Pimping my Trailer - pics - need ideas

[daveswoodhauler]

Well, here is the issue. Family likes to go camping....3 kids, and we like to kayak as well. I am trying to figure out if I can get a solution to carry the kayaks and bikes, or kayaks and camping gear on my little big tex trailer (Our vehicle is a 2005 Honda Odyssey van, so with three kids we always run out of room for gear, and I was thinking I would modify my trailer to carry some of the above)

What I was originally thinking about doing was to attach the roof box in the photos to the bottom of the trailer (would keep all our tents/sleeping bags, canopys dry) and the I wanted to somehow fabricate some bracing above the box to carry our 2 kayaks (most likely 3 next year)

I have 2 sets of Thule J carrier for the kayaks, and was originally going to try just attachng the load bars to the top rail of each side, but I wouldn't have enough clearance for the roof (trailer box)

My thoughts are we could keep the cooler and outside stuff camping, and just use the leftover room in the van for food and clothes. (Also, freeing up the roof allows us to carry the bikes on the roof, as its a PITA for me to try to get the 13 ft kayaks on the roof by myself....no help from the kids as they are too small, and wife just had a rib removed and cannot lift anything heavy.

So, attached are some quick pics...any ideas? Or hould I just scrap the idea dn sell the trailer for a little larger one. (This one is only 4 X 8)

Look forward to seeing the engineering minds at work on this one.

 

[semipro]

Could you mount your kayak racks to each trailer side rail directly (without the crossbars), hanging the kayaks over the fenders?
You could then mount your box in the middle of the trailer.
The potential problem I see with putting the kayaks on the trailer is the length difference. You have 5 ft. of kayak that needs to hang over the front and rear of the trailer. If you mount them outboard as I suggested above you can only afford to have them overhang the front by about two ft. to keep the kayaks from hitting the tow vehicle on turns. That leaves 3 ft. handing over the back. Then weight distribution may become a problem If tongue weight is not sufficient the trailer will sway laterally at higher speeds.

You may need a longer trailer.

 

[ironpony]

personally I would find a 6x14 low profile enclosed trailer, load everything in it and be done. can be used to store everything when not in use and keep things secure.

 

[lukem]

I was camping recently and a guy had a 4x8 HF trailer he was pulling with a minivan. It was loaded to the hilt with kayaks and bikes. He build a rack above the deck of the trailer, running the full length, out of 2x4's. The rack had the kayaks on top and was just tall enough to get the bikes and other gear underneath. You could do something similar with the cargo carrier in the center and a kayak on each side, bikes and gear underneath. Just make sure you give it plenty of lateral support so the rack stays centered on the trailer...and make it easy enough to remove when using the trailer for other stuff.

 

[Delta-T]

if you're not that attached to the roof box being in the traier I'd suggest a "tree" for the boats. A couple of "T'" crossbars front and aft, with a second "T" above those. Put 2 yaks on the lower T and 1 yak in the center of the upper T. Replace your roof container with your classic "plastic storage tubs" for anything not resitant to the elemetal forces....with any amount of luck you still have room on trailer for 1-2 kids....in case they get crazy like kids like to do.

 

[Eatonpcat]

Here's a couple I found with a quick google!

 

[firefighterjake]

Whatever you end up doing . . . don't forget to mount a pirate flag on the trailer along with the kayaks.

 

[Highbeam]

You

So, attached are some quick pics...any ideas? Or hould I just scrap the idea dn sell the trailer for a little larger one. (This one is only 4 X 8)

Scrap it and buy a bigger one. Here's an idea...

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Thanks for all the suggestions, as this board always coms up with stuff I wouldn't have thought about.
I like the idea of hanging the kayaks on the side, they are 12' each, and looks like I have 38" from the front of the trailer to the ball. Also like the idea of the plastic storage tubs, as these would be smaller and I could pack more tightly in the trailer vs using the roof box. I was originally going to go wth the high rack, thanks for the pic EatonCat. But I am a little worried about having the kayaks up quite high as I am not sure how the wind would affect on the highway, vs having the kayaks lower and somewhat protected by the drag of the minivan. I think my idea is (still need to sketch it out) is to mount the kayaks to the sides perhaps, and get some of those fork locks that I can mount to the bottom of the trailer to lock the fork of the bikes in place. This would allow the bikes to sit lower in the trailer, and also free up room for the plastic tubs in the trailer. I think my thoughts are that I would like to keep the gear as low as possible on the bikes, and I could use the tubs to make sure the weight on the tounge is proper so Im not fishtailing down the highway.
Darn, I wish I new how to weld....Maybe I'll take a ride into the city and see if I can find a few metal fab shops.
I pulled the details on the trailer, and it looks like Top Rail is 1 5/8" OD pipe, and frame and cross members are 2X2X1/8 angle, with the uprights being 10" tall with 2"x1" formed pipe.
You folks gave me some good suggestions....now to the drawing board.

 

[Delta-T]

dave, go to local vocational school and hit up their metal fab dept for some work. those outfits love a good project like that. its that happy combo of yankee frugality, ingenuity, and hands on tinkery-ness.