photos/plans for hauling in a pickup bed

[sonoramike]

have seen photos and setups of converted boat trailers, but have not seen any photos of folks hauling their race day gear within a pickup bed. anybody hauling this way? thought about some sort of elevated platform with gear underneath and boat on top.

I bought an old ski boat for the motor today, the hull is going to the dump tomorrow and I was going to sell the trailer to help recoup some costs, then thought I might use it and covert it into a hydro trailer, but then wondered why I would want to do that if I have a fullsize pickup - suggestions?

[Jack Stotts]

Place cross beams (2x4"s on edge)across the bed at the top of the sides. Then run carpeted runners (again, 2x4's on edge) lengthwise at the proper width that they will between the sponsons. If you use 2x4 lumber, I'd get pressure treated as it seems to be somewhat stronger. You can set up the whole thing in twenty minutes.

[Affholter66]

Sam's Rig

This might help as well....

Hope ya don't mind me sharing your "super secret" boat hauler thingy Sam!!

[Kev43V]

Mike
One of the advantages of converting the trailer. You will not have to load and unload everything before and after every race weekend. By the end of one season you will have a lot of time tied up on thurs.~fri getting ready to go. and sunday nite~mon. morning getting ready to use the truck for the week.
There are also occasions (at least in some regions) where you can not leave your tow vehicle in the pits.
if it were just the boat and motor it would not be that bad to load and unload everything. but after you have been racing awhile. it is surprising how much stuff that you begin to feel is rather important even if it is not an absolutely necessity.
We actually started that way. racing out of the back of a truck. part way thru the first season we threw a trailer togeather without a motor/tool box.
By the second season we had built motor box on the trailer.

[sonoramike]

ooh, the "no tow vehicles left in pit area" is a probable showstopper on this idea then

did a search the other day on posts with 'trailer' in the subject line, looked at the posts with images and came away with some interesting ideas on rear storage boxes. I saved the images that I thought were creative for future reference

thanks everybody for the info/insight

[Joe J]

Mike:

None of our pit areas here locally will be an issue for you to leave your truck in the pits. That being said, I would agree that you will likely find using a trailer more convienent.

Joe Johnson

ooh, the "no tow vehicles left in pit area" is a probable showstopper on this idea then

did a search the other day on posts with 'trailer' in the subject line, looked at the posts with images and came away with some interesting ideas on rear storage boxes. I saved the images that I thought were creative for future reference

thanks everybody for the info/insight

[Mrs blueskyracer]

Here is a couple pictures or our rigs ready to leave for a race. I have to admit that the whole load/unload every other weekend has gotten old and we have purchased an enclosed trailer from Daren. I am sure within a few months we will determine that 20' wasn't big enough. We have never had a problem with tow vehicles in the pits. As you can see one truck carries two boats and the other one boat. Engines, tool boxes, pop ups, etc. in the beds of both.

[Islandmon]

This might help as well....

Hope ya don't mind me sharing your "super secret" boat hauler thingy Sam!!

No worries Roger , all the kids are tucked in safe and sound now.

Sam

[David_L6]

I've been racing only one class the last few years so I haven't been pulling my trailer. It's not as convenient to haul the boat and motor in the bed of a pickup but I make better time and burn a lot less gas that way.

I use boat stands to haul a boat/motor in the back of my truck. The same stands that I use at the lake to set the boat on. Don't have a good picture but these will give you the idea. It helps if you have 3 stands. When you are ready to unload the boat, set the third stand out where you want to set your boat, get someone to hold up the front of the boat so you can get that stand out and place it appropriately. Now you have two stands to set the boat on when you take it out of your truck.

I put a stand behind the cab, lay a tarp down, put a piece of boat padding on the tarp, put motor on the padding, fold tarp back over motor, put a stand at the back of the truck, put boat on stands and tie it down. Driving/safety gear, prop box, and tools (just a small tote tray) go in the back seat/back floorboard of truck (extended cab truck).

[Affholter66]

Whoa!!

Now I know why I run SO......I'm sure your rig is worth the askin price..but DANG

[Dennis Crews]

Place cross beams (2x4"s on edge)across the bed at the top of the sides. Then run carpeted runners (again, 2x4's on edge) lengthwise at the proper width that they will between the sponsons. If you use 2x4 lumber, I'd get pressure treated as it seems to be somewhat stronger. You can set up the whole thing in twenty minutes.

Jack,

Are the 2x4s fastened to the top of the bed rails in any way or is it just the tension of the boat being tied down that prevents the 2x4s from moving around?

Does anyone do this with a 6.5 ft shortbed or will this work only with an 8 ft longbed?

[mercguy]

Here is a couple pictures or our rigs ready to leave for a race. I have to admit that the whole load/unload every other weekend has gotten old and we have purchased an enclosed trailer from Daren. I am sure within a few months we will determine that 20' wasn't big enough. We have never had a problem with tow vehicles in the pits. As you can see one truck carries two boats and the other one boat. Engines, tool boxes, pop ups, etc. in the beds of both.

don't worry, when you outgrow the 20ft'r, I will sell you my 24ft'r.............

[blueskyracer]

don't worry, when you outgrow the 20ft'r, I will sell you my 24ft'r.............

Cute, very cute. LOL Daren, thanks again for the help this weekend. With the trailer we can get all of our ducks in a row. Now that we are down a boat I need more room to build. Looking at two C Mod boats for next year.

[Kev43V]

Jack,

Are the 2x4s fastened to the top of the bed rails in any way or is it just the tension of the boat being tied down that prevents the 2x4s from moving around?

Does anyone do this with a 6.5 ft shortbed or will this work only with an 8 ft longbed?

we did it with a 6 1/2 foot bed. plus I had a behind the cab tool box in the truck. we built a rack pretty much exactly as explained above. we put "legs" on the bunk at the back. This was less to carry weight and more to help stop things from being able to move around. they fit tight to the tail gate when the gate was shut

[markt326c]

What ever you build you want to be able to load and unload it by yourself if you need to.
Having a motor box on a trailer makes it nice to be able to put your stuff inside over night and not have to worry about it all setting open.

Markt326c

p.s. so who had to give up there camp trailer for the 20ft. boat trailer. LOL