Kayak Trailer

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WooDoggies
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Kayak Trailer

Post by WooDoggies »

Looking for opinions on Kayak trailers for two Trident Ultra 4.7's.
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Neumie
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by Neumie »

Any small trailer will work. New, I'd look at the Malone or Rack and Roll. You could also buy new trailers from Harbor Fright or Academy designed for jet skis or jon boats. If you buy used make sure it's current on it's registration; Texas has cracked down on registering old, used trailers as "homebuilt" as a loop hole. Lots of headaches now when people try to go that route.

I would buy new if it were me.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by Ron Mc »

My buddy Steve has the Malone, and he can rig it two different ways - J-cradles for four boats (photo below), and flat with saddles for two boats. It folds up to store vertically out of the way.
While the Malone is expensive, it has held up really well with salt exposure, and I've heard different about Harbor Freight trailers.

Image
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TexasJim
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by TexasJim »

WD: You didn't give your location, but if you're EVER going to use a kayak trailer in saltwater, consider Triton aluminum trailers. They're top-notch. Expensive. But, like most purchases, worth the expense for longevity. Buy once, cry once. TexasJim
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Music Man
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by Music Man »

If you like to tinker, Northern Tool has a 4x8 aluminum trailer kit they sell. You can get some aluminum bar from Home Depot and make the cross braces to get the kayaks up off of the bed. I added a Malone slide-out box and their wire basket. Both will fit on the NT trailer. Saved a lot of money and the trailer is super light.
Kayak Kid
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by Kayak Kid »

Having used one for a long time, and putting it through numerous perils, I am sold on the aluminium rack and roll. One of the major advantages are the large 'motorcycle' wheels, tires, and bearings. The ride is much less harsh than the small wheels of most conventional trailers, and there is never any need to immerse the bearings into salt water when launching.
SWFinatic
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by SWFinatic »

I personally found a kayak trailer to be more of a pain. Hard to park it on trips, expensive and added maintenance on bearings, tires, registration, etc. But if a trailer is your best option I recommend going with an aluminum trailer built for boats. Trailers that aren't made for watercraft have cheaper seals, sometimes cheaper bearings and most importantly don't use marine grade grease. Even if you don't plan on dunking it on saltwater you will still eventually have problems. This is of course assuming you will at some point be exposing it to saltwater. I would go Triton hands down.
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TexasJim
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by TexasJim »

Almost all small trailers, even aluminum ones, will have steel springs, which are almost never galvanized. A twice-a-year spray application with Corrosion-X HD will keep them from rusting. Available at hardware stores, and I even saw it at a HEB store recently. Nasty stuff that never dries, but it will keep your steel parts from rusting due to saltwater. I've never understood why no one makes a galvanized torsion axle in the <1000 pound range. I'd buy one. TexasJim
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Endo
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by Endo »

If you're a DIYer and handy, look for old galvanized trailers and refub them as needed and build out to fit what you want.

Galv trailers will work just fine for beach and really no one actually needs to back a kayak trailer into the water, even the wheels.

True, i'd rather have a new aluminum trailer, but it will cost you.

I've built out 3 diff kayak trailers over the years and enjoy the project. Current one I saw a galv boat trailer in a bunch of pieces in someone's back yard. I knocked on door and asked about it, the lady gave it to me for free if I'd come and haul it all away.

etrailer.com is a great source for all your trailer rebuild projects: https://www.etrailer.com/

Good tip below to corrosionX the leafs.



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atxkmm
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by atxkmm »

New to the forum but not new to TX bay fishing in kayaks....

If you're handy and into DIY, this may work for you as well.

I recently built a removable trailer "insert" for an old military M762 trailer I procured to make a modular system for. The first "module" was designed to carry a pair of Pescadors and it turns out I have room for three. The thing about this setup is it is made out of aluminum, and light enough for me to install or remove without assistance and you can use it on any flatbed trailer as well or even potentially in a truck bed (can explain the concept if you wanna hear it). I added a rack system (in my case Yakima since I already had a couple of them) on it and voila. Turnbuckles hold it to the trailer.

This module also brings the kayak down to a reasonable height as well because I don't know about you but I am about done with trying to get a 14' kayak on top of my lifted LandCruiser by myself, and my 12 year old daughter (admittedly shes taller and stronger than most 12 year olds but still, you get the point) and I can manage easily with this setup and our 12' Pescadors.

Northern Tool has a small aluminum 40"x48" trailer for $430 that would make a durable lightweight platform that my module would fit on (I/you can make them to any length you can get aluminum stock in) and when not using for kayak transport you can have a flatbed trailer for other uses- keeps your registration/tax fees down to just one trailer. It also is more flexible because it disassociates your portage mechanism so you could spend once and replace trailers as needed or use different trailers for different needs (e.g. longer trailer with module plus a storage box for longer trips/more gear).

I could make a kit to your length specifications and you could have someone near you TIG weld it up and add to any trailer you wanted as long as you figure out the lashing system (mine is specific to how my trailer is built with the turnbuckles).

atxkmm
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atxkmm
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Re: Kayak Trailer

Post by atxkmm »

To supplement my longer response - I just found an additional pic that better shows the modular frame (prior to installing your rack of preference, which you can procure used easily and cheaply)

atxkmm
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