First kayak trailer

[dabar39]

More good ideas

I have a meeting on Tuesday with a local Kayak sales and rental company to possibly start selling my trailers. I'll use the paddle holders and expanded metal box as possible options and selling points. Thanks for the great ideas. Dave

[Big_Eddy]

The paddle holder would be a must for me - One other suggestion if I were making my own would be to make a locking box out of expanded mesh. I paddle white water and all my gear is dripping when I'm done. Dropping it in a mesh box that locks would keep the water out of the truck and may even dry some of it out on the way home.

I first thought to put it at the front where your cooler box is, but that would be too likely to pick up dirt and dust from our takeout roads. I'm not sure where it would be best located on your design - up high is probably better, or maybe use a solid front wall with expanded on the sides and back.

We used to have out own 9 kayak trailer made from an old boat trailer - nothing like the workmanship of yours! Beautiful work as always.

[fun4now]

I've gotten a few more orders for these trailers and may start adding them as a standard feature. Dave

then you will have the first ones coming back for a retro-fit.

[dabar39]

Great idea

So one suggestion from a regular paddler.

Add a couple of clips on the uprights on one side to clamp the paddles to. I'd suggest an arrangement like a typical landscaper trailer would use for trimmers - basically a locking bar arrangement.

Paddles are long and awkward and don't fit in many vehicles. With blades on both ends - as long as the shafts are captured they can not escape.

Big_Eddy

Great idea, that's why I like this place so much, the ideas never stop. I've gotten a few more orders for these trailers and may start adding them as a standard feature. Dave

[Big_Eddy]

So one suggestion from a regular paddler.

Add a couple of clips on the uprights on one side to clamp the paddles to. I'd suggest an arrangement like a typical landscaper trailer would use for trimmers - basically a locking bar arrangement.

Paddles are long and awkward and don't fit in many vehicles. With blades on both ends - as long as the shafts are captured they can not escape.

Big_Eddy

[dabar39]

Pictures update

I have had a couple of people ask for pictures of this trailer with the kayaks loaded on to it in e-mails. I just got these pictures sent to me, so instead of sending out a bunch of e-mails I am posting the new pictures here. If any one who wanted these pictures wants any other info other than what I have already given in your e-mails, just let me know. Dave

[jonnymag]

Nice trailer. Clean, sturdy and simple. I like that.

As far as the rationale of the angled arms... the trailers with the horizontal arms are used mainly for canoes and the ones with what appears to be a 10 - 15* (a guess on my part) incline are for kayaks.

I used to see a lot of those trailers out at the lakes when I lived in the Northwest. You're right -- the straight arms are for canoes and the slanted ones are for kayaks. But I also noticed that the canoes were usually loaded on the trailers upside down while multiple kayaks would be carried on their sides. So I suppose that's the reason for the angle of the arms? I only had one kayak so it was usually strapped to the roof with my old surfboard racks.

[welder_one]

dabar, i see what you mean about the tongue. thanks again

[dabar39]

Word of mouth is the best advertisement.

You probably just found a mini gold mine if your local kayak club does an event with another club...and on...and on...

I can only hope! Dave

[jjsjeff]

Word of mouth is the best advertisement.

You probably just found a mini gold mine if your local kayak club does an event with another club...and on...and on...

[Burnindaylight]

My aunt has 2 kayaks and has been asking me to build something like this for her, nice work, thanks for some ideas if the project ever gets up and going

[dabar39]

Darmik, all that is required on these small trailers are the clearance lights at the forward most part of the trailer deck and of course the tail lights. We are only required to put the reflective tape on any thing over 80" wide and also have to add a triple red set of lights on the center of the rear edge of the trailer. Dave

[dabar39]

Who ever said I had any sort of rationale?

As far as the rationale of the angled arms, there is none on my part. I had never built, let alone ever notice one going down the street. I checked on how other companies made theirs and just took what I thought were the good points of theirs and rolled them all into one. It seems to me that the trailers with the horizontal arms are used mainly for canoes and the ones with what appears to be a 10 - 15* (a guess on my part) incline are for kayaks. I don't normally make this small of a trailer and this was my first stab at doing one like this, guess I did O.K. with it as I have two more to build because of this one. Dave

[Darmik]

kayak Trailer

Keep up the good work Dave.Also Nice finish job on the fenders.just the two marker lights up front! and no reflector tape.

[Goodhand]

Love to see clean, functional projects. Nice job. Just gotta know the rationale, as to why the support arms are attached at an angle, instead of being horizontal.

A couple decades ago I added a rack with horizontal arms to a small boat trailer to carry sailboards and kayaks. It didn't occur to me to place the arms at an angle.

Thanks.