# 14' Jon boat in truck bed



## DaMightyOne (May 8, 2014)

Just wondering if anyone has been transporting their Jon boat in their truck bed. I have a standard 6' truck bed and I am looking to buy a 1436 lowe Jon boat. I don't have room for a trailer and wanted to know if anyone carries their boat in the bed. I would like to see some pictures if possible. Thank you and Aloha.


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## jethro (May 8, 2014)

I don't have any pictures but I carry my 15' Old Town squareback canoe in the bed of my Tacoma. 6' bed with 9' of big, heavy canoe hanging off it! I actually should get a pic next time I do it because it's pretty funny! I just put a red cloth on the end and call it good.


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## fishin_with_my_kids (May 8, 2014)

I passed this guy on the road about a month ago, but I don't think this is what you had in mind!!


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## WVfishnfool (May 9, 2014)

Harbor Freight and Tools sells what they call a truck bed extender. It mounts into the hitch receiver on your truck. I use to use one of these when I had a truck with a shorter bed. Make sure and tie the boat down to the truck bed good though. Also just to avoid being hassled by the police I took an old set of trailer lights and made a removable type bracket and mounted them on it. I then wired it up the same way you would on a trailer so I could plug them up into the existing wiring on my truck. I could then hang these on the boat and wrap the wire around the truck bed extender a few times to keep them from dragging the ground. It tends to be foggy here in the hills of West Virginia during the spring and fall and I can tell ya that those lights have kept some dang fool from running into my boat more than a few times. I no longer have this set up to get pics for you as I sold the truck and boat both several years ago but I think you can probably figure out what I'm talking about. Here's a link to the truck bed extender. https://www.harborfreight.com/truck-bed-extender-69650.html


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## Butthead (May 9, 2014)

I hauled my old 1436 in the 6.5' bed of my F150 many times. With the tailgate down it was about 8.5' only leaving about 5.5' sticking out. I'd put it in stern first, strap it down, throw the batteries, TM, and other gear into the back of the boat and be on my way. For the 4 hour drives from MD to NE PA it helped with the MPG and I didn't have to worry about going 75mph on the open highways. On one of those trips we loaded my boat in the bed then put my buddies 12' on top of it upside down. Good times!


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## ggoldy (May 9, 2014)

A Jon boat in the back of a pickup is cheap and easy to do. I did it for a few months. I could load and unload by myself on a beach. On a ramp or on gravel was a different story. THAT takes two people, to keep from scratching the bottom. I built a two wheeled jig that helped launch it, but straping that jig back on in the water was just sad...and it was MUCH harder to pull up the ramp than I expected. I now have a little trailer. Much easier for an old worn out fart like me LOL


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## turbotodd (May 9, 2014)

I used to own a 1432 jon boat, found it on the river and the landowner didn't claim it. So I did. Didn't know what I was gonna do with it so I left it on the bank until I could figure a way to get it home. AKA borrow a truck.

A few days later I'm stomping through the woods of a 40 acre tract that the house I was renting was on. I find a 9.8 Mercury outboard. Immediately put 2 and 2 together but still couldn't figure out how to haul the boat without a trailer. On my way to work the next day I pass a guy who had a 2 man plastic boat in the back of his Ford Ranger. Hmm...wonder if a 1432 will fit in my El Camino?

Yes. I think a 1436 would've fit. 

I fished out of that boat for a number of years, well until I rolled the truck (or car, or whatever it's called...Kark? Cruck?). I'd put the transom side into the bed and slide it in. Put the outboard in the back of the boat, on the floor of the motor well behind the rear seat. It holds the boat down so I can tie it in. Tank fit just in front of the seat. Tackle fit on the floor wherever I could get it. It was a cheap (free) rig that served me VERRY well until I could get on my feet. I gave it away to a guy who's wife had a stroke and went home; and he used it the best he could exactly as I did. 

Honestly I think I caught more and better fish out of that rig than I did out of my 'glass boat, or the 1542, or the current 1548 combined. But I think part of that may be that I was able to sneak that boat into private ponds without needing a ramp.


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## whiskerfrisker (May 12, 2014)

I carry my 1436 alumacraft in the bed of my 02 tundra swb. I use a bed extension I picked up for cheap at a local hardware store that gives me an extra 4ft and a place to tie down to. Put the motor(72 Johnson 9.5) in the bottom next to my cab and it holds it down. When I launch it I find a grass entrance or beach, much easier than a boat ramp...it also saves on trailer registration and whatnot


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## Butthead (May 12, 2014)

Ah, the fun times I had rolling in my Cruck! I loved the little hidden compartment behind the seat and under the bed. I really wanted to put the Choo Choo Customs SS front end on it, but never had the money.
I drove that thing for about 10 years then gave it to my Uncle who went ahead and dropped a 454 in it. lol


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