Preferred Longboard Carry (1 Viewer)

[jebb]

Anyone have a preferred way of toting a longboard with their 60 or 62? Of course, you can go roof rack. And it looks cool as hell, but after many years of carrying boards on the roof of my vehicles, I kind of think of roof carriage as a last resort: it exposes the boards, there's more theft risk when you stop, more noises and fiddling with straps. On top of that, I don't have any rack on my 62 yet, and I'm not sure if I did go for a rack, what the best style is for my needs yet. It depends a lot on whether the roof becomes the main way I tote my surfboard around.

I can fit my 9'6" longboard in with the tailgate closed and the nose has a ways to go before it hits the windshield, on a diagonal. But it's somewhat awkward and makes me worry about both the truck and the board. Nevermind it renders the 62 a single-passenger vehicle.

I assume a pickup-truck style tailgate pad would work. But I'm posting the question as I'm curious if anyone's thought of anything more clever (always impressed with the stuff people on this forum hack up). I'm considering trying some sort of roof-sling. I've also thought about a box for the roof for skis, snowboards, surfboards, etc., but I don't know that I've seen one that could take ~10' boards, or take more than one board given the rocker and thickness at play here.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

your post makes me think of my similar dilemma when i'm carrying several fly rods. fly fishing guides often have these lockable kits to carry fly rods so they dont ever have to break them down...but keeps them safe and locked when not in use...or if you have to run to town for ice - whatever...dont want them exposed inside the truck - etc...

maybe you can go this route?

if one does not exist that holds your board...maybe make one? thin plywood + fiberglass& expoxy build up? make yourself a hinged locking box you can lock your board into.

 

[FJACS]

Get a roof rack. Any method that involves it half hanging out of the truck is more susceptible to damage and theft than a pair of padded cross bars.

Craigslist always has lots of gutter mount roof rack options. Maybe look for a used contractor ladder rack. If you’re good with a welder you could likely convert that into some sort of locking board carrier.

 

[portlandcruiser]

On th roof rack. Can’t think of another way. Post what you decide.

 

[konradjk]

Tough to do anything slick with a longboard but I used to haul some windsurfing gear around in a VW van and had some stuff suspended from the inside of the roof to keep the floor open for storage. Another project I've been thinking about on my 62 however is to convert the back rest of my passenger seat to fold flat forward like a base Tacoma or our family XC90...that way you can have a huge amount of flat room from the back tailgate all the way to the front dash. I was going to look for some split rear seats as well, but my truck is slowly coming back from a full resto so I'm just trying to get it driving for now instead of getting sidetracked.

 

[jebb]

Paul, I did come across this while looking for board solutions, similar idea but focused on fishing gear: BoatBuckle RodBunk Fishing Rod Carrying System Review Video | etrailer.com

 

[jebb]

I did come across a few posts with systems like this in them. I have to check fit to see if this would work for me.

 

[OSS]

Longboards go on the roof. Discussion over.

and ALWAYS wipe it down dry before tossing it up there or the dripping salt water will destroy the gutter in no time.
And don't leave the board on the roof overnight even in your driveway. The dew will absorb the salt residue on the board and drip off during the night — and destroy the gutter in no time.

I know guys with 60s that threw wet paddleboards up on their roof — and the roofs got TRASHED by rust in a few years.

 

[jebb]

Got any rack recs? On my last vehicle I had factory cross bars that I just put dakine pads on and used a couple tiedown straps with.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

Got any rack recs? On my last vehicle I had factory cross bars that I just put dakine pads on and used a couple tiedown straps with.

i splurged on some heavy duty feet from Land Cruiser NW (portland oregon)

and i already owned some thule crossbars from my old tacoma - i just drilled holes through the cross bars and bolted them to the feet wit stainless hardware. carries everything i need.

cross bars:
Thule SquareBar

you could go with cheap thule/yakima gutter mount feet and cross bars for a few hundred.

 

[jebb]

Any experience with these new-fangled "aero" bars and if they really make a noise difference? My 62 is pretty loud on the freeway anyway, I wonder if I'd even be able to hear anything different. Wonder if it might be worth trying to rig something up to mount them to the gutters. It seems Yakima & Thule at least's old-fashioned rain gutter mounts only take the round & square bars.

 

[Freewheel]

Surfboards go on roof racks. inside they are a total hazard and a wet and sandy pain in the butt.
Good to carry a few gallons of water to wash the board off and a towel to dry it.
Then put it in a board bag to keep the road grime out of your wax.
(good to get a board bag with sewed on daisy chain or loops to securely tie it down)
I think all those Cali and Aussie cruisers with the rotted roofs spent too much time carrying wet surfboards...

 

[MrMacdugal]

I just toss all my surf stuff in the vehicle. No messing with roof racks on my lifted 62. Just too annoying and a hassle in negative temps during the winter. Not to mention finger dexterity is gone by the time I'm back to my vehicle. My stuff goes in the rig. When I bring a longboard it too goes inside and makes it a one passenger plus the dog. Just the way it is. I hate seeing boards on the roof.... Oh look at me, I suuurf
For what its worth, the inside the vehicle roof rack is slick.

 

[Seth S]

I put a stack of 12’ long pine boards on my unisport roof rack....like a Thule clone.

 

[landcruiserjunky]

Another vote for the interior. They shouldn't be too wet if you clean, dry them. Plus the added security.

 

[jebb]

I do think it's funny that the two people in this thread who are like "we must NOT entertain ANY suggestion besides ROOF RACKS!" then go on to explain major drawbacks to putting your board on your roof that don't apply to the interior.

I don't have trouble with sand and wax and water in my interior: I put a piece of sacrificial carpet scrap or thick vinyl down, when it gets nasty, I throw it away and replace it. That's not even surfboard-specific, just a general practice. With my shortboard I find this works well, especially since I keep it in a sock normally when in transit. I put most of my other surf gear in a big tubtrug. Having stuff inside is safer for the stuff, more secure, easier. There's a lot of advantages in my opinion.

BUT, now that I've taken possession of this 9'6" longboard, I think I have to go roof rack. After messing with the fitment a bit there just really isn't the room, especially with the (huge) fin in place, and the old-style fin is a bit fiddlier to remove than a fcs/futures style fin box (this is my first longboard, so the different fin box design was news to me). I agree with a lot of your points MrMacdugal I just can't see how it would work. If it was an 8'6", I think it would be a different story.

One-passenger mode is also kind of a deal breaker for me, because if I'm going far enough to drive, usually my girlfriend wants to come. If I'm just going down to the close beach I take a bike usually. Maybe remove my front seats and console, install only the 60 side of a 60/40 split bench, then remove the dashboard and glovebox and make a sort of starboard side board tunnel. I'm kidding, I'm kidding....i hope.

Anyway, I ordered a Rhino setup. The decision was mostly driven by the fact that Thule and Yakima seem to only support their old-style square and round, respectively, bars with the gutter-compatible feet, whereas Rhino has the more modern aero shape that people seem to think are less noisy. There was a kit with free shipping on Amazon with the fit kit and everything for $370 so I just pulled the trigger.

For now, I'm just going to use the normal pads and tiedowns method, but I must admit I'm curious about these special board holders that have a tiny bit more security, like the Yakima SupDawg or the Thule Sup Taxi. Given that I only really care for now about securing my specific board, I may just build a custom board holder. This should hold me for a while.

 

[jebb]

This is interesting: Interior Car Racks & Parts - SeatRack