Tony -
Long after my post above, I found that I needed to carry one canoe or two kayaks, so I did something very similar - this time for my old '98 Ford Ranger pickup (which I still have!) I made two of the hoops you describe, padded each one with a piece of carpet remnant, and put one in the forward stake pockets and one in the rear stake pockets. The carpet made it easy to slide the boats into place, and then, like you, straps front and rear held the boats down, and also held the hoops firmly in the pockets.
The only reason for using two hoops was to eliminate any contact with the roof of the truck, since I had used the foam cushion a few years earlier and experienced some paint scuffing. Other than that, great minds think alike.
Bill
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