Suggestions to add plastic armour to round tubes on racks

steelnwool

New member
Hi, I have a custom bed rack made of 1.25" round steel. It's powder coated, but I'm always dragging kayaks on and off the top.

I'm looking for suggestions on how I could armour this. I want it to look nice as well. I'm imagining something black and textured that looks similar to the plastic plates that manufacturers bolt onto nerf bars/steps.

Thoughts?
 

pith helmet

Well-known member
see your favorite plumber for a few pieces of 2" black polyethylene water line, split it lengthwise and it will fit over it and you're good to go. if you want it not to move, you could rivet it on. it will outlast the rack.
 

Alloy

Well-known member
Convoluted Tube
Convoluted Pipe
PVC Tape/Wrap
Plastic split ducting or 1/2 pipe
.063 Black UHMW sheet with rivets
 

86scotty

Cynic
see your favorite plumber for a few pieces of 2" black polyethylene water line, split it lengthwise and it will fit over it and you're good to go. if you want it not to move, you could rivet it on. it will outlast the rack.

I like this one the best. Or just sell the vehicle and buy a new one outfitted as you see fit. Overland vehicles are a dime a dozen these days. :rolleyes:
 

pith helmet

Well-known member
I like this one the best. Or just sell the vehicle and buy a new one outfitted as you see fit. Overland vehicles are a dime a dozen these days. :rolleyes:

It was what my dad had on the pipe rack on his ‘68 Chevy step side growing up. Seeing the Grumman canoe getting loaded on there was the best thing in the world.
 

86scotty

Cynic
It was what my dad had on the pipe rack on his ‘68 Chevy step side growing up. Seeing the Grumman canoe getting loaded on there was the best thing in the world.

I've got the family Grumman under my back porch. It has a big dent in it nowadays from a tree limb falling on it and I'm way too lazy to take it to the river when kayaks are so much fun but man did we have a ball in that thing growing up. My Dad would put it on the top of his 1970 something Volvo wagon and off to the Spring River (in the Ozarks) we would go.
 

pith helmet

Well-known member
I've got the family Grumman under my back porch. It has a big dent in it nowadays from a tree limb falling on it and I'm way too lazy to take it to the river when kayaks are so much fun but man did we have a ball in that thing growing up. My Dad would put it on the top of his 1970 something Volvo wagon and off to the Spring River (in the Ozarks) we would go.
I have my dads 17’ and bought his best friend’s 15’ square stern from his widow. Both are painted with house paint from their original house colors from 1970. The 17’ will cover some miles with two strong paddlers. Kayaks are easy and fun.
 

86scotty

Cynic
You know, I've forgotten the length of ours but it is LONG and wide. We would put a huge drybox in the middle plus Mom, Dad, me and my brother (when we were young) and do overnights in that thing. I actually still use the old dry box around the house still. Currently half of it is a firewood box on the back porch.

To gently steer this thread back on topic I can assure you that nothing creative was used by my Dad to aid in loading/unloading the canoe. That is unless you count dents, scratches and gratuitous use of twine as creative. I think Natural Light beer and profanity were the grease that got the boat loaded usually.
 

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