How can I carry a 15' long canoe in my bed? Is it too much canoe hanging past the down tailgate? Do I have to rest it on the roof? If anyone has a picture showing how they transport a canoe or small boat in their bed, I'd appreciate it you'd post it. Thanks.

 

I assume you have a Ranger, but is it a long bed?

I would assume that you've considered a ladder rack, too much of a lift?

Just cantilever the end out, put enough weight on the bed end to keep the canoe from tipping and tie it off good.

 

I have the supercab and the bed is 6'. I am thinking a ladder rack type setup but only if I have to. Are there legal restrictions how long something can hang out the back of your bed?

 

For short, infrequent trips put your tailgate down and put your canoe face down.
For longer, more frequent trips use a ladder rack and put it upside down. Tie it down tight in both cases. Generally speaking, you can have it sticking out 4' past the tail gate with a red flag on the end.

 

Here's what I would reccomend...
Cabela's -- Extend-A-Truck Hitch

You can set it up to match the height of your cab as well...

 

I don't have a receiver hitch.

I'm thinking to get a rack made out of square tubing that sits in the post holes in the corners of the bed walls. One in the front and one in the rear, like for hauling ladders. The rack's cross beam would be above the hieght of the cab.....but that's a pretty tall lift to hoist the canoe up there.

 

Most states only allow 3 to 4 feet of over hang with a red flag attached. Anything longer needs marker lights. Then you run the risk of someone rear ending the canoe because they have poor depth perception with a long narrow object.
I would recommend a ladder type rack. Safer and you will be able to securely tie it down.
One of our truck drivers got into a 5 car pileup a couple of years ago on I81 because a canoe come off a car.
When you think you have enough tie downs, add one more. (old flat bedder rule of thumb).

 

I have a 15' Jon boat and I will only carry it on the bed of my truck the 400yds I need to get it to the water. This bed is too short for an object that long. You are going to need some sort of roof rack to transport it any real distance. As an old truckdriver, if it doesn't look right... then it ain't.

 

Thule also makes a rack with a typical bar for the cab and a rack in the bed. My daughter uses one on her Ranger for her touring kayak.

 

I've never hauled one on a Ranger. On the F-150, we have always just used a roll bar type rack in the front and rested the back of the canoe on the closed tail gate. Tie the back of the canoe off to the rear bumper and then tie it off to the rack with a good bungie cord.

 

This is the setup I have been useing on two different Rangers my 1993 and this is my 2002 longbed. 12ft boat .

 

i have a 12' canoe and just slide it into the bed, tie off to the talgate latches and load the motor & gear inside. tie a red t-shirt to the end and away i go. i dont like the overhang but short of a trailer there's not much i can do about it.