Kayak rack for back of trailer

[Videocrafters]

Anyone have experience finding a kayak rack for the back of the trailer using the 2 inch receiver?

[JeffreyG]

This is an off the cuff guess, but it seems like that would be an item with limited appeal simply because the vast majority of kayaks (or canoes) are going to be way to long to mount sideways on the back of a car, truck, or RV. About 7-8' would be a maximum, so maybe recreational day-kayaks.

Edit: Here you go. Considering 13' 6" bridge height limits this would accomodate maybe 10' kayaks. Looks really heavy though, so I don't know if an Escape frame can carry it and I don't know if you can get a stable, towable trailer with this on. I'd strongly suggest reading the FAQ on this website and think about what this kind of mass and sail area would do to the tow stability of a tiny little Escape trailer. I think these kind of hitches are really intended more for Class-A and huge 5th Wheels.

https://www.rvkayakracks.com/

[Videocrafters]

This company makes a vertical solution.
https://vertiyak.com/
Not sure if the spare tire will be an issue.

[JeffreyG]

That's better, in that the hitch is quite a bit lighter. Still you will be at something like 200 lbs hanging well off the rear bumper which could be challenging on a lot of Escapes. The E-19 is kind of light on the tongue, for example, and I bet this would make it unstable unless you took action to load a bunch of weight up front

Also think about how much a lot of kayaks are going to extend up past the top of an Escape. I'm not sure what effect this large sail would have. In pure drag I guess it would help stability, but in crosswinds it would be a strong lever to initiate sway.

What's your tow vehicle? Any reason you can't get the boats on the roof?

I can carry up to one 16' canoe and two 18' sea kayaks on top of my pickup. It's a good location, provided you have the strength to get them up there.

[Videocrafters]

Ram 1500 with cap
Our kayaks are 9 foot long. It is quite the struggle to get them on top of the vehicle. Weight wise the carrier and kayaks would be similar to a loaded bike rack.

[HABBERDABBER]

I use these for an 18', +70lb fiberglass kayak a top a full size Chevy van. A struggle, but possible.


Yakima 8004035 Hully Rollers - RackWarehouse.com

[JeffreyG]

Full system mounted will be expensive, but there are systems that will lift the boat onto the roof for you:

https://www.rei.com/product/123022/y...-kayaksup-rack

Aside from the fact that a full-size crew cab pickup won't fit in my garage, the extra height of them was another reason I went with the mid-size Colorado. My wife is already at her limit lifting boats onto our truck. Another 4 inches or so and she'd be out.

[brroberts]

Thanks Jeff. Cool rack worth remembering.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by brroberts

Thanks Jeff. Cool rack worth remembering.

It's my plan for when I get old. Gotta get the boats up there somehow.

Speaking of which, I'm getting my hip replaced Monday. But I'm not actually that old and still planning to be on Isle Royale this June for two weeks.

[Videocrafters]

I have tried both the Thule and Yakama auto lift systems and didn’t care for them. They were big, heavy, expensive and didn’t work that well in my opinion.
Good luck with the new hip!

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

It's my plan for when I get old. Gotta get the boats up there somehow.

Speaking of which, I'm getting my hip replaced Monday. But I'm not actually that old and still planning to be on Isle Royale this June for two weeks.

Get lighter boats....my Adirondack Pack canoe can handle most conditions I throw at it....OK large open water and big waves are out(although with a deck cover it would probably be just fine). The boat is a Placid Boatworks Spitfire is 12 ft long, can hold me and a weeks worth of stuff and weighs in at 18 lbs. You can get a used one for around $2000....I know it is a bit expensive but look at prices of any good performance boat and get back to me. They have other models that are longer but that would not work with my 5.0 TA and fit on the roof of my truck. Here is their website. https://placidboatworks.com/our-boats/spitfire/ Of course new prices are higher....

[JeffreyG]

My canoe is a Mad River 16' Explorer. It's a Royalex boat which I think remains a nice balance of weight and toughness. Plus that one is pretty much easy for us. I can single carry it overhead on a yoke for a mile or two without too much trouble.

The kayaks are where I could go lighter down the road. 18' boats are nice for very long trips as we can bring enough food, but we can just do shorter paddles. Keep it to a week and two 14' boats can probably carry enough food and gear.

The kayaks are also rotomolded plastic. It's heavy compared to even fiberglass, but kind of ideal for running up onto the rocky shores of Lake Superior. Normally now canoe = portage trips and rivers, kayaks are strictly on the lakes. I'm not portaging 18' sea kayaks more than about a mile. Moving to a pair of 14' kevlar kayaks would keep us on the big water, but we'd have to be a lot more careful launching and recovering.


