Hi,

I've been lurking around reading but this is my first post.  When we bought kayaks for the whole family about 5 years ago I had the same problem.  Stuffing them in the back of the truck didn't work well (they stuck out almost as far as they went in and there was no room for any other gear).  I looked at the price of kayak/ canoe trailers and they could only haul kayaks and canoes.  So, I bought a nice aluminum trailer with ramp that I could use for hunting, hauling the riding lawn mower around, etc.

I made a wooden rack that takes only four bolts per side (and about 10-15 minutes) to remove and it holds all four kayaks as well as two 17 ft Grumman canoes.  It sits flat against the wall for storage and is very solid and has worked wonderfully for us for years.  It's pretty simple but has gotten a lot of nice comments at boat landings.  I'll look around for a photo- though I have no way of posting it here.  If I find one, and you're interested, I could email it to you.

I've borrowed this creation several times from my neighbor.  Old boat trailer....some backyard welding....but drill and bolt would work just fine too.....some outdoor carpet padding...."hot water copper pipe" insulation over the racks works good too.  Painted, green-treat box with beveled top to shed rain.....works like a charm....box is lockable and all our gear safe and dry inside.  Stinky clothes in there on way back too.  Carries it's own spare, lug wrench, and jack...

Only mod I would have changed after test using it....The canoe racks raised about 6" higher would make it much easier to get in the storage box while canoes are on top.

The trailer.....Think he paid $100 for the trailer and has about $200 additional into it.

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Thanks for the photo's and a little help getting the wheels in my mind turning!

I must do something!  So there is canoe life after sale of truck! 

These are all great ideas, though I'm leaning towards the harbor frieght trailer concept as I had one previously that I modified for hauling around my dirt bikes back in the day when I lived on the west coast frequenting the Sand dunes of Pismo Beach as well as some of the narliest inclines imaginable on the clay hill / mountains of Carnegie.  Good days, lost a lot of my nerve sense then or just came to terms with my own mortality.

Anywhoo... I think this site recomended by Thomasandy57.... (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) with some mods might do the trick...or the ol pick up box turned trailer.  I have a Spring Creek Canoe rack that will easily attach to the pickup tariler and I think I can make it work with the Harbor Freight trailer as well.,,, though weight constraints may be an issue an if I recall the small diameter of the wheel may have some limitations with high speeds on the intersate.

It's important for me that I can use the trailer to haul fire wood, as I suplement heating my home a fair percentage of the time over the winter months with a few cords.  These options would also come in handy for typical construction projects now and then as well as moving the snowblower around when need be...etc.

Thes options also look somewhat economical.

Thanks again, all.  The wheels are turning.

k

The height of the racks should not be a big deal. That said, some considerations are, 1) how easy/difficult will it be to get into the box while loaded? 2) Wind resistance? Canoes can catch a lot LOT of wind. They can be like towing parachutes. The lower the canoes, the lower the wind resistance. Also, think crosswinds. If possible rig so the bow is lower than the stern. Anything that cuts wind saves gas. Don't forget, gas will go back up one day...