Homemade Milk Crate Kayak Cart
- twiceayear
- TKF 1000 Club
- Posts: 1052
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:39 pm
- Location: H-town
Homemade Milk Crate Kayak Cart
Here's is a simple kayak cart I made by incorporating the milkcrate as the frame of the cart. When not used as a cart, the milkcrate can be used as a milkcrate (?) in the tank well. The frame post turns into four rod holders.
The only items you need to stow when you reached your destination is break down the PVC T-cap, the wheels,shaft, two washers, pin and tennis balls.
Here is the material cost:
one - Milk Crate ??
one - 1 1/2 inch x 10 feet PVC pipe $4.29
four -90 degree elbow $0.56 each
four -T-connector $1.29 each
one - 1/2 inch aluminum bar $3.98
two - washer $0.09
two - Cotter pin $0.56
two - 13 1/2 inch plastic wheel $4.00 (or 12 inch with bearing $9.95 each)
one - Strap ??
Total $24.97 (Aug 2007)
The wheels are from Northern Tools, everything else are from HomeDepot.
The plus of the design is that it's a very simple design. It's also simple to build. The 13.5 inch wheel is bigger than anything I've seen out there. You can also cut the shaft longer and put 4 wheels instead of two to give you more stability and to give you the ability to go over soft sand.
The minus of the design is that you do need some tools to cut the PCV pipe, 1/2 drill bit and drill to put holes in the pcv pipe, the side of the crate and the tennis ball, 1/16 inch drill bit for the cotter pin hole in the shaft. You also need pcv cement.
Because the wheels a only about 15 inch apart, it's not as stable as store bought cart but as long as you keep that limitation in mind when you carting the kayak around, you should be ok.
It does well in deep grass. I can go over the curb with a good pull. I have not tested it in deep sand.
NOTE: The wheels on the pictures are the 12 inch wheels. I had since purchased the 13.5 inch wheels. The 12 inch wheels are $9.95 each. The tires are inflatable and there are ball bearings on the shafts. The $4.00 plastic wheels are hard plastic like lawn mower wheels with no bearings.
Videos:
Video No 1: Putting the cart together
Video No 2: Breaking the cart down
Video No 3: Going over curb
Pictures:
The only items you need to stow when you reached your destination is break down the PVC T-cap, the wheels,shaft, two washers, pin and tennis balls.
Here is the material cost:
one - Milk Crate ??
one - 1 1/2 inch x 10 feet PVC pipe $4.29
four -90 degree elbow $0.56 each
four -T-connector $1.29 each
one - 1/2 inch aluminum bar $3.98
two - washer $0.09
two - Cotter pin $0.56
two - 13 1/2 inch plastic wheel $4.00 (or 12 inch with bearing $9.95 each)
one - Strap ??
Total $24.97 (Aug 2007)
The wheels are from Northern Tools, everything else are from HomeDepot.
The plus of the design is that it's a very simple design. It's also simple to build. The 13.5 inch wheel is bigger than anything I've seen out there. You can also cut the shaft longer and put 4 wheels instead of two to give you more stability and to give you the ability to go over soft sand.
The minus of the design is that you do need some tools to cut the PCV pipe, 1/2 drill bit and drill to put holes in the pcv pipe, the side of the crate and the tennis ball, 1/16 inch drill bit for the cotter pin hole in the shaft. You also need pcv cement.
Because the wheels a only about 15 inch apart, it's not as stable as store bought cart but as long as you keep that limitation in mind when you carting the kayak around, you should be ok.
It does well in deep grass. I can go over the curb with a good pull. I have not tested it in deep sand.
NOTE: The wheels on the pictures are the 12 inch wheels. I had since purchased the 13.5 inch wheels. The 12 inch wheels are $9.95 each. The tires are inflatable and there are ball bearings on the shafts. The $4.00 plastic wheels are hard plastic like lawn mower wheels with no bearings.
Videos:
Video No 1: Putting the cart together
Video No 2: Breaking the cart down
Video No 3: Going over curb
Pictures:
Last edited by twiceayear on Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
- Randy
- TKF 2000 club
- Posts: 2445
- Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:39 am
- Location: Kayak Featherlite 9.5 Mini-x Predator K140, Percption Swifty,Necky Zoar Angler
I have one that I made just like that with the exception of the top rigging, when I field tested it on the bank at Spring Creek, the ground clearence was an issue, it kept getting hung up on the rocks,,,,,on flat ground it did great,,,mine just needs a lift kit maybe,,,,, but I have since gave up on that project....
- twiceayear
- TKF 1000 Club
- Posts: 1052
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:39 pm
- Location: H-town
- twiceayear
- TKF 1000 Club
- Posts: 1052
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:39 pm
- Location: H-town
The bigger wheels only give you another inch of cleareance. For my requirements which is mainly around the Galveston Island, I think it would do ok. I don't think I will encounter obstacle such as rocks and such.zamarripa.piii wrote:did the bigger wheels give you added clearance?
how bout going to an even larger tire...? just a thought..
I looked at the 16 inch wheels at Northern Tools but the they were to big to fit through the front hatch.
- Louis Clarke II
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- Location: Youngsville, NC
- Fla-Fish
- TKF 8000 Club
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- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 2:49 pm
- Location: N Houston. Waiting for the "Running of the Bulls"
Great Idea. I have those same wheels as replacements for my mower.
Real pain in the butt to try and put air in them.
Have you had problems finding an air nozzle that will fit between the spokes ???
One thing I might try is running the wheels at the back of the crate,
Might help with ground clearance.
Real pain in the butt to try and put air in them.
Have you had problems finding an air nozzle that will fit between the spokes ???
One thing I might try is running the wheels at the back of the crate,
Might help with ground clearance.
- TxRedbeard
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:29 pm
- Location: Rowlett
- twiceayear
- TKF 1000 Club
- Posts: 1052
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:39 pm
- Location: H-town
-
- TKF 1000 Club
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- Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:46 am
- Location: Corpus Christi
milk crate/kayak cart
That milk crate/kayak cart combo is genius! You're my new hero.
- twiceayear
- TKF 1000 Club
- Posts: 1052
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:39 pm
- Location: H-town
No Sir, never had any problems filling them up. I use a long tire inflator so I never had to put my fingers between the spokes.FlaFish wrote:Great Idea. I have those same wheels as replacements for my mower.
Real pain in the butt to try and put air in them.
Have you had problems finding an air nozzle that will fit between the spokes ???
One thing I might try is running the wheels at the back of the crate,
Might help with ground clearance.
I thought about running the shaft at the back elbow but the curvature is so much that I would have to mount it higher in order to hit the center of the elbow that I would lose an additional inch of clearance. If you look at the "OVER THE CURB" video in the video section, you will see that it handle the curb fine.
- corkpopper
- TKF 9000 Club
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- Jerry-rigged
- TKF 1000 Club
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