I’d like to build a rack to carry 2 canoes and leave the trailer at home. What is a strong and cheap method of construction? I probably won’t use the rack for anything but canoes once or twice a year, but I’ll be traveling 600 miles when I do use it. Your suggestions?

I'd build something out of 2x4s, especially if your pickup has holes for the verticals. 4 verticals and then run another set of 2x4s around the top to form a box. A few short diagonal braces would make everything super solid but may not be needed if your truck holds the verticals solidly. If not, I'd build something that sits just inside the bed walls and definitely use diagonal braces.. Try some searches on the site. I'm pretty sure there have been some photos posted of racks people have built for their pickups.

Schedule 40 PCV is a perfect material for making a truck rack. 4 verticals that just fit in your bed holes, topped with 3-way end connections. Then connect everything all the way around with the horizontal pieces. Glue and bolt the connections so they never come loose. Should be able to make it in a couple hours.

I used 2x2's and attached two to the installed thule racks that were not long enough to hold both canoes. The front 2x2 was strapped through the doors and foam pads were situated at the right height. Has worked great on numerous trips. 430 miles from my house to Ely. Probably overkill to do all three.

Not a great pic to see the homemade setup but maybe helps with visualizing the concept.

I made a rack with vertical 2x4's cut to fit into pocket in pick-up box rails and a 2x4 crossmember with lag screws to verticals. I hold it in place with straps. Made 2 1100 mile round trips last year. Easy to build and east to store.

I built this one last year for my truck, rock solid. Can easily extend out for two canoes. I added 4 pairs of small PVC tubes across from each other under the cross racks to hang fishing rods.

Four bolts and you can take it apart to store.

DIY 2x4 Truck Rack

NEIowapaddler: "Schedule 40 PCV is a perfect material for making a truck rack. 4 verticals that just fit in your bed holes, topped with 3-way end connections. Then connect everything all the way around with the horizontal pieces. Glue and bolt the connections so they never come loose. Should be able to make it in a couple hours. "

I like the idea of PVC, it’s naturally weatherproof and maybe a little more finished look than wood … my questions … has this been done, and can it be made wide enough for 2 canoes? Priority #1 is don’t loose the canoe! Is a PVC rack stable and strong at interstate speeds?

I would think that PVC is too flexible to use to hold two canoes. It seems like it would flex under weight and they will bounce and it will be hard to keep them tied down.

NEIowapaddler - have you made one out of PVC to carry two canoes? You could easily be talking about holding 100 to 130 lbs.

Northwoodsman: "I would think that PVC is too flexible to use to hold two canoes. It seems like it would flex under weight and they will bounce and it will be hard to keep them tied down.


NEIowapaddler - have you made one out of PVC to carry two canoes? You could easily be talking about holding 100 to 130 lbs."

I have used PVC to construct a canoe rack for my truck. When properly designed PVC will work fine however in my opinion it is not cost effective. I was able to purchase a quality commercial truck bed mounted rack for about what it cost to construct the PVC rack. I suggest that a rack constructed utilizing 2x4 lumber may be the most cost effective DIY option.

Be mindful of using stake pockets. Some modern trucks, like my F-150 SuperCrew, do not have real ones. They are simply holes with no sleeves and would not properly support a typical homemade rack.

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Thanks for the ideas! My truck is a 2012 with 100K+. And a storm dropped a tree on it! My rack won’t need to be real fancy to fit in. If I wasn’t so doggone tight…

I built this rack a few years ago.....worked great. 2X6s & 2X4s....

plmn: "Be mindful of using stake pockets. Some modern trucks, like my F-150 SuperCrew, do not have real ones. They are simply holes with no sleeves and would not properly support a typical homemade rack. "

This /\ I have a 2013 f150. The plastic trim covers on my bed rail didnt even have openings. I had to router openings to access the hollows inside the panels. My brother and I built and installed bases for the back stake pockets. I dont remember how we did it other than scrap sheet steel, a very large bolt, a very large nut, some welding, and a bunch of swearing.

Heres a pic of the aluminum rack we built. The large bolt head in the column of the back passenger side is the one the base is installed on.



