Canoe trailer question

Redline1969

Guest
Does anyone use a canoe trailer? If so what type/brand and do you have any pointers?

I have an Old Town Discovery 158 that my son and I use for fishing and I have been putting it on the roof of my SUV, but it is heavy and not easy to get up there without help. I was thinking a trailer would be easier.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
When I was playing in whitewater and used a canoe. .. I built a trailer that used a 4x8 deck with sides and cross bar. Cant remember how high it was but I built it to spec for coolers and totes to fit under so about 20" sides. Had cross bars to hold 2 side by side or at the time a canoe and yack.
used 2500 axle with 20.5 8x10 tires so it would roll easy to move around by hand.
Was very nice and easy to use. Could stick all the gear in the box and had a net top to keep wet gear and vests from blowing out.
Had a long tongue so it was easy to get around and never had a problem loading or using it on my own to load with out damage to the truck. Plus on trips I got far better MPG towing then on top.
 

Redline1969

Guest
When I was playing in whitewater and used a canoe. .. I built a trailer that used a 4x8 deck with sides and cross bar. Cant remember how high it was but I built it to spec for coolers and totes to fit under so about 20" sides. Had cross bars to hold 2 side by side or at the time a canoe and yack.
used 2500 axle with 20.5 8x10 tires so it would roll easy to move around by hand.
Was very nice and easy to use. Could stick all the gear in the box and had a net top to keep wet gear and vests from blowing out.
Had a long tongue so it was easy to get around and never had a problem loading or using it on my own to load with out damage to the truck. Plus on trips I got far better MPG towing then on top.

Wow, that sounds great. You do not happen to have plans or pictures you could share, I would love to build it. Thanks for the reply.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I may have pictures at work will post up if I find them.

I can do plans for you if you want.
 
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Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Trailers are fine for non polyethylene canoes but you have to have it strapped tight and on a hot day a 158 can deform and warp...seen it happen many times. Just mho but I would not trailer a poly boat. If you talk to the engineers at any canoe company they will tell you a poly boat should never be stored , transported right side up. Only time it should be right side up is when in the water. If anyone tells you they have done it and no problems then they got lucky.
 
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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
That is why they make the trailers to carry them correctly. Upside-down, never seen a trailer or anyone want to carry a boat like that on a trailer where it can hold water.
 

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Does anyone use a canoe trailer? If so what type/brand and do you have any pointers?

I have an Old Town Discovery 158 that my son and I use for fishing and I have been putting it on the roof of my SUV, but it is heavy and not easy to get up there without help. I was thinking a trailer would be easier.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Do you already own a small utility trailer? If you do Malone makes various rack systems to carry kayaks, canoes and small jon boats.

http://maloneautoracks.com/Trailer-Cross-Bar-Conversion-Kit.html

http://maloneautoracks.com/TopTier-TM-Utility-Trailer-Cross-Bar-System.html

MPG493%20Utility%20Trailer.jpg


With the tall set on a utility trailer you can get all of your camping, fishing, hunting and other gear in the trailer and still safely carry a canoe on top.

<>< Fish
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Guess you never tried to carry them on a trailer or needed to carry 6 to 8 of them with one truck.

I have, got 5 canoes and 1 yak plus all my friends have them.If you don't believe me I can take to you to several poly canoes that have places smashed in and will not pop out, one sitting in my backyard. I have spoke to several OT techs/engineers about this. The longer canoe the worse or easier it can happen and likewise the shorter/stiffer the boat the less likely it can happen. I will lay them stack them anyway for short trips but if you take a trip and say stop in Neuse Sport shop when it is 100 degrees and stay in there for 1 hr it most likely WILL happen if you have a canoe gunwales UP and tight on the trailer. seen it plenty. ask any Canoe tech which way they say store or trans port them and they will almost always say upside down with gunwales down.

we may be talking about entirely different scenarios as he was asking about 1 canoe on one trailer. I have seen that alot and most not knowing this ride them hull down gunwales up which is wrong. A "canoe" trailer with 8 on it is usually done the way I am talking about and that is gunwales DOWN. The gunwales should never be up on a poly boat.

VVVVV not the correct way but this was done for a short ride and not too hot.
 

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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I have, got 5 canoes and 1 yak plus all my friends have them.If you don't believe me I can take to you to several poly canoes that have places smashed in and will not pop out, one sitting in my backyard. I have spoke to several OT techs/engineers about this. The longer canoe the worse or easier it can happen and likewise the shorter/stiffer the boat the less likely it can happen. I will lay them stack them anyway for short trips but if you take a trip and say stop in Neuse Sport shop when it is 100 degrees and stay in there for 1 hr it most likely WILL happen if you have a canoe gunwales UP and tight on the trailer. seen it plenty. ask any Canoe tech which way they say store or trans port them and they will almost always say upside down with gunwales down.

we may be talking about entirely different scenarios as he was asking about 1 canoe on one trailer. I have seen that alot and most not knowing this ride them hull down gunwales up which is wrong. A "canoe" trailer with 8 on it is usually done the way I am talking about and that is gunwales DOWN. The gunwales should never be up on a poly boat.

