Tacoma Bed Extender Question
 

the civic is no more, I'm likely looking at a newer tacoma.. I got my 14 footer and 13 footer kayak, am I going to need a T-bone bed extender to safely transport or do they usually fit snug in the bed? & same with a PA, can it be safely strapped in the bed w/out an extender?

All this is preliminary but i'm just starting off the search so i figured I'd start here as My 14' civic took me from Malibu to Mako Bob's with my thule roof rack but all good things must come to an end :doh:

Still have the Thule rack so may stick with a small compact and continue with the good gas mileage, or may just say fuck it and get my little baja traveler now while I have the chance...

if you have any other suggestions on make and model it would be appreciated; simply looking for convenience along with the best gas mileage (I know tacomas aren't the best on gas but I'm willing to bite that bullet)

:cheers1:

yes definitely recommend a bed extender to support the load better and red flag it. I think your Tacoma bed choices are 5 or 6 foot

I have a 2013 Tacoma short bed. The bed extender is mandatory. I have put a variety of kayaks in the back: PA 14, Outback, Tarpon 120, Revolution 13. When I went into my Revolution 16, I had to get racks.
As Andy mentioned, make sure to red flag the load.

Brands are going to be one's preference, but having had an old Hilux, I think Toyota makes a very reliable truck.

I would also recommend looking at the Subaru line. Good cars, AWD and decent stock ground clearance.

As someone who has both rook rack and truck bed extender options, I wills ay that if you can get a rack to load the kayaks on top of the vehicle, it will be much more convenient. its a little higher of a lift to get them up there but finding parking in normal parking lots or in a garage the night before with half a kayak sticking out of your tuck is much more difficult than it is when the kayaks are on top. It is also nice go have a trunk or sealed cargo area so you can load all of your gear into the vehicle ahead of time and feel semi secure about it, vs using the truck bed. Just my .02 on the subject.

good luck what ever route you go!

I've been looking for a used Tacoma--you'll be shocked at how expensive they are.

S10
 

I have a chevy s10.
I fit a PA 14 and outback with no problems and no extender.

If u get a 6 footer you can safely go without an extender on a 12 ish foot kayak. But the extender is cheap $40 at harbor freight is why not? Without an extender the kayak moves around a lot more and requires more straps. With an extender it’s actuality much faster to load and unload because u need only 1-2 straps.

seems to be the consensus.. at this point likely going to settle on what dealer has on hand compared to pre-ordering as i'm going to haggle with them.. prefer a crew cab 2 door but local lots all seem to only have the 4 door which is not a bad option if family grows but yeah.. believe its the 6 foot bed.. for sure will grab the bed extender plus with my thule roof rack, i'll get new fittings and she will be ready to rock..

decided against a lift due to the effect on towing capacity, please correct me if wrong but it seems to only garner negative side effects?

Headed tomorrow to the local toyota hoping I can walk out with a new 4x4 Tacoma V6 TRD for 38.. fingers crossed

:cheers1:

Get the 4 door if you have a family. I wished I had one for a long time with my Nissan 2 door crew. I just got a new to me SUV because I couldn't afford a decent truck. I have 4 kids and a wife. Never enough room.

I picked up a 2019 trd off road 4x4 long bed with tech package for just under 38,600 out the door. This was back in November so I expect you’ll get it for $1000-1500 less 7 months I’m to the 2019 model year. If you go with a short bed it’s about $700 cheaper.