Rac A Rod Fishing Rod Racks – by Lou Caruso

By Lou Caruso

A few weeks back I came across a Facebook post for a set of roof racks to secure your surf rods. I researched them some more and found these looked very much like the racks “The Surfcaster” use to sell. Well, these really intrigued me, as the Surfcaster version had no way to lock the rods in. I already had Rod Vaults on my truck so I have a way to lock up my rods. Since the update of the front clips on the Rod Vaults I have been pretty satisfied with them. The one thing that always irked me about them though was they marked up the stem of the reel when traveling because you have metal on metal where the cross bar secures the reel in place.

I figured, what the hell, lets take a look at the new Rac A Rod system and see what it’s all about. I contacted the owner, Hal Truhn and set up a meeting.  When I got there Hal was waiting in the driveway. Turns out, he’s one of the nicest guys you ever want to meet, honest and sincere. We chatted and he brought out a set to look at. First thing I notice is the tubes are made from a reinforced rubber with a circle cut out to hold the reel stem in place. Hal cuts a V in front of the circle so all you have to do is give a little shove and the rod is locked into place. There is a swing bar that swings around and locks the reel securely in place. Next thing I noticed was the front racks are made like a ski rack with a latch to secure the front of the rods. Both front and back have a place to put a lock to secure your equipment when you’re stopping at 7-11 for that midnight coffee.

After looking over the racks I mentioned to Hal how much these look like the original Surfcaster Racks. Turns out he use to make them for them back in the day along with those bumper mount ed racks for the front of your vehicle. As we chatted some more, turns out he works for the same company I retired from. As a matter of fact, he worked in the building behind mine some years back.

I was so impressed with the construction of the racks; I bought 2 and sold my rod vaults. I have had them for a while and love the idea that I can throw the rod up in the rack and not have to worry that the cross bar is secure for a quick hop down the beach.

Hal has put a lot of thought and effort into these racks. His welds are spotless and precise. The powder coating is spot on and he will accommodate whatever you need. The racks come in 2, 4, 6 and 8 rod racks. A friend of mine recently contacted him and wanted a 3-rod rack. Hal made up new templates and now sells a 3-rod rack. I believe he is doing a special order in color for a customer. He does the bumper racks and is making a custom cooler rack for someone as I write this.

If you are in the market for racks, check out Rac A Rod at www.racarod.com or he has a page on Facebook. I hear a lot of guys bitch about the price of racks. Remember, you have a pretty good investment to protect between that Van Stall or Zeebaas and that custom rod your in for $1250 or better, most likely better. The $200 investment for a 2 – rod rack seems pretty cheap in the long run.

The one thing I would like to stress with every one is, this is not going to stop a thief if your vehicle is left unattended and they are hell bent on stealing your equipment. I recently saw a post that someone had put up to keep an eye out for a 10’ CTS rod and VS 200. Seems this person had the rod locked in a rod vault overnight in front of his house. The thief ripped out the cross bars to the car !!!!!!!  What this will stop is the theft of opportunity. Your sleeping in your vehicle in the lower lot in Montauk and some sleezebag walks up and checks out your rig. If it’s not locked, it’s gone.

If you want to make this system even more secure, check out the boat trailer locks the sell in places like West Marine and Boaters World. There is no room to get bolt cutters or a hack saw in there to cut the lock.