VVVVV not the correct way but this was done for a short ride and not too hot.


That picture is just stupid.
Not safe.

For some reason you think we are carrying them like a boat and that is not what we are talking about.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
This is a fiberglass boat and gunwales up is ok for fiberglass but this way is not the correct way for poly boats http://www.island63.com/mariner.cfm

this way is correct for poly boats...... http://www.versatrailer.us/OSAGE/CANOE/CANOE_NEW_TRAILERS.htm

What the crap you think I have been saying......
you are beating a drum for no reason.
We are not talking about being dumb like the picture you posted of all them in The back of the truck.
never said anything about that.
 
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Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
That is good were are probably talking about the same way. It is just when I hear one person talking about a trailer and 1 canoe they want to put them like a regular boat.
and that way I showed is a bad example of how I like to carry them (thats why i showed it) but it is entirely safe for short trips if you know what you are doing and not dumb. at least I didnt call you an :donk:donk:donk. I was only thinking it. ;)
 
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Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
look, you responded to me first I didnt respond to you first. I was talking to original poster. I dont care what you have been saying. gunwales up. you never said that.
my apologies to the origanal poster as I assumed since it was one canoe and most try to put one canoe gunwales up.
 
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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
This is not my trailer but very close to the design.
I carried them and used it for years.
I carried one but was wide enough to carry two like this.
 

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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
look, you responded to me first I didnt respond to you first. I was talking to original poster. I dont care what you have been saying. gunwales up. you never said that.

Yep sure did.

Because you stated that trailers should not even be used to carry a canoe.
Remember that.

The OP wanted info on a trailer. You stated they should not be used.
How does that help him.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
look, you responded to me first I didnt respond to you first. I was talking to original poster. I dont care what you have been saying. gunwales up. you never said that.

I think this is the first time I said Gunwales in this post.
Never stated or implied Gunwales up.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
for the record you never stated gunwales down either. moot point though i hope the original poster gets the point that gunwales should be down, just seen it toooooo may times when one person has one canoe and one trailer they want to ride it like a regular boat. that is my bad that I assumed what i have seen tooo many times with 1 canoe. my apologies again to the original poster.
 
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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
for the record you never stated gunwales down either. moot point though i hope the original poster gets the point that gunwales should be down, just seen it toooooo may times when one person has one canoe and one trailer they want to ride it like a regular boat. that is my bad that I assumed what i have seen tooo many times with 1 canoe. my apologies again to the original poster.

I think I said upside-down a time of two.

Yep damage can happen of they are carried like a boat.
Rule of thumb was always.... never carry something up if it does not have drain plug. Bad things can happen.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
This is the best I got now for a picture.
the bottom rack and top were made to hold a canoe or about anything.
at the time I built this I was windsurfing about every weekend.
Also carried a play boat when the wind was down.

I built another trailer just like it but the bottom was inclosed to hold coolers and gear and the rack was a lot lover to the ground than that top bar.
 

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Redline1969

Guest
Thanks all for the replies. Based on what folks were saying, how do you store your poly canoe so t does not warp>

I am storing mine in my garage.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I stored them on saw horses in he back yard for years and years with no problem. Doing that it is best to cover so I had pipe foam I ran a strap in to hold in place and then covered with silver poly tarp.
Stayed a lot cooler covered with an air gap.

Several friends kept them in a shop or barn and garage like you and they hang it from the rafters on bars to get it out of the way upside down to keep stuff out of it.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Store it on the gunwales upside down .....the main thing is you never want it sitting on its hull for an extended period except in water. Sorry I assumed your trailer would be carrying it hull down. I just know a few who do that . one of my buddies fished ramseur lake monday with his on a trailer hull down. He gets away with it(for now) cause it is a scanoe and has 3 keels that have 3 bars for support.

My warping on my 158 came about as I canoed up the deep river one hot day. I paddled upstream and got out to wade pulling the canoe behind me. I then got to a spot where I wanted to wade up some more but leave the canoe behind. I pulled it up onto a somewhat flat rock on a hot day. about 30 mins of this and my 158 is permanently warped.
 

hawkman

Eight Pointer
FWIW, I saw a "john boat trailer" for sale at Academy Sport yesterday. I'd like to say it was 500 or 550 bucks. A long tongue on it, plus the winch that normally is used for a boat - but could be unbolted and taken off. Two carpeted runners that could be moved in if you need to transport it hull down, but as mentioned, better to keep gunwales down. Nonetheless, this thing could be easily modified to carry 1 or more canoes, kayaks, etc.

I've seen videos of folks buying a $300 trailer from Harbor Freight and modifying it for kayaks.
 
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