Loading Fly Rods Into The SUV With Rodmounts RodLoft PRO™ Rod Holder

Packing up the SUV for fishing trips I notice that the fly rods take up a lot of the precious floor space.  Keeping all the camping gear, cooler and other supplies from falling on top of the rods is an issue.  Also fitting two piece rods in the SUV when the tent, cots, portable table and camping chairs are taking up the space right behind the front seats is difficult.  It would be nice to have rods on a holder near the ceiling so I can stack everything else in the back without worrying about the rods getting damaged or only being able to use half the back for equipment because the rods are taking up the rest of the floor space.  Searching on the internet I found a few options.   

The RodLoft Pro by RODMOUNTS seemed the best option with the best reviews.   

When Tackle Direct sent me a coupon for 20% off during the month of my birthday I decided to order one and to give it to my wife to give me for my birthday.   

They also sell them on line at Cabela’s, however they don’t carry them in the store and they are more expensive than Tackle Direct.

The RodLoft comes with six options for attachment.  

I ended up using the Grab Bar mounting option for the front set of holders and using the Topper Bracket option for the rear set.   

The other mounting options are Suction Couplers, Garment Hook, Oversize Garment Hook, and Molding Bracket.   

Telescopic rods snap into swiveling holders which is best to put together before attaching the attachments to the inside of the SUV to avoid getting pinched. 

The package comes with two rod holder sets which hold three rods each.  

There is an option to purchase more sets.   

Using the Grab Bar mount in the front I was only able to make the front holders fit in the down position.  

For the rear rod holders, I tried the holders in the up position and in the down position.  It worked both ways but I could see out the back better with them in the up position.   

Extra rod holders are available for purchase.  Adding a third set would allow you to carry nine rods.  Adding extra holders for the top and bottom positions, I could configure enough to carry 18 rods in my SUV, allowing me to only leave a few of my extra rods at home.

For this last trip I took to the Wind River, the RodLoft worked like a charm.  I took six rods all assembled and ready to fish.  I took no rod cases and rods took up no space on the floor.  When I got to the river I just pulled whichever rod out I wanted to use without having to take time to string the fly line through the guides because the rod had already been assembled at home.  Switching from rod to rod was easy and made it so I was willing to switch from one style to another because I knew I didn’t have to take the time to rig up with another rod and presentation.