The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

When I’m travelling, finding the best roof racks for spearguns to keep mine close, secure and out of sight has always been a challenge.

And after getting two guns stolen from our camp a few months ago, I wanted to build a permanent solution that’d securely pack these away at night. Because the jackals had the nerve to climb into my boat and carry these right out of the rack. I wasn’t happy at all.

But there is a solution. Might be overkill, but we haven’t had a problem since I installed a rather heavy-duty carrier on my roof racks for my spearguns.

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The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

Getting several hundred dollars of gear stolen from your boat because you haven’t got secure roof racks for spearguns, well, it just sucks.

I’ve always known people will take an easy score if they see it, but having two spearguns stolen out of the back of my boat (while we camped next to it) was a rude awakening.

Plus, it ruined our dive the following day – as we had nothing to spearfish with.

So in this guide, I wanted to cover an option that you have. To build a more secure carrier for your spearguns that’ll let you lock these up (without taking up a ton of space in your car).

I wish I had this sorted before, but now it’ll never be a problem again.

 

 

How can you store your spearguns?

Well, at home, I have custom racks set up in my garage. So everything stands up against the walls. In addition, the racks keep my spearguns tidy, so I don’t cop an earful whenever a guest walks into the room.

But in my truck, it was a different matter entirely.

My gear would just get tossed in the tray, and then I upgraded to a full cabin, and there was never enough space. So spearguns would go in the rack in the boat, which works if you’re heading straight to the water, but you’ll need secure storage if you’re making an overnight trip.

Ultimately, I went with an exterior solution so I’d save space inside my car, but I did try many different ways to store my spearguns for travel before we ended up there.

Here are the choices you have (and my thoughts on each).

8” PVC Pipe Locking Carrier

Editor’s Choice: The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

If you want the best option for speargun storage on the roof racks of your truck, this really is your only choice. Secure, lockable, and once mounted on it will not move.

But what I love the most is that it sits on the roof of my SUV.

So it doesn’t waste space inside the cab of my truck. Perfect when the whole family is coming too, or we’re loading up on gear for a camping trip, and space is at a premium.

It also doesn’t take up much space. I’ve got this locking carrier installed on one side of the roof racks, and still plenty of room to get my fishing kayak up on there as well. So the kayak sits more or less in the middle of the roof so that I can strap it down securely as well.

You’ll also see these locking carriers installed on trailers, which I considered initially, but because as we don’t always the big boat – putting it on the roof the most sense.

Inside, two or three spearguns will fit quite easily, and you could probably get a fourth or fifth inside if you use smaller metal barreled guns or slide them in top-to-tail.

There is more than enough space to bring the spearguns you need on a weekend away.

And done right, this carrier seals against the weather and any rain, keeping whatever is inside wholly watertight.

But it does take a bit of do-it-yourself effort to install correctly.

[amazon box=”B00P18EU7A” ]

How to Install the Locking Carrier

For starters, you will need to measure the length of the PVC pipe that you want and cut it to fit. Because the kit only contains the mounting brackets and end pieces.

This is what you want, though. Because you can customize your carrier it to fit your needs, on your car.

I ended up making my carrier a little over 6-foot-long. So it’ll run the entire length of my roof without any overhang. Allowing my big (expensive) bluewater spearguns to fit inside and get securely locked away overnight or when we do not need them.

You’ll need to screw or pop-rivet the end caps to either end of the PVC pipe, and I also used some outdoor silicone sealant to stop any moisture from getting in. I went a little overkill on this, but I really didn’t want water seeping inside, and I figured it’d help secure the caps too.

Then, take the U-shaped saddles; it bolts right into your roof racks. Securing the PVC pipe in place. However, you may need to drill holes for the bolts in your roof racks (I did) to get these fastened in the right spot.

Once done, you’re golden.

Oh, but you will need a padlock to secure the hinged end from opening,

[amazon box=”B00448KUS6″ ]

Alternatives to a fixed speargun roof rack

Now I know many of you can’t set up a permanent roof rack for your spearguns.

Perhaps it’s not your car, you’ve got no roof rack base, or you want something a little subtler that doesn’t make your daily driver look like an off-road adventure vehicle.

Well, fear not!

