How-To

Pickup cap gear/sleeping shelf for kayak anglers

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Carpenter friend and Jackson Kayak pro staffer Jeremy Crowe put together a shelf that vastly increased the storage in my Nissan Titan’s 5 1/­2-foot bed when toting a yak. Add a couple more smaller pieces of OSB to roll out a sleeping bag on top of an air mattress. The two-by-four boards and two sheets of OSB for the project cost about $30. <p> <em>All captions: Dave Mull</em>
Carpenter friend and Jackson Kayak pro staffer Jeremy Crowe put together a shelf that vastly increased the storage in my Nissan Titan’s 5 1/­2-foot bed when toting a yak. Add a couple more smaller pieces of OSB to roll out a sleeping bag on top of an air mattress. The two-by-four boards and two sheets of OSB for the project cost about $30.

All captions: Dave Mull

After cutting two-by-fours for beams to fit the width of the cap, make sure your rear board placement allows enough space under the cap to fit items you want to put on the shelf. This two-by-four location establishes how long the OSB needs to be, leaving a ­1-inch ledge on the two-by-four for adding the sleep extension.
After cutting two-by-fours for beams to fit the width of the cap, make sure your rear board placement allows enough space under the cap to fit items you want to put on the shelf. This two-by-four location establishes how long the OSB needs to be, leaving a ­1-inch ledge on the two-by-four for adding the sleep extension.
Space the three two-by-four beams equidistant.
Space the three two-by-four beams equidistant.
Cut your OSB into two identically sized sections for easy installation on top of the two-by-fours.
Cut your OSB into two identically sized sections for easy installation on top of the two-by-fours.
A ripped furring strip (or a piece of molding) screwed down across the top of the OSB keeps items from sliding off. When packing, softer items (tackle bags, plastic tubs, etc) should go in first so if you slam on the brakes, hard items such as metal toolboxes don’t smash your cap’s front window.
A ripped furring strip (or a piece of molding) screwed down across the top of the OSB keeps items from sliding off. When packing, softer items (tackle bags, plastic tubs, etc) should go in first so if you slam on the brakes, hard items such as metal toolboxes don’t smash your cap’s front window.
A wood screw in each corner of your OSB sheets holds your shelf in place. Just unscrew these fasteners (eight total) when you want to remove the shelf.
A wood screw in each corner of your OSB sheets holds your shelf in place. Just unscrew these fasteners (eight total) when you want to remove the shelf.
Two more small sheets of OSB screwed into the rearward two-by-four’s lip and also to a fourth two-by-four provides the “bedroom” extension. Remove the screws to pack up.
Two more small sheets of OSB screwed into the rearward two-by-four’s lip and also to a fourth two-by-four provides the “bedroom” extension. Remove the screws to pack up.

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