Roof Top Rod Carriers

[John Rhoades]

Now that we have threads going on fishing vehicles and on inside the vehicle rod racks, I'm interested in what suggestions you guys may have for the best roof top rod/reel carriers.

I'd like something lockable that I could affix to the roof rack on my Jeep where I would be able to transport fully assembled rods and reels.

I've seen the ones available from Sportube, and while they seem to partially fit the bill, they do have some drawbacks from my perspective: they are relatively costly, and can only hold 2 rods up to 9' in length -- I'd like something to hold 4 rods up to 10' long.

Any suggestions?

John

[Normand]

make one out of some large diameter pvc pipe

[John Rhoades]

make one out of some large diameter pvc pipe

Well, I've though of doing that, but it seems like it would be a bit of work to do the job right.

I wouldn't want my rods and reels rattling around inside PVC pipe without some type of padding around them -- I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to trying to keep them from getting banged around any more than necessary, and I do a lot of dirt and gravel road/off road driving during they'd bounce around a lot if not protected inside some type of tube. Then you have the locking issue to figure out with PVC pipe.

[ducksterman]

I made two different systems using pvc...neither of which meet your requirements....but I will mention that I delt with the protection issue on one system by using pipe insulation...you know the long foam tube with the open center holes that you slip pipe through or have a slit to put it over the pipe.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

We met a couple on our last day in Idaho who had made a pvc rod carrier for the top of their Chevy Suburban. They used several layers of felt inside the pvc tubes to protect the rods during transport. All four rod tubes ended in a metal, lockable tool box sized to hold the butts of the rods and the reels. The tool box was padded with foam rubber to protect the reels and the padlock was usually enough to deter would be thieves.

Pretty slick set up that has VEE and I looking for the parts to build our own.

REE

[danbob]

I saw a very nice new rack at the FF Retailer Show in Denver earlier this Fall.
It's actually a bit more pricey than the Sportube, but it's all aluminum and holds 3 rods. The tubes are expandable; you can add sections to fit whatever length rod you need.
I'm probably going to invest in one soon.
http://titanrod.com/default.aspx
DANBOB

[gqualls]

I bought a set of rod holders on ebay last year. They are the suction cup type, will hold 4 rods, and the length doesn't seem to matter. For the past year and a half I've not had any troubles with them. Seems they cost about $45-50. I like the convenience of moving from one location to another without having my rod in the back of the truck bouncing around or breaking the rod down just to drive a mile or two.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Danbob,

That looks very similar to the one that couple in Idaho had, only their version was homemade out of PVC.

Almost $400 for a rod carrier is a bit much for me.

REE

[John Rhoades]

I saw a very nice new rack at the FF Retailer Show in Denver earlier this Fall.
It's actually a bit more pricey than the Sportube, but it's all aluminum and holds 3 rods. The tubes are expandable; you can add sections to fit whatever length rod you need.
I'm probably going to invest in one soon.
http://titanrod.com/default.aspx
DANBOB

Yes, at almost $400, the Titan's are 2x the cost of the Sportube's. Plus, there may be some added cost for the mounting brackets to affix them to your roof rack which is alluded to on Titan's website: "We do recommend that the initial installation of the TITAN ROD VAULT be performed by a professional installation establishment" - or whatever that implies. I'd be interested in seeing one of them though, for sure. They sure look nice on their website.

[Bass_Bug]

........ I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to trying to keep them from getting banged around any more than necessary,

and I do a lot of dirt and gravel road/off road driving during they'd bounce around a lot if not protected inside some type of tube. .

This seems like a conterdiction to me. If you're driving over that rough of terrain, and you don't want them banged up, I'd just break down the rod sections without unstringing and put them in the vehicle where they are protected. And If you park where theft is possible, sounds like you're fishing in the wrong neighborhood?