Before I bought this, I had those big racks that went on the bed walls and were higher than the cab. It's true that the big racks hold two canoes and are extremely sturdy. But they cost over $600, and it takes 20-25 minutes to put them on, so I would leave them on for months at a time. Couldn't drive the truck in the parking garage at work with them, either. You also have to lift the canoes up over your head to get them onto the racks, then you had a rather complicated ten minutes strapping them down. Then I bought a folding bed cover, and discovered that they conflict with each other; can't both be on the truck at the same time.
Extend-A-Truck can carry just one canoe, but also other things. You can put it on in about one minute and another 30 seconds to strap it down. Much easier for one man to load, and the canoe slips in under the Tonneau or folding bed cover. There isn't anything that comes with the Extend-A-Truck that holds the bow of the canoe down in the front of the bed, so you will need to buy a strap and feed it through the bow of the canoe (unless you have a bed cover). One negative with Extend-A-Truck is that sticking a 16 foot canoe in an 8 foot bed makes your truck really long, and it can be tough to maneuver in tight parking places, or even driving off road where you might need a tight turn around a tree or up a steep hill and the Extend-A-Truck can hit the ground.
If I needed to go a very long distance, say, a hundred miles, or if I needed to stop over in a place where someone could steal my canoe, I would use the tall racks because it's so much tighter and more secure. But when I only need to go a short distance, it's awesome. I use my canoe twice as much now because it's so quick and easy to take it places. There's a lake just five miles from home and I wouldn't fish it after work because it was a hassle to get the canoe on the racks. Now I can.
| Manufacturer | Darby Industries |
|---|---|
| Brand | Darby |
| Item Weight | 25 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 53 x 15 x 2.5 inches |
| Item model number | 944 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 944 |
