I am in need of help in either finding/buying or building a canoe trailer. I had to give up my great old canoe carrying car and a trailer looks like the answer. I have some design ideas for modifying either a untility type trailer or a boat trailer frame. I want to keep the trailer to include wheels on the narrow side. I have three canoes, one an OT Sponson and another as a future restoration, an 18foot Carlton Indian Princes sponson sailing canoe. Both are on the wide side so I have an idea to build a stacking rack. The third is a new canoe (1995). Anyway, I am looking for any recommendations on new trailers that have worked well for canoe nuts or ideas. Some of the "canoe trailers" I have found on the web look rather flimsy. Ted Michel
Canoe Trailers
- Thread starter T Michel
- Start date
pklonowski
Unrepentant Canoeist
trailers
I spent a lot of time looking at trailers a couple years ago. The cheaper ones on market are flimsy, as you suspect. The non-flimsy ones are expensive, though probably worth the money. Couldn't find any of the better commercial ones for sale used. I ended up buying a converted boat trailer that was posted on paddling.net. It works well, carries 4 boats in comfort.
Watch the wheel base on conversion trailers -- narrow ones can tip over easily in crosswinds. Canoes are large sails, especially when piled high, and the trailers are not heavy, so a wider wheel base becomes critical.
Good luck!
I spent a lot of time looking at trailers a couple years ago. The cheaper ones on market are flimsy, as you suspect. The non-flimsy ones are expensive, though probably worth the money. Couldn't find any of the better commercial ones for sale used. I ended up buying a converted boat trailer that was posted on paddling.net. It works well, carries 4 boats in comfort.
Watch the wheel base on conversion trailers -- narrow ones can tip over easily in crosswinds. Canoes are large sails, especially when piled high, and the trailers are not heavy, so a wider wheel base becomes critical.
Good luck!
