You could probably lose both spreader rods... save time and weight. I'm using a similar setup (2 ea 10' 2x4s and four right-angle brackets on the high end to lock 'em onto the rack's lower rail) to load a 16 foot fiberglass canoe onto my contractor's rack on my 1996 B2500 Dodge, but I need to use a cheap blue-tooth winch to haul the canoe up. Works like a champ and I can use the winch for other purposes.
