# Hitch Bed Extender - anything to consider before buying



## Northernfisher

I am about to pull the trigger on a hitch bed extender for my kayak, (Hobie Revolution 16 and it is only 7 foot to the end of the tailgate). It fits in the bed okay but it hangs out far enough I would like to give it more support for longer trips.

Is there any thing I should consider before buying a hitch extender. If I were to buy one right now I would buy T-Bone. Why?
1. Aluminum so it is light-weight (16 pounds)
2. The curved design is less likely to bottom out
3. Good reviews. 



 Heck if Sam Root likes it is likely good.

Am I missing something?

https://boonedoxusa.com/products/t-bone-bed-extender

Thanks


----------



## burntcabin

Having dragged canoes and kayaks around on a pickup bed extender for many years - I think I'll weigh in. I do like the design of the curved arm. That said - it solves a problem I've rarely experienced. Very rarely will I touch the bottom of the extender to the pavement. My main concern with that design is that it is fairly light. The website has no weight limit for it. For the single purpose of hauling one or two kayaks it fits the bill - and pricey for that limitation. 

The example below is not sexy, or green, but it will carry much more than one or two kayaks. I often find myself hauling an armada of boats back in my truck because of the hauling capability of a heavy duty extender. and at half the price. 

https://www.amazon.com/TAC-Adjustab...540840039&sr=8-15&keywords=canoe+bed+extender

So if you are willing to pay more for something that hauls less to avoid a problem I rarely experience, go with the T-Bone. Its a good looking rack. My two cents.


----------



## billfer

The t-bone looks sweet, but I also went with the less sexy version. I went with the harbor freight one, with which the ever present coupons I was out the door for under $50. Granted it is starting to rust where the kayak sits (despite having a pool noodle tied on) as I end my first season with it. I'm also not that concerned about the rust. I also haven't had it scrape or bottom out to date, for what it is worth. I do like the added security of having the extender regardless and recommend one, t-bone or cheaper.


----------



## Northernfisher

*I hear you.*

From the T-Bone website: Tested safely to 300 lbs. (Plus it is only 12 pounds rather than 43 pounds)

This guy has part of the answer - two by fours with rope to hold them together:
(Start watching at about 4:30)







Part of my problem is just holding the nose down. There are *no *hooks on the bed of the truck. There are rings on the sides at 13 inches, but the nose of the kayak is only 12 inches. I guess I could run a piece of PVC with a rope through it across the nose. I may have to put a foam block under the pipe to give it enough downward pressure.

That plus two 10 foot 2 X 4s with rope to hold them together might be the answer with a pipe across the front.


----------



## burntcabin

I'm not sure what kind of truck you have but if it has a cap you don't need to tie in the bow. Even if it doesn't have a cap, unless you are at high speed on expressways, there is no need to tie the bow down. Even then I question the need to tie down the bow. It makes us feel good. We can imagine all sorts of bad sh*t happening. But I've run for thousand of miles through windy midwest with no tie downs in front. There is no wind in the back of a truck... Tie well to extender and tie sterns together if multiple boats and you should be in great shape.

I like the video - that's a nice simple solution but a single solution. If you ever paddle with a crew in anything other than out and back to the same spot, you will likely be asked to haul boats and gear. That's my experience anyway.

Again the t bone is a great solution for one to two boats if you don't mind the money.

Where do you paddle most, northernfisher?


----------



## Northernfisher

burntcabin said:


> I'm not sure what kind of truck you have but if it has a cap you don't need to tie in the bow. Even if it doesn't have a cap, unless you are at high speed on expressways, there is no need to tie the bow down. Even then I question the need to tie down the bow. It makes us feel good. We can imagine all sorts of bad sh*t happening. But I've run for thousand of miles through windy midwest with no tie downs in front. There is no wind in the back of a truck... Tie well to extender and tie sterns together if multiple boats and you should be in great shape.
> 
> I like the video - that's a nice simple solution but a single solution. If you ever paddle with a crew in anything other than out and back to the same spot, you will likely be asked to haul boats and gear. That's my experience anyway.
> 
> Again the t bone is a great solution for one to two boats if you don't mind the money.
> 
> Where do you paddle most, northernfisher?


The main reason I tie the front is to hold it down due to the balance point of a 16 foot kayak.

Most of my paddling to date has been wintering in the Tampa area of Florida. (Canoes in Michigan and Kayaks in Florida).


