes drilled about 1" higher than the holes on the boards on the front end of the truck bed. This accomplishes two things; 1) the weight of the rod is all placed on the beefy end of the rod between the handle and the first eyelet and no unnecessary stress is placed on the rod tip and 2) the rod is not sitting level with the truck bed - the rod tip end (near the truck bumper) is slightly higher than the handle end of the rod. So the rod is being slightly angled down towards the front of the truck and the heavy end of the rod which helps keep it in place.

After making the drive going ~70mph up 61 to Two Harbors, I watched the rods like a hawk in my rear view mirror and they had absolutely no play/wiggle and I wasn't worried about them coming off for the rest of the trip. For my trip, I drove ~300 miles/5 hrs total, including about ~65 miles on dirt roads, and had no issues with the rods coming off, or even looking like they had the possibility to come off. The drive home on Monday also included driving thru some nasty wind gusts that although moved the canoes slightly on the canoe rack from time to time, did not budge the rods from the rod holder even slightly.

Nicely done. I love the attention to detail like the rod holders

that is a awesome design and build job

How much $ do you have in it?
I had built a rack quickly out of 2x4's when I went to pick up my canoe a few months back. It was really ugly but I just whipped it together last minute.

My plan was to build something like you have but after I started pricing things out I decided to spend a few extra bucks and purchase this.
I modified it so that I could put my tonneau cover back on to keep my gear dry.
Now I can haul the canoe and all my gear under it.
It even matches the truck.
The beauty of it is that I can put in on and take it off with only 8 bolts.
I can also haul tree stands easier and long lengths of lumber as well!
(This pic doesn't show the cover)

$89

Bushman: "How much $ do you have in it?
I had built a rack quickly out of 2x4's when I went to pick up my canoe a few months back. It was really ugly but I just whipped it together last minute.


My plan was to build something like you have but after I started pricing things out I decided to spend a few extra bucks and purchase this.
I modified it so that I could put my tonneau cover back on to keep my gear dry.
Now I can haul the canoe and all my gear under it.
It even matches the truck.
The beauty of it is that I can put in on and take it off with only 8 bolts.
I can also haul tree stands easier and long lengths of lumber as well!
(This pic doesn't show the cover)


$89


"

I didn't keep track of what I have into it in materials but I'd guess its pretty close to $20. I think I bought eight or nine 8ft long 2x4s and a box of decking screws. I had everything else I needed laying around the garage from old projects.

I should add - my rack can be completely removed in a couple seconds. It requires 2 people - one lifting on each side of the truck bed. Lift straight up and the rack comes out. I use it to store my canoe next to the garage in the off season. You're right - the racks are handy for other things such as lumber runs and hauling pretty much anything else that fits the bill.

One of the main reasons I went with the DIY approach was I could custom make it to exactly how wide I needed it. In my case, I wanted it wide enough to haul two canoes at once. When pricing out the fancy, commercially built racks, the width just usually wasn't wide enough to justify the high cost.

Where did you find that rack? I'd be interested in something similar for my Ram 1500 to haul a canoe while keeping things dry under the tonneau cover

PikePetersen: "Where did you find that rack? I'd be interested in something similar for my Ram 1500 to haul a canoe while keeping things dry under the tonneau cover"

Amazon.
They have a lot of variations but most of them all look like this one. From $89 all the way to $200 for the exact same thing. Just have to keep looking for it. I think I got mine so cheap because no one wants white. LOL worked perfect for me.
You have to cut the downward flange off of it otherwise the tonneau cover rails will be to skinny. Not a huge deal. I don't plan on hauling much other than my canoe so overall brute strength isn't needed.

I can send some more close ups tomorrow when it is light outside.
(Not meaning to hijack thread)