For those using a p/u truck?

[Andrew Pachon]

I just picked up my shifter kart today and borrowed a friend’s p/u truck to haul it. Thankfully the lift I have can mount to a trailer hitch. I’d like to hear a few things from those of you that transport via p/u truck. I am thinking I am going to get a pick up truck to start out with.

1. What make and model of pick up truck?

2.. What size bed do you have on your p/u truck?

3. Camper shell or not?

4. If at all possible, please attach a photo of how you pack your kart and gear in the bed of your p/u.

5. Description of what you take with you to track?

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.

~Andy

 

[russ Jolly]

My pops and I used to transport my kart in the back of a Chevy Silverado, std cab and bed. Plenty of room for one kart a mid size toolbox, two gear boxes, tires, gas and kart stand. I would recommend a topper for it though. Makes it easier to travel with so you can lock away your kart if you eat or sleep some where.  Easy to load and unload to since the tailgate feel to same level as the kart on the stand. I will recommend that you spray or line the bed, and also brace the kart so it doesnt move other wise you’ll end up with scratches. (more than usual)

[Andrew Pachon]

Thanks for the info Russ.

I am torn between the 8ft bed and 6.5ft bed.

~Andy

 

[CROSS]

I have a GMC Canyon. Just built a shelf using the supports a truck bed has to hold 2x4s for just this type of thing. Kart and gas can go on the shelf and everything else goes underneath. Plenty of room underneath for tires, part, tool boxes, ez-up etc. I typically have two tool boxes, three sets of tires, 10’x10′ ez-up, nose cone(has to come off for kart to fit in bed), chair, and bead breaker with some room to spare. The kart stand goes in the cab behind the seat. Traveling with my dog and camping gear i have yet to feel like I was short on space to carry what I needed.

[Spencer Uzri]

While a trailer is certainly nice to have, I manage without one & saved some cash.  I have a ’93 Silverado extended cab with camper shell.  Because of the shell, I can’t shelf it like Cory due to the limited headroom, but the bed is wide/long enough to fit the kart by removing the side & nose pods.  The bed can still accommodate miscellaneous stuff, & the extra cab space allows for stowage of tools, the CIK pods, gas & air cans, etc.

A key piece of the puzzle is the “kart carrier” I bought from Tim Koyen to carry my KartLift along.  It locks into the hitch receiver to carry the stand at the back of the truck.

The key is having a bed big enough for the kart.  Figure L x W of approx. 6′ x 5′.  Keep in mind, a 53″ wide CIK rear bumper isn’t – & shouldn’t be – a quick detach component, so if your kart has one, that will determine the min. bed width you’ll need.

[Benn Herr]

2008 Toyota Tundra – Quad cab – Long bed
Big V-8 381 hp.
Terrible to park.
Great on the highway.
12 mpg in town / 17/18 on the Hwy at 75ish.
Everything goes in the back except for our luggage.
Our kart stand is an old school fold up stand.
Fits under the kart, no wheels.
Everything is low profile, very good at speed.
Hard to see into, never had a problem when we stopped.

[Andrew Pachon]

Benn, that is the exact vehicle I am looking to get. 2014 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Long Bed.

~Andy

[Andrew Pachon]

Corry, how much space beneath your shelf do you have? I’d imagine quite a bit seeing as you clear the wheel wells. Could you possibly take a photo of that too? I am getting a few ideas.

~Andy

 

[Andrew Pachon]

Spencer, I have the same lift. Spencer, I am on the fence between the 6.5ft bed and the 8ft bed. I am the guy that screams get the most memory you can in any device as you will always use it. I hear time and time again that the 8ft bed is a pain to park.

Benn, What is the difference in height between the tailgate in the down position and the height of your kart while on the stand?

~Andy

[Benn Herr]

A Toyota Double Cab with the long bed (8ft) and the 5.7 liter V8.

It will run you about 31K but they have a bunch of deals going on right now so you could get it down to 28K pretty easy. But before you buy one – drive it – and park it. Not too bad if you can pick your spots to park but sometimes you’re stuck with what’s left.

Looking at the Toyota site they say they don’t have any  Double Cab, Long Beds in my area, that I’ll have to see a dealer. When I bought mine (I bought a 2008 in 2009) they were very happy to sell one of these giants. Maybe that’ll give you a little leverage.

When I load mine it’s on a sloped driveway so I roll in until the heights almost match. You want the truck to be a little higher than the stand. At the track it’s generally 3 to 6 inches higher than any stands. Just wheel the stand over to the tailgate and lift the front wheels on. Then grab the rear bumper, and lift and guide the kart forward.

With the stock tires on it the tailgate is around 33 inches on flat ground. The tires are 31 or so inches tall just skinny looking. I’d stay away from the big tires. They usually make it drive bad and kill mileage. They also cost a ton of money and may cause local law enforcement to pay closer attention to your driving “style”….

[Andrew Pachon]

Thanks Benn.