----------



## Northernfisher

I did it and ordered a T-Bone. It should make it a lot easier to load the kayak and not have to worry about it tipping out.

Thanks for the advise.

I will let you know how it works.


----------



## tito

I have one does an OK job after 3 seasons. But being aluminum is soft at the T and loses the tightness so is loose. With weight on it and strapped down goes away? Same at the hitch, loose fit. Being curved a hitch tightener bracket doesnt work without some modifcations. I strap it on the T and across the standard hooks sin the back on a pick up bed. Dosnt come close to tipping out you could sit right on the end of the yak


----------



## Northernfisher

I got this in the other day. It is going to make loading the kayak so much easier, I should have done this a long time ago.

My kayak is 13.5' and the tailgate is 7'. The extra money for a really lite extension is going to be well spent. The fact that I can leave it outside without having to worry about rusting is also a plus. I also like the curve as there are speed bumps etc I do not have to worry about

As of right now I a very happy with this extension and would buy it again. I will let you know if that changes.

Edit: This came with two short foams on the crossbar not shown on the video above.


----------



## Northernfisher

I added a couple of extras to the T-Bone I thought I would pass on.

First I added an eyebolt to make it easier to tie the kayak to the center. In the upright bar near the cross bar.

I was having an issue with the kayak sliding sideways when I was loading it so I added some uprights. (2 1-1/2” Superstrut clamps and a thin 24” piece of Superstrut cut in half.) Everything was available at Lowes for about $10.00.

It works like a charm.
I added some trailer lights I had laying around. (Not wire- as they were burnt out)

Sorry I tried to add pictures but is was not happening.

It is easily adjustable or removable if you want to remove it to carry two kayaks.


----------



## tito

Would like to see the eye bolt idea needed for tie down. I just use the standard kayak double wrap around the T. Never has moved off center and thats with 303 which is like ice on plastic on plastic. 

Usually 2 miles or less though. When I go farther been 400 and lots of 50 miles I strap it across the bed hooks make a box setup keeps from shifting. You using the stock pads or get the upgrade ones


----------



## Northernfisher

tito said:


> Would like to see the eye bolt idea needed for tie down. I just use the standard kayak double wrap around the T. Never has moved off center and thats with 303 which is like ice on plastic on plastic.
> 
> Usually 2 miles or less though. When I go farther been 400 and lots of 50 miles I strap it across the bed hooks make a box setup keeps from shifting. You using the stock pads or get the upgrade ones


I tried to post a picture of the eye bolt but I could not figure it out, sorry. A hole was drilled in the extension bar past where it slides into the support bar from the hitch, near the cross bar. An eye bolt was bolted through the hole with double nuts on each side.

It would be a little further back, but you could use the hole for the adjustment pin if you are willing to always use the same hole or remove the eye bolt to adjust the length.


The main reason the uprights were added was to make it easier to load without the kayak sliding sideways. It was an unexpected bonus that it made it easier to secure the kayak. ( I would be comfortable carrying the kayak with straps at the bow to keep it centered and one around the kayak and wheels at the T-Bone cross bar. I do use more - overkill.) 

I can see that the place to mount the lights will be a bonus if I want to add lights if I am driving at night. You know that sneaking out the door at 5 to get on the water at sunrise trip.

Currently I am just the foam wraps that came with the T-Bone. If they wear out I might get the upgrades. The ones that came with it are showing some wear from sliding the kayak on and off. I might just wrap them with duct tape to protect the outside from abrasion.



This is what I used for the upright:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Superstrut...ld-Galvanized-Half-Slot-Channel-Strut/3128119
They had 2 foot pieces that were cheaper - one cut in half was fine for me.

This is what you need to attach the channel to the pipe:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Superst...p-Silver-Galvanized-Z703-1-1-2EG-10/202077402




You could also use these if you just wanted to mount lights:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Superstrut-1-1-2-in-Conduit-and-Pipe-Hanger-6H-4TB-10/207063287


----------



## Northernfisher

I found some bonuses to having the T-bone today and the modifications I had made. For a small building project I needed to load 10 sheets of plywood in the back of the truck. To be able to lay it flat 2 X 4s were added to the mount brackets to get the plywood above the wheel wells. This worked well other than the rear boards were only a little over four feet giving a short balance point.

