I found a guy with 2 jet ski trailers for sale last week. Posted a link to one and struck a deal with the seller for the 2nd.

48" wide inside the fenders and around 13~14' in total length atm. 1.5"x3" tube, axle rated for 1500lbs and highway speeds, and a really low profile wench that will most likely stay on. New lights and ok paint and tires. It's been jack knifed but that's not a problem as I'll just put a new 3"x3" tongue on it and a new coupler.

Bunk boards and their hangers are coming off. Floor is going down and then going to U bolt the mount we will build for the kayak's to the frame. I think I can make a comfy 4 boat trailer plus room for the ice chest with out much issue.

Picking it up:



Back home, cleaning the Ascend and 2 pair of Merrell Waterpro shoes. The Neches was a muddy, muddy river!


Going to be up in Broken Bow this weekend (fri-sun) staying at the lodge on the lake and trying to catch some bass while helping the girlfriend get her moving water fix at the same time. Should get most of the dirty work done next weekend.

I weld, built a lot of trailers in my time, some for boats.

Heres an idea to chew on. Remove the bunks all together, and build a nice plywood storage box that covers pretty much the entire outline of that trailer to the Y yoke. Make it about 16" deep, enough to hold your ice chests. Prime and paint it well. then install the yaks berth on top of the newly fabbed storage box. Include some eye bolts for tie-downs....get creative. You will NOT approach the weight limit of the axle unless you pack it with lead ingots. now you have a trailer, and a storage area to store both your yak, as well as a heck of a lot of camping / fishing gear. You will also have a place to SECURE items while your out doing your wet stuff.

As I write this, a lot of ideas come to mind...a complete camp kitchen. Generator storage. VERY LARGE ice box for extended camp stays. fresh water storage. Just utilize all the area of the trailors flat outline, and berth the yak on top.

If you need more ideas or for me to clarify anything...email me at jdsibert@yahoo....com and put yak ideas in the subject box.

JD

The storage box is a really great idea!

Sadly its going to be pulled with a Honda Element most of the time and so I'm working under some tight weight restrictions.

1500 lbs towing limit. 150 lb tongue weight. Honda strongly recommends breaks on any trailer with 1000lb gross weight. Not only that, but the rear axle in the Element has a 600lb load limit. By the time I have two people in the back seat and 4 boats... I'm already close to maxed out. Also I want to keep the entire profile below the roof line. Roofing 2 boats has been hell on the gas mileage to the tune of 15mpg when driving into a headwind. And the poor Element sounds like it's trying to twist up like a pretzel.

I the event that I change vehicles (not happening soon the E has 5 payments left) I'd probably sell the trailer out right and build one the way I want when weight limits are less of an issue.

The E would be replaced with a full sized truck as I've got a small car provided by my employer that I can use for personal use that gets 35mpg.

Dream trailer would be a 5x8 box frame with a fully decked storage box and a 4 or 6 hanger tree. 6' tongue and a 3500lb axle with 15" radials. I can get the materials for under $800 and my father and I can can build it. He lives in Mt. Pleasant, trailer capitol of Texas.

I'll post some pics as we move forward with the build.

I love my trailer. It has a huge locking box (8' x 6' x 18") with a rod locker on the driver side and gear on the passenger. It'll hold 6.
It's not completely finished in the photo.

You still don't have the stripper pole, disco ball, grill, smoker and fridge/freezer built in slacker.

Neumie's rig is what I was trying to describe. your Honda wouldnt have any problems pulling that at all. the weight is / should be distributed on the balance of the axle. I had a Ford Ranger and pulled a lincoln welder with tool box behind it for nearly 10 years. It isnt always the weight, as much the balance. Now, with that said... breaking restraints dictate that you use good sense. dont pack in 2000 lbs of weight and go 70 on I45. But if your just packing in your camping gear, you'd be fine.

LOL, I have a grill for it just haven't built a mount.

I have built 2.

The multi yak rack on Neumie's is definitely some u should consider.

I to will be building a Off-Road kayak trailer in the near future. Plan on using 2 truck tool boxes side buy side with yak rack above.

You'll want to remove all but one leaf spring on both sides and run about #30 air in the tires or it will bounce around like a hardtail Harley. Been there done that :-)

I have a folding garden trailer I am going to turn in to a folding kayak trailer in the near future so I can store it in a 2x4ft corner of the garage.

Cool good to know, will do. That is if you talking to me. lol

Ok, after consulting with the engineer, aka my father, the design is set.



We'll build a frame with this front/rear profile and set them 54" apart supported with 4 corner segments. The feet will have plate welded to the sides and will be U bolted (x2 each) to the trailer frame so the entire unit can be removed if needed.

The goals were as follows: Build an easy on easy off rack that would keep all cargo within the constraints of the standard pull vehicle. In this case a 2008 Honda Element EX.

Build out will accommodate the three boats I currently own:

Jackson Coosa
Ascend FS12T (buddy boat)
Tarpon 100 (girlfriend's boat)

As well as the future planned purchase of a Jackson Cuda in the spring of 2013.

Each "cubby" will be assigned a boat with the cuda filling any empty cubby or secured on the trailer deck.

The frame will be constructed out of 1"x1"x11ga(.120") square steel tubing. We may gusset corners other than the mounting legs(gusset not pictured) depending on if we see any flex once the load weight is applied. I highly doubt it, that's almost 1/8 inch walled tube and it's incredibly strong as is.

Additional mods include removal of the wench (per my fathers suggestion) and extension of the tongue in each direction. To the rear so it can be U bolted to the cross member and then forward for clearance of 14' and 16' kayaks.

Fancy plans my friend. Mine was just sketches on graph paper, lol.

This will be a fun one to watch.

Not as heavy duty as some, but it might give you some ideas. I have three sets of "J" racks I can use to haul three yaks.