Recommended Way To Carry Two Fishing Kayaks While Towing Camper With 2013 Ford F-150

Updated 04/09/2026 | Published 03/28/2026

Products Featured in This Question

CIPA Custom Towing Mirrors - Slip On - Driver Side and Passenger Side

(5480)

$93.06

etrailer Over-The-Cab Truck Ladder Rack - Steel - 1,000 lbs

(40)

$565.02

TruXedo TruXport Soft, Roll-Up Tonneau Cover

(599)

$299.99

Question:

Towing an rv trailer. Would like to carry 2 fishing kayaks on the truck stick up too high vertical. Stake pockets covered by tonneau cover. I believe Ill need more then just a roof mount given the 11 and 12 foot lengths.

asked by: Tom S

Expert Reply:

Hey Tom, I do have an option for you, but it will require a new tonneau cover, or losing the cover all together.

While you could do crossbars on the roof of your '13 F-150, two fishing kayaks that are 11 and 12 foot long are going to be pushing whats going to be possible of that system. Your crossbar spread will be pretty narrow for that much length.

Instead I recommend going with a truck bed ladder rack. There are some that work with a tonneau cover that leaves the stake pockets exposed allowing you to use a different rack.

I will need to know the length of your bed to make a recommendation of a cover/rack.

If you want to cut out a bit of money from this, you can take the cover off when you need a rack and use the etrailer Rack # e78FV when you are wanting to carry the kayaks, and remove it and reinstall the cover when you want a covered bed.

Let me know which option you prefer, and if you want a different cover and rack, let me know your bed length and if you have the factory bed management system.

expert reply by: Samuel C

Tom S.

4/6/2026

The bed is around 71 inches front to tailgate end. This morning, I saw a truck with the stake pockets cut out on the rail cover and had rubber expansion plugs in. I may not have to replace the tonneau cover.

Samuel C.

4/7/2026

@TomS If you can get access to your stake pockets and bed rail then you could use a rack like the Adarac # A4000964. Keep in mind not only does the stake pocket have to be open, the top of the bed rail has to be clear also. This will require a tonneau cover that sits inside of the bed rails, not on top of the bed rails.

Tom

4/9/2026

@SamuelC So, will the soft tonneau cover and that ladder rack work for what I want to do? Is the rack removable when I'm not needing it? The adarac doesn't go over the cab. If it can still hold the yaks, then it doesn't have to go over the cab. Where do I measure the bed length. I went from the front edge to the plastic cladding on the tailgate and had 71 inches. Tom S.