T-bone bed extender and short bed pickup

I'm considering a bed extender for short distance transport of my TI. I have an extended cab GMC Sierra with a short bed. Will the T-bone extend far enough back to support a TI?
Will it support the weight of a TI with amas attached?
My truck also has supports inside the box to put in a plywood bed raised up about 8-10" but I'm wondering if the T-bone would come up high enough for that?
Bartman

I used to use this brand of bed extender to carry my AI in the back of an F150 5.5 foot bed. It looks like it is a few inches longer than the T-Bone, but does not have the radius bend.

I liked that it was easy and fuel-efficient to haul three hours to the coast, and it did fine on the bumpy 20 mile drive down the beach. The extender doesn't take up any storage room, and was cheap to buy. What I didn't like about it was that I couldn't prearrange my gear in advance of a trip and have it ready to go, and that the boat and accessories took up just about all the room in the bed. I tried launching the AI off a boat ramp with it, but it was easier just to strap my C-tug cart to the boat and roll it into the water that way.

I think that the sixteen foot AI was about the limit that this setup would accommodate. An 8-foot truck bed would be much better for the TI. With the 5.5 foot bed, the center of mass of the AI was just inside of the extender. A TI would have the center of mass outside of the extender and thus be fairly unstable. However, it might be possible to build some type of support sled which would stick out past the extender. For short drives without a lot of gear along, it might be just the ticket.

I also liked the looks of the Thule Xporter and similar bed-rail mounted racks which get the boat up above the cab. The weight of the TI would make this a hassle, but it could be done.

When I take my 12 foot kayak or the SUP board to the local lake, I very much appreciate the ability to just throw it in the back of the truck and go. However, if your budget, storage location, and launch site parking will accommodate it, a trailer is best!


-Chris

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2015 TI
2009 AI (sold)
Lake Travis, Ladybird Lake, Rockport/Aransas/Padre Island
Texas, USA

Thanks for that reply Chris. I only intend to use it for short trips to a launch area. We'll be packing it in a toy hauler for the majority of the trip, but won't always be camping near the water. I hauled an AI on roof racks and the TI when I purchased it, but it was pretty obvious that lifting it up there wasn't going to be feasible on a regular basis for a 66-year-old (and counting). If we're going to just one campground, pulling the Harbor Freight trailer into the toy hauler is feasible, but it's too heavy to get in and out with the boat loaded on it, so too much of a production to do repeatedly. My pick-up box is a bit longer than yours at 6 1/2 foot, but then the TI is 18 1/2' rather than the 16' of the AI.
Bartman

Update:

I did purchase a T-bone extender and used it a couple of times this summer. It was fine for short distances and low speeds. If I were going to use it on the highway, I'd have to spend more time figuring out a way to keep it from tipping up from the pickup bed. Unfortunately all the tie downs inside are too high on the sidewalls so I can't get any downward pressure with them. I have thought about getting a piece of plywood that would bridge beyond the extender. With the weight of the kayak on the wood, I should be able to stretch the fulcrum point out beyond the extender by a couple of feet.