How to Tie Down a Kayak in a Truck Bed

How Do You Tie Down a Fishing Kayak in a Truck Bed?

To tie down a fishing kayak in a truck bed, first support the hull as its manufacturer recommends and check every point where it touches the truck or a bed extender. Connect suitable straps to compatible truck-bed anchors, route them across approved areas of the kayak, and tighten them without deforming the hull. Check for movement in every relevant direction, secure loose fishing gear separately, and inspect the setup again after you start driving.

Kayak angler and Kayak Fishing Obsessed podcaster Daren Wendell demonstrates his truck-bed setup in the video below. His experience makes the demonstration useful, while the instructions for your particular kayak, truck, extender, and straps still determine what fits your setup.

Disclosure: Daren is a TorkStrap affiliate. His video description says he may earn a commission if viewers purchase through certain product links.

Kayak in a Truck Bed? Here’s EXACTLY How to Tie It Down by Daren Wendell.

What Should You Check Before Loading the Kayak?

Start with the fit between the kayak and the truck. Check the kayak’s length, weight, approved transport orientation, and contact areas against the truck’s bed dimensions and payload rating. Remove loose items before loading, and inspect the bed, tailgate, anchors, and any extender.

Daren notes that a kayak may sit slightly diagonally in some truck beds. If you consider that position, check how far it projects behind and to either side of the vehicle, whether the hull remains properly supported, and whether the routing still controls movement. A diagonal position is a possibility to evaluate, not a default loading method.

Look closely where the hull meets a tailgate edge or metal extender. Add suitable padding where contact could cause rubbing, while making sure the padding cannot slip out or interfere with support. Kayak manufacturer Old Town discusses truck-bed extenders as one transport option; the extender and its installation must also suit the truck and load.

Where Should Kayak Straps Attach in a Truck Bed?

Use truck-bed anchor points that the vehicle maker identifies as suitable for cargo restraint. Inspect their condition and installation; nearby plastic trim, an accessory, or an unverified rail is not automatically an anchor. The strap hooks must fit and remain fully engaged in the selected anchors.

Check the kayak side of the connection just as carefully. Daren shows a strap routed near the cab through or beneath a handle in his setup. Use a handle or other kayak feature for transport restraint only if that kayak’s manufacturer approves it for the intended direction and load. A carrying handle’s presence alone does not establish that it is a rated tie-down point.

Daren also explains why he prefers a captured clip connection in this setup: an open hook could disengage if it loses tension and the geometry allows it to come free. Either connector still needs compatible anchors, correct engagement, and maintained tension. NHTSA advises tying large objects directly to a vehicle or trailer and double-checking that the load is secure.

How Many Straps Do You Need for a Fishing Kayak?

There is no strap count that fits every truck and kayak. The number and placement depend on the kayak’s dimensions, support, approved contact points, anchor locations, and whether the arrangement controls side-to-side, forward, rearward, and upward movement.

In the video, Daren uses two straps for the kayak and truck shown, positioned toward the front and rear. He says he may add a third when overhang or a bed extender changes the setup. Treat that as a description of his approach, then assess your own arrangement against the equipment makers’ instructions. A third strap cannot correct an unsupported hull or an unsuitable anchor.

How Do You Tie Down a Kayak in a Truck Bed?

Work from support and connection points toward tension. This sequence follows the issues Daren demonstrates; use the specific operating instructions for your equipment.

1. Position and support the kayak. Set it in the transport orientation approved by its manufacturer. Check the bed, tailgate, and extender contact points before attaching straps.
2. Inspect the straps and anchors. Look for cuts, frayed webbing, damaged stitching, bent hooks, and questionable truck-bed hardware. Replace damaged equipment.
3. Choose compatible connections. Use suitable bed anchors and kayak contact or attachment points. Confirm that each hook or clip seats as its manufacturer directs.
4. Route straps across stable areas. Daren avoids hatches, rod holders, and other accessories. Keep webbing clear of sharp or hot parts and protect contact areas that could abrade the strap or hull.
5. Control more than downward movement. Consider what could happen during braking, acceleration, turns, bumps, and wind. Add appropriate opposing restraint or blocking where the arrangement needs it.
6. Take up slack and tighten gradually. Follow the strap maker’s mechanism instructions. Keep the webbing positioned correctly and watch the kayak for deformation.
7. Secure loose strap tails. Keep them away from the road, wheels, exhaust, and moving parts.
8. Check the kayak’s movement. Carefully test for obvious side-to-side, forward, rearward, and upward movement. If it shifts, revisit support, routing, and anchors before adding more tension.
9. Stop and reinspect. Check the kayak, connections, tension, support, and loose gear after the first part of the trip and whenever conditions change.

A hand movement check can expose an obvious problem, but it does not prove an anchor rating or the capacity of the complete setup. For a broader discussion of different transport methods, see our kayak tie-down guide.

How Tight Should Kayak Tie-Down Straps Be?

Tighten them enough to control movement under the kayak and strap manufacturers’ instructions, without crushing or visibly deforming the hull. More force is not automatically a better fix for a kayak that slides: its position, support, strap path, or anchors may need to change.

