If you do much fishing on road trips, you’ve probably run into the same problem I have.
Fishing rods are long.
Even when they’re two-piece rods, they can still take up an annoying amount of space in a vehicle.
For years, I’ve used a simple vehicle rod carrier to solve that problem.
I’ve had it in a Toyota Highlander, and now I use it in my 4Runner.
I carry up to five fishing rods in it, and it has become something I use on practically every road trip.
It Holds Five Rods
The carrier is designed to hold five rods.
The rods I normally use with it are the type that break down into two pieces, which makes them a particularly good fit for this setup.
Rather than having fishing rods laying across the vehicle or taking up valuable cargo space, I can keep them secured in the carrier.
For someone who likes combining road trips and fishing, that’s incredibly convenient.
Installation Takes About a Minute
One of the things I like most about this rod carrier is how simple it is.
Installation takes about a minute.
There’s no complicated setup and no permanent modification to the vehicle.
That’s exactly what I want from something like this.
I don’t want to spend half an hour installing a fishing accessory every time I want to go somewhere.
I put it in, secure the rods, and I’m ready to go.
The Rods Stay Secure
The most important question with any vehicle rod carrier is whether I trust it to actually hold my fishing rods.
I do.
The rods stay very securely in place.
I’ve used the carrier in both my Highlander and my 4Runner, and I’ve never had an issue with the rods coming loose or falling out.
Considering that some of the roads I travel aren’t exactly smooth, that’s important.
There Is One Annoying Thing: Velcro
It’s not perfect.
The Velcro straps can make noise sometimes.
It’s not a huge problem, but it can be annoying, especially when you’re driving and the straps are moving around.
If I were designing a new version of this carrier, I’d probably replace the Velcro with some kind of simple plastic clamp or quick-release attachment.
Something that was quiet and easy to open would be an improvement.
But there’s an important caveat here.
This is a very inexpensive rod holder.
For what it costs, I’m willing to live with a little Velcro noise.
Watch Out If You’re Tall
There’s another thing worth mentioning if you’re a taller passenger.
The side slots can put a rod close enough to a person’s head that it may touch them.
That hasn’t been an issue for me, but it’s something I’d keep in mind if you’re carrying taller passengers.
For my normal setup, it doesn’t interfere with passengers, cargo, or visibility.
It Has Held Up
I’ve had no durability problems with the carrier.
It’s been used in my Highlander and then moved over to my 4Runner, and it continues to work exactly as intended.
I use it on virtually every road trip where I’m bringing fishing gear.
That’s probably the best indication of how useful I find it.
If something makes it into my regular road-trip setup, it has earned its place.
Why I Like It
The appeal of this carrier isn’t that it’s fancy.
It’s that it solves a problem cheaply and easily.
I can carry five fishing rods without having them rolling around the vehicle.
It takes about a minute to install.
The rods stay secure.
It doesn’t interfere with my normal setup.
And it has held up without any problems.
That’s a pretty good combination.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes.
If I lost this one tomorrow, I’d buy another.
I’d probably like to see a future version with a quieter attachment system instead of Velcro, but that’s really my main complaint.
For such an inexpensive piece of gear, it has performed extremely well.
Final Thoughts
For me, this rod carrier is a perfect example of a simple piece of gear that earns its place by being useful.
I fish on road trips, and I don’t want my rods taking over the vehicle.
This carrier lets me bring up to five two-piece rods, keeps them secure, installs in about a minute, and has worked in both my Highlander and my 4Runner.
It’s not fancy.
It doesn’t need to be.
It just works.
And after using it on practically every road trip, that’s exactly what I want from a fishing gear accessory.
Want to See More Gear?
Wondering what gear is actually worth taking on the road? Check out my gear page for the equipment I use for hiking, camping, fishing, road trips, and exploring.