We pulled the light assemblies to be able to get the rear bases fully installed. Didnt put bases in the front because we didnt want to remove the entire panel. Thats why we put those large braces in contact with the rails and have a bar connecting front and rear. Each column has a bolt through it and through the rack posts to hold them down to the truck. When I travel interstate I also nose and tail tie to the actual truck instead of the rack jic.

Bummer that some stake pockets are fake. Thanks for the tip.

Northwoodsman: "I would think that PVC is too flexible to use to hold two canoes. It seems like it would flex under weight and they will bounce and it will be hard to keep them tied down.


NEIowapaddler - have you made one out of PVC to carry two canoes? You could easily be talking about holding 100 to 130 lbs."

I guess it depends on how heavy said canoes are. The kind of rack I described can hold multiple extension ladders, which can weigh 30-40 lbs apiece depending on length and construction. I admit I don't have any personal experience hauling canoes on a rack like that, but I don't see any reason it would work for ladders and not for canoes.

PVC doesn't flex as much as you'd think, especially the larger sizes - 2" and up. A little flex isn't a big deal for tying stuff down in my experience, but YMMV.

As far as width goes, that also kinda depends on how wide your truck bed is, and more so on how wide the canoes are. Wider canoes might not work on that type of rack.

In my area PVC isn't much more expensive than lumber these days, and it's a lot easier (in my opinion) to work with. Lumber definitely works though.

goaljohnbill: "

plmn: "Be mindful of using stake pockets. Some modern trucks, like my F-150 SuperCrew, do not have real ones. They are simply holes with no sleeves and would not properly support a typical homemade rack. "

This /\ I have a 2013 f150. The plastic trim covers on my bed rail didnt even have openings. I had to router openings to access the hollows inside the panels. My brother and I built and installed bases for the back stake pockets. I dont remember how we did it other than scrap sheet steel, a very large bolt, a very large nut, some welding, and a bunch of swearing.
"

Yep, there were covers for my rear ones but the front ones I had to carefully measure and cut the plastic rail cap to access. The fake pockets are a big reason why I ended up biting the bullet and buying an Adarac rack, because I'm not much of a fabricator. It uses plates under the holes to clamp the rails to the bed rail cap which you can see in the instructions: https://www.agricover.com/downloads/pdf/2000117.pdf




I'm sure somebody more clever than me could make their own. In hindsight, big fender washers could work, I am guessing, along with smaller washers or some wood within the hole to keep them from moving around. The trick would be holding them up while you put the bolt in...Adarac uses string attached to the clamp to pull up on, if you look closely you can see the two additional holes for that. May be able to buy the hardware kit if you contact Adarac.

Here is a rack I made last year out of 8 2x4s, 4 bolts and a few deck screws. Then I slapped some leftover stain on it that I had lying around. The rack easily holds 2 canoes.

My favorite part about this rack is I can still have my tonneau cover down while hauling canoes. Helps cut down on the amount of dust that is on the gear.

I've had the same rack on three different trucks... it has served me well.

Great rack, the trucks get newer but the canoe stays the same, must be a great canoe.

bobbernumber3: "








I've had the same rack on three different trucks... it has served me well."

Nice, looks like you have had 6.5' beds, which I believe still have the fully sleeved pockets. The 5.5' F-150 beds do not. I guess Ford figures not many people will put racks on a short bed.

plmn: "Nice, looks like you have had 6.5' beds, which I believe still have the fully sleeved pockets. The 5.5' F-150 beds do not. I guess Ford figures not many people will put racks on a short bed. "

Yes. When I went with the 4-door truck, I went with the long bed and have really liked it.

Here is another pic of my DIY rack. Very easy and effective. Fits 2 canoes easily and I can travel while still using my tonneau cover which is a plus.

Question on your truck rack. Thinking of building the same thing. I want a stake pocket-only rack so i can keep stuff in the bed secured (I have a hard tonneau cover). But, wondering if there's any chance wind could pick up the entire thing, with canoe attached, and lift it out of the stake pockets? The chances seem very low, but the consequences going 70mph on the highway would be disastrous (especially for anybody behind you). Is yours connected to the truck in any way?

attached to the vehicle in any way? Or just stuck down into the stake pockets?