# Canoe Trailer



## lucescoflathead (Aug 9, 2015)

One of the county park lakes I fish at has been opened to canoes and kayaks. I have been looking at canoes and have decided to purchase a Meyers Sportpal S15.

I'd like to purchase a trailer to haul it. Does anyone have an suggestions on a good trailer? I like the Trailex light weight trailer but it's pretty pricey. I have also thought about buying a Harbor Freight boat trailer and modifing it. Any thoughts? Thanks Todd


----------



## bobberboy (Aug 9, 2015)

lucescoflathead said:


> One of the county park lakes I fish at has been opened to canoes and kayaks. I have been looking at canoes and have decided to purchase a Meyers Sportpal S15.
> 
> I'd like to purchase a trailer to haul it. Does anyone have an suggestions on a good trailer? I like the Trailex light weight trailer but it's pretty pricey. I have also thought about buying a Harbor Freight boat trailer and modifing it. Any thoughts? Thanks Todd



The HF trailer comes up pretty often here. You might search for it to see more responses. I have owned one for a 1236 and it was fine. I plan to get another to carry two kayaks.


----------



## kcsphil (Aug 11, 2015)

I have a 14.5 Old Town on a trailer that used to go under my Father In Law's 14 v hull.

check Craig's List - I see ones around her for $150-$300 in various staes of decay . . . .


----------



## lucescoflathead (Aug 11, 2015)

I've been searching the internet. Some people are pretty creative. I totally rebuilt my last one, so I guess I may have to build this one.


----------



## Snowshoe (Sep 15, 2015)

The canoe weighs about 50 pounds. Why not a rack on top of your vehicle?


----------



## Kismet (Sep 15, 2015)

I've been using a VERY old small boat trailer for about the last 10 years. Works a charm (as long as you pay attention to the bearings (  ). No more tossing boats on top of the car, although I did that for 40 years.

Virtually no weight to them, nor any drag on the vehicle; you could probably tow one (loaded) with a motorcycle.

I'd shop used, or even look at some used jetski trailer to slightly modify.





Hey! 800 posts! Yay me!


----------



## bobberboy (Sep 16, 2015)

Snowshoe said:


> The canoe weighs about 50 pounds. Why not a rack on top of your vehicle?



I'm currently dealing with this issue with my kayaks. The short answer is that I'm just tired of lifting them on top of my Jeep and all the stuff necessary to tie them down. In MN I am required to have a rope front and rear plus the ratchet straps I use to secure them. A trailer is easier on all accounts - except having to tow it and store it somewhere. I've already got a boat on a trailer and a pop up camper to deal with. Don't know what's best.


----------



## -CN- (Sep 19, 2015)

Start with the Harbor Freight boat trailer or the 4x8 utility trailer frame and build it to suit you from there.


----------



## MDBowhunter (Sep 20, 2015)

Find yourself an old jetski trailer and just do a few modifications and it will work great. I did this same thing for my canoe also, its the perfect width. the only way Id use a boat trailer is if I was hauling more then 1 canoe IMHO. I looked around for some pics of my old one, but I think they went when my last hard drive crashed...


----------



## ibSteve (Oct 20, 2015)

There was a guy - Mike McCrea - with the Monocacy Canoe Club that had a blog about DIY canoe stuff and he made one (which I then copied) using a 4X8 utility trailer.

Throw a sheet of plywood in the bottom for a floor. Rip a sheet in half for sides. Across the front and back I put 2Xs to the height of a flap-top storage container so I could set those under the canoe. I also put uprights (front and back) and removable crossbars (2x4s) so I could take minimum 2 canoes (one on bottom; one on top) (wider cross bars and you can take three).

You need a trailer hitch extension (or I did with a 16 ft canoe).

I like the versatility. I can take bikes, I can take bikes and canoes, I can haul mulch.


----------



## ibSteve (Oct 20, 2015)

I found a post Mike made regarding his trailer (the link seems to be dead, likely 'cause the magazine is defunct). The pockets he refers to are the spaces between the side of the canoe and the side of the utility cart - I didn't get so fancy on mine. Below is his post:

++++++

Here's a link to a small cargo/canoe trailer we built.(Scroll down past the slalom article): 

https://www.paddlermagazine.com/issues/1998_2/skills.html

The on-line version shows only one of the photos - of the partially constructed trailer. The completed trailer has hinged lids over the center storage compartment and fold down panels at either end of the center compartment. 

We can use the center compartment for gear (as we do most often) or fold down the end panels and slide a boat in. The top will accomodate a boat as well) 

Two nice features of this design - by carrying the boat (or boats) on the trailer centered we don't need to have a long tongue, and we can still cartop our canoes as usual, since the top canoe on the trailer is well below the level of the cartopped boats on the truck or van. 

And the open-topped side pockets are wonderful for storing stuff that doesn't need to be protected from the weather - paddles, poles, water containers. One unintentional design feature - we found that we can carry two bicycles in each side pocket and still use the center for cargo and top for a boat.


----------



## lucescoflathead (Oct 25, 2015)

Thanks for all the posts. In PA. the hardest thing about using The Harbor freight trailer is titling it. I think the best way for me to go is to buy a triler with a title. 

With a trailer like the Harbor freight trailer, you need to get it inspected after it's built, which cost almost as much as the trailer kit cost.


----------



## CedarRiverScooter (Oct 25, 2015)

I have a trailer that I use to haul our kayaks. It doubles as an utility trailer. I have some tube 'stake' pockets all all 4 side of the frame. Have side fences that drop in. Also made upright rack for the kayaks that fit the sockets. This trailer gets used a lot.


----------



## DaleH (Oct 25, 2015)

FWIW I explored the HF trailer route and quickly abandoned it. Like others, I found a mint used jet ski galvanized trailer (titled) for $150. 

I replaced the tonque to make it fit my 12' skiff and now I have a much better trailer, to me, than any amount of customization to a HF trailer could have ever given me.

I also made a plywood top that goes on it, with sides, to simply convert it (blocks position it to the bunks) to a yard or hauling trailer.


----------



## dootech (Jul 13, 2016)

I have an old boat trailer in pieces laying in the back yard waiting to be crafted into a 4 canoe trailer with storage underneath


----------