~Andy

[David Pergande]

I have been racing out of truck since I started.  I used to have a Chev 2500, but now have a Chev Silverado 1500 w/ crew cab.  I have to take the front and back bumper off, but not a big deal and takes me about 5 minutes to put them on and off.  I still have plenty of room for tires, gas can or 2, chairs, etc.  I can still fit my ez-up on the side over the wheel well to.  With the Chevy (not sure of other models), but he back seats now pull up that give a lot more space in the crew cab that allows easier time to keep things locked up over night.  Also, if nervous about overnight, I usually strap it down by going through the frame a couple of times just to make it hard to steal it if someone is trying.  Also, buy a kart cover…you can put it over it for rain and while traveling.  I usually just put bungie cords over the cover on the kart and it stays on just find without getting wind beaten.   Best of Luck! David

[Andrew Pachon]

Thanks for the info David.

I am seriously considering a Camper Shell.

~A

 

 

[Tim Koyen]

I have a 2004 GMC 2500 Crew cab with 6.5′ bed and topper.  The kart will fit nice and snug with the bumpers on with no problem.  The stand goes on the hitch mounted carrier, all the lighter stuff goes in and around the kart.  The toolbox and heavier stuff goes into the backseat with the seats folded down.  It works.

KartLift Kart Stands
DeepSeat Kart Seats
877-777-8020
------------------
Don't bother PMing me, it doesn't work. Email is best: tim@kartlift.com.

[Nick Bagley]

I used a Chevy 1500 long bed for a long time but use a Chevy 2500 Express Cargo van now… They can be had for pretty cheap as many get sold off as fleet vehicles. Got mine for $1500. Best money I have spent for karting. Reliable, secure and covered. All the necessary equipment fits along with a bench seat in the back for eating lunch or taking a quick snooze. I wouldn’t go back to a truck after having this van.

[Andrew Pachon]

I hadn’t thought of a CargoVan. Do the rear doors open wide enough for a shifter to slide in?

~Andy

[Craig Drabik]

I used a 2010 F150 6 1/2 foot bed for two years.  It was great.  I only got rid of it because I moved into the city and mileage and parking became a serious pain.  For my personal opinion, the 8 foot beds are monstrous, can’t imagine trying to park that or maneuver in your average parking ramp.

[Bob Baldwin]

craig : You are complaining that 8ft beds are Monstrous a ft and 1/2 longer ? lol God forbid you ever pull a trailer with a dually pick-up you sound like a guy that needs 2 lanes to navigate . I guess most of you guys have never driven a SEMI . Many times when I was driving the IMSA semi I would pull into a Burger joint to get something to eat with it . How do you think they get there deliveries by pick-up truck .? Fear NOT the size of what you are driving .!!!

[Craig Drabik]

I haven’t driven a semi, sorry.  I do however live in an urban area and if you think a foot and a half makes no difference to how easy it is to park your truck in the city then.. well..  I guess you must be a lot better at it than I am.  All I’m saying is, it’s big, and inconvenient, and for me that inconvenience was not worth the extra capacity.  Which I didn’t actually need to get the kart, stands and spares in the bed.  I’ve since gotten rid of the F150 for a smaller SUV and trailer because I didn’t like driving it in the city.  It’s easier to live with for the other 350 days a year that I’m not racing.

Sorry I tried to offer some advice.  I’ll make sure I don’t do it again.  I’d hate to get my other hand bitten off.

[Bob Baldwin]

Craig: My apology to you . My friend had the opposite problem . He bought the crew cab with the short bed and NOW really regrets the decision he made . Looks like he NOW has to go out and purchase a trailer to haul his karts around in .

[Craig Drabik]

Well what you’re talking about is the decision path that led me to the F150 I got.  I really wanted a smaller truck, but the beds were only long enough in the Tacoma, Frontier, etc with small cabs.  I have a big dog, so that was out.  Even in the full-size trucks if you went with the full four door (Super Crew in Ford speak) then you needed a long bed.  I had the smaller suicide doors (SuperCab) and everything fit in there just fine, including the dog :)

 

[Paul Makarucha]

Karts fit in the back of Grand Cherokees…

[Nick Bagley]

The backside of the van has identical dimensions to the sister pickup of the same family. Width is the same (tailgate/2 van doors wide open) and distance from ground to van/truck floor is the same

[Jason Bane]

For 2 years I transported my kart using a 2006 Toyota Tacoma quad cab long (6′) bed. Worked great. The bed was wider at the top than at the bottom, so I built a platform using the factory indentations in the bed liner for 2×6’s.  I screwed 5/4 boards to the top of the 2×6’s, and the kart just rolled right up onto them. Once I removed the front bumper, the kart fit perfectly in the bed on the platform, with room for tires, 10×10 canopy, parts, and toolbox underneath.

[CROSS]

I am not sure the exact room under the shelf. You can stack a front and rear tire on top of each other under the plywood. I want to make just two shelves out of metal on the sides of the bed that extend out enough for the wheels of the kart to sit on. Then eliminate anything going across the bed in the middle. Right now this works great since the only thing I have to do to the kart to load it is remove the front nose cone. Wheels, hubs, rear bumper all stay exactly how they come off the track and that is with me running maximum legal width in the back.

