Putting your ski in the bed of your truck

[SuperFun]

Your suspension is what cushions the ski on bumps. I had my ski(s) in my bed with plywood or bare metal both worked fine. You'll scratch it up way more just beaching it. For a spray on bedliner that's rough you would probably want to put a carpet just to make it easier to slide it in/out. The noodles look like they would be a pain. Stick the nose is one corner and crank the stern to the other side so the ski's diagonal in the bed, you can lock it down this way with just one tie down.

The challenge is loading it by yourself. I had a toyota 4x4 and I had to do it just right. Lift the front, pivot and place it on the tailgate, lift the rear and slide it in. A trailer is way better.

 

[2006superjet]

2 2x4s w/ carpet always done it that way.

 

[Super Dee]

The best thing we've always found is to screw a couple of fence posts to a piece of 1/2' plywood with some 2 1/2" or 3" screws. At the lumber yard or Home Depot, they sell fence posts for super cheap. It's basically a pressure treated 4x4 but with two of the opposite sides being rounded. We cut off one of the round edges with a table saw to leave a third flat surface. The one rounded side acts as a perfect cradle for the rounded concave parts of the hull bottom. After cutting the posts to length, screw them onto a piece of 1/2" plywood then cover the tops with some carpet. They are perfect to throw in the back of a truck and when the jetski is not in the truck they are great to sit the ski on.

You can also use 2x4 wood to rest the ski on, but they require some extra bracing because the surface at the bottom where it's screwed is too narrow.

Here is a lame Paint drawing that might show what I'm talking about and a couple old pictures:

 

[Kalwren]

That was the whole reason that I sold my Cherokee and bought a pickup. I wanted a bed that I could put my Ski in, so that I don't have to deal with a trailer until I buy another ski.

I'd rather just use the bed of the truck for now.

I'm either going to go with the Pool Noodle idea or the Carpet idea.

Next year, I plan to build some odd Frankenstein contraption that will allow me to load/unload on my own.

Good idea about putting it in at an angle though. I'm still thinking 2 or more tiedowns though. That way, I KNOW it won't move.

Your suspension is what cushions the ski on bumps. I had my ski(s) in my bed with plywood or bare metal both worked fine. You'll scratch it up way more just beaching it. For a spray on bedliner that's rough you would probably want to put a carpet just to make it easier to slide it in/out. The noodles look like they would be a pain. Stick the nose is one corner and crank the stern to the other side so the ski's diagonal in the bed, you can lock it down this way with just one tie down.

The challenge is loading it by yourself. I had a toyota 4x4 and I had to do it just right. Lift the front, pivot and place it on the tailgate, lift the rear and slide it in. A trailer is way better.

 

[Kalwren]

This is a cool idea, too. Dual use!

I may consider a hybrid version of this, with wheels. I still need something to put my ski on, while it's in the garage.

The best thing we've always found is to screw a couple of fence posts to a piece of 1/2' plywood with some 2 1/2" or 3" screws. At the lumber yard or Home Depot, they sell fence posts for super cheap. It's basically a pressure treated 4x4 but with two of the opposite sides being rounded. We cut off one of the round edges with a table saw to leave a third flat surface. The one rounded side acts as a perfect cradle for the rounded concave parts of the hull bottom. After cutting the posts to length, screw them onto a piece of 1/2" plywood then cover the tops with some carpet. They are perfect to throw in the back of a truck and when the jetski is not in the truck they are great to sit the ski on.

You can also use 2x4 wood to rest the ski on, but they require some extra bracing because the surface at the bottom where it's screwed is too narrow.

Here is a lame Paint drawing that might show what I'm talking about and a couple old pictures:

 

[PancakePete]

BGV Customs. lol

Here is my new Rack setup. Thank you BGV Customs for your beer bitching help... hehehe :stooges:

Jersey drivers suck, and Last year got rear ended with 2 skis on a trailer.
roughly 30k on the trailer. The bunks and the other persons car was jacked up. I dont want to use a trailer unless I have to.

