Kayak trailers for cars

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Alastair Dempster
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:42 am
Location: Georgetown, Ontario

Kayak trailers for cars

Post by Alastair Dempster »

I anticipate having to transport several kayaks at a time this coming summer so I have been trying to find a trailer for my car. Can anybody point me to a kayak trailer manufacturer? Has anyone ever seen plans for making your own? I have seen a variety of boat and snowmobile trailer models available from various manufacturers but so far most that I have contacted do not make kayak/canoe trailers. They usually say it is a custom job and the price is in the thousands of dollars.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Happy Paddling
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

I don't know how much money you are willing to put into this nor how much money the companies want for their products but this link shows a few canoe/kayak trailer manufacturers: http://www.paddling.net/buyersguide/acc ... tml?cat=22

I know several people have purchased low cost trailers from Harbor Freight and had struts and crossbars welded onto them for carrying boats: http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/w ... d=trailers

Maybe we could help you find someone in your area to do the welding.

Edited: Oops, I didn't realize you are in Ontario. :embarassed Besides Canadian Tire, I don't know who sells low cost trailers North of the border but I will do some searching.
Alastair Dempster
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:42 am
Location: Georgetown, Ontario

Post by Alastair Dempster »

Thank for the references. I'll check out the web sites.

I'm not sure if it is a big issue but part of my interest in Canadian manufacturers is to be sure that the trailer meets ministry of transport requirements as I have heard of a fair number of boaters being pulled over for inspection by the OPP.

My other concern is with carrying double kayaks. Given their extra length, it seems to me that the tongue will have to be a lot longer to avoid having a boat penetrate the side window should the trailer swing around. Would lengthening the tongue length change the characteristics of the trailer significantly? Would it require a longer bed and perhaps a large wheel size to maintain stability?
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Dean in Eureka, CA
Posts: 267
Joined: Mon May 10, 2004 10:23 am
Location: Eureka, CA

Post by Dean in Eureka, CA »

Alastair,
Try this... Go to http://www.mikenchell.com/forums
It a forum for teardrop and tiny travel trailer enthusiasts.
They will be able to coach advise you if you decide to build one yourself, recommend where to go for parts and you might even find someone in your area willing to take on the job.
It's a great group of people, don't be afraid to ask questions... :smile
stuart888
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 8:42 pm
Location: Sanibel Island Florida

Post by stuart888 »

Yeah, the trailer is the way to go. You can carry so much gear, and not have your car filled with all the stuff. Just be careful, if you leave the trailer outside, it will rust up and degrade quickly. If you get a new trailer, you need to do some TLC to it right away. They sell some good products that help prevent rust and it is worth getting for sure.

Take care, Stuart
DrPepper
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:20 pm

Post by DrPepper »

Alastair Dempster
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:42 am
Location: Georgetown, Ontario

Post by Alastair Dempster »

Thanks for the suggestion. It seems that post on eBay was a Magneta brand trailer made by Oldenkamp in Iowa. Have you had any feedback from anyone on their products? It certainly looks like it would do the trick. I would add a box to store paddles etc. I would have to check out whether it would meet Canadian federal and provincial transport requirements and what import duties might be etc.
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