Another excellent use for the rear roll down window

The other day I was doing a side job and ended up with the wrong ladder. The one I needed was a 12’ slider which doesn't fit very well in my girly 5.5 bed.


So instead of hauling that SOB hanging out like that, I did this-


I used to haul lumber like this and fly rods in my old GMC and Tacoma with the little sliders windows, this is a major upgrade.

 

I've hauled lumber like that in my previous Tundras many times. Just make sure to secure the load tightly, or a fast stop could send the load thru the windshield. I learned that the hard way.

Matt

 

Don't put your favorite bass rod through that window and forget it's there.

 

Sounds like a man who may have just that? lol

 

Oh yeah.

 

I did the same thing not too long ago with some 10 foot sticks of 1 1/2 inch PVC

 

I had a excellent use for it one day too. Nice warm day. Everything was going good until went through auto car wash. Could not get it back up fast enough.

 

Yep…. 10’6” sup fits just right…. Lol

 

I think someone needs a rack to get that ladder over the roof of the truck!

 

Call me a panzy, I would never introduce that kind of danger into the cabin.

 

With the strap on it, that ladder never moved a bit.

 

It’s the distracted and retarded drivers I am worried about.

 

A normal-sized bed would help with that, too.

For the person who only needs that length a time or two in a few years, yes, it works, as long as you understand the repercussions of not fasting your load well enough. If I was in that position, I'd rather buy a trailer (racks are a pain to install, but moreso, a pain to load things onto and off from). There are even some clever trailers that fold so tightly you can forget you have them against your garage wall.

You also can't drive with your windows down 5-6 months of the year in these parts...

 

I used to have one of those folding harbor freight trailers, it got pretty wonky and I sold it for scrap. May get another one as they are pretty handy. This was an unusual circumstance, but one I may find myself in more this next year, and if I do, a trailer is going to be the ticket. I am in Colorado and it was a pretty chilly ride lol, seats on high and heater going full blast. 20 degrees and 80 on the Interstate!

 

My 12' kayaks are only 50 lbs each but they are a challenge to get up on the racks. I don't know how else to carry kayaks while pulling the travel trailer other than racks. I can't see us opening the back window and sliding them in.

I use my Thule racks for heavy work things as well and don't have the issues getting heavy items on them. I can just lean the item on the rear bar and slide it forward.

For ladders. I picked up 2 ladders as a set that fold and extend. My smaller ladder folds up to 4 feet and extends to 14' and my larger ladder goes from 7 feet to 26'. I have put both of these inside my little BMW EV! Most of our work is on highrise rooftops so "compact" is a necessity.

When I use the Tundra, I carry them on top of my DB cover and don't need to open the back window .

The bigger issue (no pun intended) is the Tundra not fitting in most underground parking lots. So for a work truck, it is hard to use for most of our purposes. That is probably why we have only put 5,400 kms (3,400 miles) on it in 15 months. Most of that has been towing our trailer away from the city.

 

I have one of those 7’ that goes to 26”. Super handy! The issue I had in this case was I had to get up to about 24’, but I had to keep the ladder folded up to get in the home. Once there I could not fold that type of ladder out in the space at hand, due to a chandelier. The only style that would work in this instance was what I ended up using, I actually borrowed it from my FIL. He actually just told me to keep it, as he is done going on ladders. That particular ladder was actually my MIL’s father’s, from when he was a roofer in the 60’s.

I would totally get a rack if I had kayaks or canoe. No way I would pull the camper and have a boat in the cab lol (I know the wife wouldn’t sign off on that one lol). My BIL has a similar set up for their kayaks and camper pull and it works great.

 

my risk assessment wouldnt let me do that. i would rather have it rest in the bed by the cab and stick a red flag as it stuck out over the tailgate.

 

The best use of the rear window is clearing the air in the truck when one of my boys passes gas on the highway. In a matter of seconds we are breathing clean fresh air!