To get an additional balance point I added the T-Bone. This got me a bar at 9 foot. To far and too low. By bolting a 2 X 4 across the top of the Superstrut I had a level with the other 2 X 4s. Two 10 foot 2 X 4s provided the flat level surface for the plywood. In the future I would consider screwing the 10 foot 2 X 4s to the cross board to prevent it from spinning on the T-Bone

Earlier I had wrapped the foam pads with *RED* electric tape. This was done to protect the foam and serve as a red flag for safety.

The loading crew at Lowe's was impressed and it functioned very well with just a few bungee straps.

Another plus for the T-bone. I would recommend this product, and also suggest the minor modifications; *RED* tape, Superstrut, and lights.


----------



## Northernfisher

Hey - I think I finally figured out how to get a picture to post. Here it is. I have covered the foam with red electrical tape. I will be upgrading the lights to working lights as soon as I have time to install them.


----------



## Northernfisher

Here it is with the *RED* tape, lights, and eye-bolt.

The red tape does the same as a red flag and and provides a visual mark when the lights are not on. (You would think the bright green bar would do that but they always want red, so red it is). It also protects the blue foam pads that were starting to wear.

The eye-bolt makes it easy to just wrap the kayak with a bungee strap. (Although the uprights keep the kayak from shifting sideways.)

The lights should help after dark. They are above the kayak so you should be able to see both of them. (I did have to wire the ground all the way to both lights due to the high quality of the paint job. It broke the ground. There is extra wire under the tape in case I want to move the lights out someday.)

I use 6 bungees, NO racket straps, to fasten the kayak. One around the eye-bolt - One across the back of the bed - Two from the handles to the front side hooks in the truck bed. Then as way overkill I put two on the front to keep the front centered.

I would be comfortable driving hundreds of miles like this, day or night.

Total bill less than $80.00 at Lowes. 











Someday I will pick up a couple of these in case I want to bolt a board across the top for carrying wood.










That way I can just bolt a 2 x 4 or 6 to the uprights with 1/4 bolts.


----------



## Northernfisher

Bump. 

Get the longer kayak you want 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


----------



## Tommy O

Glad you bumped this Northernfisher, I have a nice trailer for my PA 14 but 95% of the time I just use my harbor freight bed extender as it is so much easier to just lift the nose and slide it in the truck than it is to use the trailer. That said, my buddy told me the other day when following me in the dark that with just the red flag it is very hard to see the kayak sticking way out the back in the dark. Looking at your struts and lights I think it 'd be pretty easy and cheap to rig up something similar for my extender. Might have to wander by Harbor Freight on my lunch hour


----------



## tito

Tommy O said:


> Glad you bumped this Northernfisher, I have a nice trailer for my PA 14 but 95% of the time I just use my harbor freight bed extender as it is so much easier to just lift the nose and slide it in the truck than it is to use the trailer. That said, my buddy told me the other day when following me in the dark that with just the red flag it is very hard to see the kayak sticking way out the back in the dark. Looking at your struts and lights I think it 'd be pretty easy and cheap to rig up something similar for my extender. Might have to wander by Harbor Freight on my lunch hour


Theres no length restriction on how long you can be beyond the bed if you have a red flag. But at night its against the law to have only the red flag. To be legal you need at least 1 light on your load to run at night
.


----------



## Tommy O

Thanks, wasn't aware of that!


----------



## Northernfisher

Tommy O said:


> Glad you bumped this Northernfisher, I have a nice trailer for my PA 14 but 95% of the time I just use my harbor freight bed extender as it is so much easier to just lift the nose and slide it in the truck than it is to use the trailer. That said, my buddy told me the other day when following me in the dark that with just the red flag it is very hard to see the kayak sticking way out the back in the dark. Looking at your struts and lights I think it 'd be pretty easy and cheap to rig up something similar for my extender. Might have to wander by Harbor Freight on my lunch hour


You can get the unistrut or superstrut at Lowes or Home depot. 

I have since added right angle pieces to the tops of my Superstrut. That allows me to just bolt a 2x4 across the top to haul sheets of plywood by also adding 2x4s in the bed cross bracket holders. Mine is at just over 9 feet so I also run a couple of 2x4s the length of the bed.

I will tell you it works well enough the one of the loaders at the lumber yard bought his own bed extender.



https://www.lowes.com/pd/Superstrut-1-2-in-Angled-Strut-Bracket/1087587


----------



## Tommy O

Thank you Sir!!


----------