Daren explains why he avoids cranking a ratchet down on his fishing kayak. That concern is consistent with Old Town’s kayak transport advice about overtightening. REI likewise warns that excessive strap tension can deform a plastic hull or crack fiberglass. Use these as cautions, and follow the guidance for your own kayak and restraint system.

The video includes a finger-under-the-strap demonstration. Do not use finger pressure or skin color as a tension gauge. Tighten gradually with hands clear of pinch points, inspect the hull at each contact area, and use the kayak maker’s transport instructions. There is no universal finger test or tightening force for every hull.

Why Does Daren Use TorkStrap for His Fishing Kayak?

Daren says he has recently been using TorkStrap for this truck-bed setup because he wants a strap designed to respond as tension changes while the properly secured kayak settles. He still tells viewers to check their straps during the trip. Spring-supported tension is a design feature, not a promise that a load cannot move or loosen.

He describes a 14-foot by 1-inch strap with a 500-pound safe working load. Those figures match the published TorkStrap M500 specifications. The M500 is an easy-pull, spring-loaded strap; its page also lists 1,500 pounds of maximum breaking strength and 120 pounds of spring tension. Neither of those latter figures is its usable working load.

An M500 is an option to evaluate when its working load limit, length, connections, cargo contact, and the rest of the setup suit the application. Its rating does not raise the capacity of a truck anchor or an additional connector. Our working load limit guide explains how those ratings differ.

What Else Should You Check Before Driving?

Secure the gear as well as the kayak. Daren calls out paddles, seats, crates, electronics, and fishing equipment: remove loose items or restrain them separately as their makers direct. A strap holding the kayak does not necessarily secure everything placed inside or on top of it.

Then walk around the truck. Check the hull support, all connection points, loose tails, rear projection, and whether anything obstructs required vehicle equipment. NHTSA recommends double-checking the entire load before departure. Once underway, stop somewhere safe for an early reinspection; REI’s transport guidance also recommends an early check because straps can change during travel.

If you find movement, diagnose it before simply pulling harder on the straps. Check whether the kayak settled against padding, the strap shifted onto an accessory, a connector changed position, or an anchor needs attention.

How Far Can a Kayak Stick Out of a Truck Bed?

There is no single overhang number that establishes whether every kayak setup is suitable. Hull support, truck and extender instructions, visibility, and the rules on your route all matter. Measure from the bed or vehicle body as the applicable rule specifies; do not guess from the tailgate’s position.

Daren mentions Ohio’s marking rule. Under Ohio Revised Code §4513.09, a load extending four feet or more beyond the rear of the bed or body must display a red light or lantern at the extreme rear during required lighting hours; at other times, it must display a red flag or cloth at least 16 inches square. This is a marking threshold, not a statement that every four-foot overhang is properly supported or otherwise permitted. Check the requirements wherever you drive.

What Truck-Bed Kayak Tie-Down Mistakes Should You Avoid?

• Using a truck accessory or kayak handle without confirming it is suitable for the intended restraint.
• Relying on a strap across a hatch, rod holder, or other weak or movable part.
• Letting a metal edge rub the hull or webbing without suitable protection.
• Assuming Daren’s two-strap arrangement fits every kayak and truck.
• Treating a captured hook as a substitute for proper tension and routing.
• Pulling harder when the real issue is poor support or strap placement.
• Using bungee cords as the kayak’s primary restraint.
• Leaving paddles, crates, seats, or fishing gear loose.
• Treating a quick shake as proof that the setup is rated for transport.
• Skipping the first in-trip inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you transport a kayak with the tailgate down?

Yes, if the truck and kayak manufacturers permit the arrangement and the hull remains suitably supported and restrained. Check the tailgate’s limits, where the kayak contacts it, rear projection, and whether the tailgate and load affect required lights or the plate. A bed extender may help when correctly matched and installed.

Are two straps enough for a fishing kayak in a truck bed?

Two are what Daren uses in the setup shown, with a possible third for different overhang or extender conditions. Your needs depend on the kayak, truck, anchor placement, support, and movement risks. Follow the relevant manufacturers’ directions instead of using his count as a universal rule.

Can you tie a strap through a kayak carrying handle?

Only if the kayak manufacturer permits that handle or connection for transport restraint in the proposed direction. A handle used to carry a kayak is not automatically an approved tie-down point. Check its construction and instructions before routing a strap or soft tie through it.

Should kayak straps be as tight as possible?

No. They should control movement without visibly deforming or damaging the hull, following the kayak and strap makers’ instructions. If the kayak moves, first check its support, position, anchors, and routing. Adding tension to a poor arrangement can put more pressure on the wrong part of the kayak.

Do spring-loaded kayak straps still need rechecking?

Yes. A spring-supported mechanism is intended to respond as tension changes in a correctly secured load, but it cannot verify anchors, hull support, hook engagement, or separate fishing gear. Check the setup before departure, after the first part of the trip, and when road or cargo conditions change.

Final Takeaway

Daren’s video offers a useful look at one fishing kayak and pickup setup: support the hull, use suitable anchors, route straps across appropriate areas, tighten without crushing, secure the gear, and reinspect. Apply those checks to your own kayak and truck rather than copying his strap count or contact points without verification. If a spring-loaded strap suits your complete arrangement, compare the current TorkStrap M500 specifications and availability before choosing it.