[Andrew Pachon]

Cross,

Thanks for the photo. So I am waiting for the 2014 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Long Beds to hit the dealerships as this will be my daily driver/kart hauler.

I have 8ft of bed to plan loading and unloading. So I got to thinking and what features I would want for my elevated bed platform like your photo.

1. I will need the platform to be able to be removed without having to remove Camper Shell

2. Able to support Kart and all related gear. I may be over thinking this but I am shooting for 500lbs.

3. I would like accessible under storage with doors that stay open with some sort of gas shock

4. I’d like to have some wheel chocks for my shifter as well as tie down locations (2 front, 2 mid and 2 aft)

5. Carpeted.

 

What ideas do you have? What would you add or remove from my list? What changes would you make to any of my items?

~Andy

 

 

[Paul Makarucha]

Did you talk to a dealer yet? Out here on the East I was told dealers pretty much only special order double cab long bed Tacos because they can’t sell ’em.

You might want to check with your Yota dealer.

[Andrew Pachon]

I am going the Tundra not Taco route. There are several 2013 Tundra DC LBs in SoCal. I just want some of the features of the SR5 Upgrade package that is available on the 2014, otherwise I would get a 2013 right now.

~A

 

 

[Justin Martin]

I will load a picture when I get a chance later today. I have been transporting my kart in a’95 GMC yukon, seats folded down. The kart can stay together, all but the front bumper. I made a custom self lifting kart stand that went into the receiver, however it isn’t necessary as a normal folding stand will fit, if you are strategic about it.

 

However, I recently bought a 2012 F150, Supercab (extended cab. Rear seats, but only the half, or suicide doors), and a 6.5 foot bed. Kart fits great along with all my other crap. It has the 5.0L V8 Flexfuel and I get a combined 19mpg, if I drive smart I can easily bust 23, and occasioally (perfect conditions, 11 mile drive to work on a 55 mile road) I can consistently get 25-27mpg!… Tows great, 377 horse with K&N cold air intake. I can fit my kart, all equipment, a 14×14 pop-up, and still have room.

[Justin Martin]

As promised here are some pics.

My kart fit nicely in my old Yukon. Now that I have my F150, and my folding/self lifting stand goes on the back, it frees up a TON of room in the bed. I can comfortably fit my kart, and everything I could possibly need for a race or track day in the bed.

[Andrew Pachon]

Thanks for the Photos Justin. Good looking pick-up. Did you make a shelf in the P/U too or just load everything onto the bed?

~Andy

 

[Justin Martin]

I just load everything in the bed… Fill in the gaps.

I only have a 7 gallon air tank that I tote around… at 125psi it holds plenty of air for a race day.

AS a far as toolbox etc, it just fills in the gaps. I dont take a big roller, just a simple box that is about 3 ft wide, 2 ft tall and about 1.25′ deep. The box holds pretty much EVERYTHING I need, including miscellaneous tools that I don’t even use at the track.. (piston stop, starter gear stop, various bearing pullers, etc…) There are a few things I lack from the guys with the HUGE boxes, but in reality for 99% of race weekends you don’t use much more than your normal screw drivers, wrenches, allen wrenches, sockets, tape, Infrared thermometer etc… I carry two 5 gallon fuel cans, as well as a bucket that I carry all my sprays with. This bucket contains chain lube, wd-40, 2-stroke oil, gear case oil, ratio rite, two rolls of the tough blue paper towels, and a handfulof shop rags just in case.

Currently my gear is in the cab on the far left side. simpy just shoes, ribvest, neck brace, helmet, suit, and underwear (that under-armor rash guard stuff). I can still take myself as well as 3 more family or friends in the cab, comfortably, with all my kart gear etc…

Someday I might build a shelf to house the rest of it clutter-free, however at the time being I really don’t see any reason to.

I mean, other than horrible mileage, I never had a problem in my Yukon, and now I have even MORE space!! haha

[Andrew Pachon]

Thanks for the additional info Justin. That is a 6.5″ bed right?  Do you take a table to the track with you?

~Andy

[Justin Martin]

It Is a 6.5′ bed

 

I dont personally take a table because both tracks near me have plenty of tables. However I have taken a table in the past and it fits right inside next to the kart… It does however require a tie down to keep it upright.

[Jason Santander]

Andrew, if you’re waiting, wait for the 2014 GMC Sierra.

Already out now but you dont want a first year production, maybe end of next year get a 2015.

i sold my silverado, actually on a smaller truck now,  tacoma, but plan on a new sierra in a few years, just dont want to get first year production.  I know you want toyota reliability, im with you there, but GM fullsize trucks are reliable imho.

Birel CR32SR Complete roller $2k
set of new tires on wheels, extra set wheels, freeline large & small rad, tons of freeline components

TWO CRS ICC motors complete- rebuilt $3k
Custom Pit Cart

[Andrew Pachon]

Bought a 2013 5.7 4×4 DC-LB last night.

~A

 

 

 

 

 

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