Or go to a pair of single canoes, as you suggest. Less rough water ready, but eliminates the cargo capacity problems of kayaks.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

My canoe is a Mad River 16' Explorer. It's a Royalex boat which I think remains a nice balance of weight and toughness. Plus that one is pretty much easy for us. I can single carry it overhead on a yoke for a mile or two without too much trouble.

The kayaks are where I could go lighter down the road. 18' boats are nice for very long trips as we can bring enough food, but we can just do shorter paddles. Keep it to a week and two 14' boats can probably carry enough food and gear.

The kayaks are also rotomolded plastic. It's heavy compared to even fiberglass, but kind of ideal for running up onto the rocky shores of Lake Superior. Normally now canoe = portage trips and rivers, kayaks are strictly on the lakes. I'm not portaging 18' sea kayaks more than about a mile. Moving to a pair of 14' kevlar kayaks would keep us on the big water, but we'd have to be a lot more careful launching and recovering.


Or go to a pair of single canoes, as you suggest. Less rough water ready, but eliminates the cargo capacity problems of kayaks.

Yes my boat is definitely more fragile(kevlar and Carbon)...you don't just run up on a rocky beach. But it is designed for long hauls...I have actually carried my wife in it for a short paddle! It is advertised as a kayak without a deck and I use a kayak paddle. It is a 150 year old design for pond hopping in the Adirondacks in Upstate NY, Algonquin or areas in Mn and Wi. They are tougher than they look and a bunch of companies are making them including Swift which is a Western Ontario company I think. Definitely NOT Royalex or Rotomold tough though but no where near as heavy! All the companies make 12, 14, 16 ft lengths and they really paddle like a dream. You just wade in a bit and plunk them in at the water's edge and get in butt first...pretty easy.
Good luck w/the hip surgery.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

Good luck w/the hip surgery.

Thanks. At ~20 lbs a solo canoe is definitely something to think about down the road.

[sherminator]

There are 2 practical ways as far as I am concerned:

1) carry your hard shell kayak/canoe on your tow vehicle. That may mean getting a lighter kayak/canoe, or investing in a lift assist. I can still get my 85lb tandem rotomolded kayak on a roof rack, but it gets harder every year.

2) go to an inflatable or folding kayak. I have a nice inflatable, but I prefer my pedal drive hard shell. One folder does intrigue me though, https://www.orukayak.com/

[Videocrafters]

I think the VERTIYAK is the way I will go. We have a nice inflatable but it is a bunch of work pumping it, drying it off, folding it.

[brroberts]

Barb just had hip replacement, and recovery is going well. I pray the same for you Jeff.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Videocrafters

I think the VERTIYAK is the way I will go. We have a nice inflatable but it is a bunch of work pumping it, drying it off, folding it.

Having fun is a lot of work.
It didn't seem to be that way, but with age......it's become that way.


I'm usually willing to do the work.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

Here you go. Considering 13' 6" bridge height limits this would accomodate maybe 10' kayaks. Looks really heavy though, so I don't know if an Escape frame can carry it and I don't know if you can get a stable, towable trailer with this on. I'd strongly suggest reading the FAQ on this website and think about what this kind of mass and sail area would do to the tow stability of a tiny little Escape trailer. I think these kind of hitches are really intended more for Class-A and huge 5th Wheels.

https://www.rvkayakracks.com/

There's no way I would want the top ends of anything sticking up above the roof. I agree that they are for larger RVs, and this manufacturer doesn't suggest using them on a travel trailer:

Fifth Wheels, all types of Motorhomes, Vans, and truck campers!

This is from their FAQ (with their formatting for emphasis):

Travel trailers are much more of a concern than Fifth wheel trailers. There are ways to weigh the tongue of the trailer with a scale to assure proper methods before traveling. ANY cargo placed on the rear of a Travel trailer can cause a dangerous situation.. Always follow your RV manufacturer's recommendations for the proper cargo weight allowed, loading, and tongue weight at the hitch point required for safe towing. Most Travel trailer manufacturers do not want you to add cargo weight on the rear at all on travel trailers. These manufacturer recommendations "must" be followed in order to be sure dangerous swaying does not occur.

Anything the length of a kayak bouncing around on a rack mounted to a hitch receiver is a problem, due to the leverage of the load length... even if it is vertical.

[Videocrafters]

The weight of our two 9 foot kayaks and the rack is no different than a bike rack with two bikes.