[Eliut]

I am about to purchase a tandem kayak, which will be approximately 14' long, 32" wide, and 80-100lbs. heavy. That is too long to toss in my truck's (5'7") bed and I don't want the driving and parking complexity of using a trailer or a tailgate extender. Further, I'd rather keep the truck bed free to pack camping and beach supplies.

The option I am considering is installing a roof rack. I do that with trepidation given that the Rebel is not designed for that. A well-regarded local installer of truck mods claims that he can do this very well, removing the indoor roof covering during installation to ensure that drilling does not damage the air bags. He also takes multiple steps to properly seal the drill holes to prevent leaks.
My questions to you are:

1. Will a rack spanning only the cab roof be long enough to properly support a 14'-long kayak? There will be 4-5' segments extending beyond the rack front and back
2. Which rack type would you advise I get? Dual cross-bars, continuous roof cargo rack
3. Would you advise that I add to the mix a hitch-based kayak support (something like the Thule 997 Goal Post Hitch Canoe and Kayak Carrier Racks) to share the load with the roof rack?
4. Any specific brands/models of racks and kayak carrying accessories you may recommend?

Thank you!

 

[Bluefive5]

I would just go for a basic rack. Strong, good looking and affordable. Easy installation. Lots of options but her is one example. Ram Rack

 

[Baron]

I made my own bed mount out of Uni-Strut

I mounted Uni-Strut to the under side of the Bed Rail

The Support Legs are fully adjustable. This is to allow the cross bars and Bed basket to raise or lower depending on what’s in the bed

my plan for when I get a kayak, or two, is to make a set of vertical supports to raise the kayaks above the cab… all mounted to the bed crossbars