There are still some options that I experimented with before I built out my rooftop speargun carrier, and these might work for you…

Locking Gun Rack For Truck Rear Windows

Shortlist: The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

Depending on the type of car you have, this might be a good option.

Designed to screw inside the back wall of your cab by the rear window so it stays fixed in place. You could even fit this to the walls of your van or the back of an SUV.

It’s an adjustable rack, and the steel is covered in a plastisol coating to avoid scratching your gear. As a result, it almost feels like rubber, which means it won’t damage your spearguns.

The magic here is the attached steel cable, which threads through the trigger hole in a speargun and padlocks in place. I ordered one, and to me – the design is excellent, but the setup feels a little thin, especially for big wooden spearguns.

This rack works much better with metal spearguns.

If you’re not driving far, this is a good option. But I found it flexes a lot with the weight of the guns, and I’d be a little wary of your guns going flying if you’re driving anywhere far (or happen to stop in a hurry).

[amazon box=”B003TWVBRC” ]

Molded Truck Gun Rack for Rear Windows

Shortlist: The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

If you’re a little less adventurous, and the thought of permanently bolting a gun rack into your rear window doesn’t fill your heart with joy, here’s another option.

A gun rack made of heavy-duty plastic, its adjustable can accommodate two guns simultaneously. Like the metal locking rack, this one is for shotguns and rifles, but it can fit spearguns too. And the best part – it installs without damaging your car.

You simply drive the bottom wedge down into the bottom of the window and slide the top up into the gap. Once it’s bolted together in place, the entire thing will not move.

The downside for this rack is nothing is holding the guns in the rack (they can bounce out if you hit a large enough bump), so what I did was order some looped Velcro straps to secure the spearguns in place.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad option.

What I didn’t like was that you’re limited to racking spearguns that are smaller than the width of your cab, and I wouldn’t trust some of my bigger, heavier spearguns in here while I drive. They seemed like they might come flying out.

[amazon box=”B001F0O3B6″ ]

Dr.Fish Vehicle Fishing Rod Holder

Shortlist: The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

On the recommendation of a buddy, I also ordered this fishing rod holder to try.

I hoped that I’d get my spearguns in there, and it wouldn’t sag that much from the weight. It’s essentially a strap system that connects to the handles above your doors. Designed to carry light fibreglass fishing rods.

It did the job with a heavy speargun, but I wasn’t comfortable having the weight of my spearguns sitting just above my head. Plus, it all kind of sagged.

I still have it and use it now and then to keep my rods out of the way. But you’ll need something else for your spearguns, in my opinion.

[amazon box=”B0817W65XB” ]

Rear Seat Vehicle Rod Carrier

Shortlist: The Best Roof Racks for Spearguns

This is one design I do like because it keeps everything up off the floor.

But unlike the back-window gun racks, you won’t have your spearguns flying directly at your head in an accident (if you need to jam on the brakes) because your spearguns are secure at the back of the front seats.

Installing this is easy, as it hangs from the headrests on the drivers and passenger seats.

The soft rack has space for three spearguns that Velcro into their section, and so long as your spearguns aren’t wider than your car, they’ll fit in here.

The downside is that the Velcro on this rack isn’t the best, and it will start to give under the weight of your spearguns. But, again, this product is for light fishing rods, so what I had to do as a fix was an idea I got from another guy with the same problem.

My wife sewed straps and buckles into the carrier to support the broken Velcro, and now it works a treat (and the spearguns don’t fall out anymore).

It’s probably the best in-car option you’ll find for securing your spearguns.

 

[amazon box=”B08937F429″ ]

Do I even need a roof rack for my spearguns?

Well, it really is up to you.

If you’re happy tossing your spearguns loose in the tray of your truck or straight in the trunk, this can be fine – and it’s what I did for years when I was younger.

But your guns will roll around, and if you happen to have an accident, they may come flying forward towards you and the passengers in your car.

Plus, spearguns take up quite a lot of space as they get longer, and having a roof rack solution for these, in my case, just made a lot of sense.

Getting the locking carrier was as simple as cutting a length of PVC to fit and then spending about an hour putting the ends on and securely bolting it to my roof racks. It was a job I finished one afternoon, and I’ve been so happy that I did.

If you have any questions on the best roof racks for spearguns, as always – feel free to reach out.

And until next time, enjoy yourself in the water.

Happy spearin’