S10 pick-up transport?

[sunnylake]

I am contemplating purchasing a small pick up truck- the chevy S10 - which at 4'7inches wide and 7'6 long(tailgate down) could, I think, be used to transport my laser to and from the lake. I am thinking of building a cradle out of lumber which might cantilever off the tailgate a foot or so. The boat would extend out back 6 feet with the nose pointing backwards. Most of the weight would be in the truck box.

Has anyone done this??? Am I dreaming??
Please reply soon.

Thanks

Crazy in Canada

 

[fishingmickey]

Howdy Brad...
The S10 would work fine with a light 1" tubing rack and flip it up side down... But with 6' of bow hanging out the tailgate and your hitting bumps/ruts in the road, I'd think the stresses would be bad on the hull, start seeing gelcoat cracks and maybe even worse. Another thing to think about is the fact that you'd be making yourself a better target for being rear ended. Even if you do hang a flag off of it... Hope my thoughts help..
Regards,
Fishingmickey,
150087/181157

 

[Merrily]

I am contemplating purchasing a small pick up truck-

Crazy in Canada

dear Crazy,

Or maybe you could put a cap on top of the bed of the truck, a carrier on that, and the Laser on top of the truck. I've seen a Laser transported on top of a minivan.

Merrily

 

[odinsvitskjaldr]

If you are spending the money on a new truck, then why not just go ahead and also get a new trailer? Having a trailer seems a much easier option than the truck-bed option, and I agree with Fishingmickey; the trailer's safer for you and the boat. Also, the trailer's easy to load/unload, since it has a lower profile than the truck bed. Will you also be transporting a dolly? With the boat in the truck bed will you also be able to load the dolly? Just a few insomniacs ideas...