So Joe BGV (FLashsj) and I welded up a piece to go in my reciever hitch for my beach tote.
then we made this rack so I can go from truck to tote and still load ski up and shut the tail gate. So if i do get hit, my new ski is in truck.

Just so I dont here anything.. Most insurance will cover cost of a new superjet not the 10k past that people/ me sink into there skis.

Thanks for the help Joe. was a fun Bday Project. and the sickest pimp hinges ever... LMFAO !

 

[yamasaki]

i bought a piece of outdoor carpet from lowe's that covers my bed and hangs over the tailgate a bit.

i put that down before i put anything down in the bed. the ski slides on and off it real easy, the bike rolls on it, no issues at all. it also keeps the bedliner from getting all scuffed up and making the bed look like .

it also helps you unload when you got a ton of stuff in the bed. start unloading from the rear, and as you unload, just pull the rug towards you and everything in the bed gets right up to the tailgate again. saves alot of time, specially when you have a long bed. my bed is 7'

.02

 

[dbrutherford]

Saki, they make those carpet unloading thinsg you are talking about. My grandpa has one and it works ok.

But I like the comment about keeping the bed liner looking nice. I think I will start selling bed liner protectors!


Kalwren:

I was talking about making something just like Super Dee was talking about. I use a double trailer now but since I only have one ski running, I may just make something like that for my truck as well!

 

[CJ407]

I just bolted an electric winch in my bed and it works fine. will lift my blaster off flat ground

 

[kraqus]

I just bolted an electric winch in my bed and it works fine. will lift my blaster off flat ground

Pictures?


Benny

 

[KR]

F-150! Standard bed!

Throw in the superjet and close the tailgate.

 

[MDStandUp]

loading doesnt have to be hard or a pain. keep it easy.
http://www.x-h2o.com/threads/83325-Shop-Stand-used-as-a-Loading-Ramp

 

[Tyler Zane]

f250, in the bed. . winches and all that other stuff is unnecessary, lift with your legs you little girls! i didnt have ramp access till half way threw the summer when i made friends with a guy that had a private ramp. i was loading and unloading from a little two trail with the ski on the ground (by myself). drag the ski up parallel to the edge of the tail gate, stood it up on the nose, set the tail on the tail gate, pick it up from the nose and slid it in. thats after a hard days work on the farm and a couple hours on the spring. now that was a 550sx. ill be using a hitch haller for my sj. a trailer is just one more thing to get registered.

 

[Idok]

this works.

although I did have to pull pretty hard on the hood of the WRIII to break it off so the square would fit..


shoulda seen the look on the dudes face as I loaded them haha

 

[NVJAY775]

I don't have any pics of it working, but I get my B1 and Rn in the back of my f250. I made a couple stands from 3" sch 40 pvc which tie off solid in the bed. The stands also get used in the garage with rollers and for stands in the lake) The RN sits just a bit higher than the B1 so the bond lines don't hit and both sit above the fender wells. On the front bed rail I screwed a piece of 2" x 2" box metal and then made a couple brackets to hold the front tow loops to the metal, so they don't go through the window, or out the back. And use ratchet straps to hold the noses and tails down.

Getting them out is easy, they slide down a ramp made of 3" sch 40 pvc for bunks and 2" x 6" doug fir straps holding the bunks together.

Getting them back in I use the same ramp and a remote winch ($50.00 on sale now actually) from harbor freight mounted to the 2" x 2" box metal on the front bed rail.

Works like a peach!

 

[Tyler Zane]

now for a b1 i can understand the fancy stuff! thats a trip idok lmao. sucks you broke the hood off thou...

 

[tightithrash]

F-150! Standard bed!

Throw in the superjet and close the tailgate.

Nissan Titan! Standard bed!

Throw in the Rickter and close the tailgate.

 

[Waveblaster785]

loading doesnt have to be hard or a pain. keep it easy.
http://www.x-h2o.com/threads/83325-Shop-Stand-used-as-a-Loading-Ramp

Hahaha, I was waiting for this.