Utility trailer mod for toys

TNGW1500SE wrote:
"I am just wondering how off balance it will make the trailer with the motorcycle in the middle. The motorcycle is 850 lbs and the kayak is 110 lbs."

Stick the bike on the right side (so you can use the kickstand) and throw the kayak on the left side floor. Ratchet strap it all in and hit the road. You're worried to much about "balance".

A kayak up high like that will catch wind and be more unstable than the bike on one side and the kayak on the other side of the trailer.

That won't work, from the OP;

"It is 12' long so it wouldn't fit on the trailer without hanging off the back and I don't want to remove the ramp for the motorcycle."


IMHO the bigger problem is going to be the rear cross rail, unless you're not very tall or exceptionally agile riding the bike up the ramp under that rear crossmember is going to be a PITA and a recipe for a dropped bike.

Don't fret on balance, a 110 pounds won't make any difference at all.

"I am just wondering how off balance it will make the trailer with the motorcycle in the middle. The motorcycle is 850 lbs and the kayak is 110 lbs."

Stick the bike on the right side (so you can use the kickstand) and throw the kayak on the left side floor. Ratchet strap it all in and hit the road. You're worried to much about "balance".

A kayak up high like that will catch wind and be more unstable than the bike on one side and the kayak on the other side of the trailer.

I was torn between using what I have already done and buying a weekender ladder rack and mounting to the trailer like you would mount it to a pickup truck. The advantage of the weekender ladder rack is that it is removable but I would have to spend $300. I decided to use what I have but make it safer by using floor flanges for the pipe and u-bolts drilled through the angle iron at the top rail.

Thanks for everyone's input. I'll have to post a picture once I get the bike and the kayak on the trailer.

mobeewan wrote:
Definitely too flimsy. I haul canoes and would never rely on friction clamps to hold a 5 foot lever holding a kayak at highway speeds. There is too much bouncing around by the trailer not to mention the kayak wanting to move side to side in the wind terbulances as well as front to back and the front and rear uprights not being connected together at the top. I think the clamps are going to wiggle loose just from the kayak wanting to move around.

You might try this Side Load Kayak Carrier. Although made for a Little Giant utility trailer, it has brackets at the bottom that can be screwed or bolted to your trailer floor and the kayak supports can be rotated to hang the kayak inside the trailer. At 6 foot wide that should give enough clearance for the motorcycle. You can also add u-bolts drilled through the side of the side of the top angle rail on the trailer to hold them vertically. Loading would be way easier than lifting over your head. You could also use a split pool noodle to pad the kayak to keep from scratching it on the rack.

If you still want to use the pipe you already have I wold recommend adding 1 inch threaded pipe flanges cutting the edge off one side of each leaving them kind of D shaped with 3 holes left and using screws or bolts to attach them to the trailer floor. Then using u-bolts bolts as mentioned above to attach the pipes to the top angle on the trailer sides. The D shaped flanges will allow closer fit to the side rails. You'll still have to lift the kayak over your head to load it.

For loading my canoe solo with a Yakima Rack there was a a loader bar that had a flange and slid inside the Yakima Rack bars. I didn't want to spend what they wanted so I got 2, 4 foot threaded pipes that would slide inside the bars and added a matching pipi flange to one end on each. When loading and unloading I pull the bar caps on the sided I am on and inserting the pipes with flanges into each bar and I can then lift one end of the canoe up flipping it over and resting it on the pipe. Then I lift the other end and then rest it on the other pipe. After positioning the canoe and tying it down I removed the pipes and put the bar caps back on. The flanges kept the canoe from sliding off the pipes when loading and unloading.

You might be able to do the same by changing one or both elbow on each of your uprights with pipe tees.

Don't forget to use something like a split pool noodle or foam pipe insulation to pad the kayak and keep it from moving side to side. You will get some movement with the 2 uprights not being connected together.

Thanks mobeewan. I like that side loader mount. I am just wondering how off balance it will make the trailer with the motorcycle in the middle. The motorcycle is 850 lbs and the kayak is 110 lbs.

If I decide to use the same pipes. I will install the floor brackets and then use u-bolts for the upper rail connections.

Definitely too flimsy. I haul canoes and would never rely on friction clamps to hold a 5 foot lever holding a kayak at highway speeds. There is too much bouncing around by the trailer not to mention the kayak wanting to move side to side in the wind terbulances as well as front to back and the front and rear uprights not being connected together at the top. I think the clamps are going to wiggle loose just from the kayak wanting to move around.

You might try this Side Load Kayak Carrier. Although made for a Little Giant utility trailer, it has brackets at the bottom that can be screwed or bolted to your trailer floor and the kayak supports can be rotated to hang the kayak inside the trailer. At 6 foot wide that should give enough clearance for the motorcycle. You can also add u-bolts drilled through the side of the side of the top angle rail on the trailer to hold them vertically. Loading would be way easier than lifting over your head. You could also use a split pool noodle to pad the kayak to keep from scratching it on the rack.

If you still want to use the pipe you already have I wold recommend adding 1 inch threaded pipe flanges cutting the edge off one side of each leaving them kind of D shaped with 3 holes left and using screws or bolts to attach them to the trailer floor. Then using u-bolts bolts as mentioned above to attach the pipes to the top angle on the trailer sides. The D shaped flanges will allow closer fit to the side rails. You'll still have to lift the kayak over your head to load it.

For loading my canoe solo with a Yakima Rack there was a a loader bar that had a flange and slid inside the Yakima Rack bars. I didn't want to spend what they wanted so I got 2, 4 foot threaded pipes that would slide inside the bars and added a matching pipi flange to one end on each. When loading and unloading I pull the bar caps on the sided I am on and inserting the pipes with flanges into each bar and I can then lift one end of the canoe up flipping it over and resting it on the pipe. Then I lift the other end and then rest it on the other pipe. After positioning the canoe and tying it down I removed the pipes and put the bar caps back on. The flanges kept the canoe from sliding off the pipes when loading and unloading.

You might be able to do the same by changing one or both elbow on each of your uprights with pipe tees.

Don't forget to use something like a split pool noodle or foam pipe insulation to pad the kayak and keep it from moving side to side. You will get some movement with the 2 uprights not being connected together.

We have an enclosed 16' trailer for longer trips when we take both motorcycles. We use this utility trailer for weekend trips or any camping trip when only one motorcycle is needed. The enclosed trailer is a pain to deal with for quick weekend lake trips.

We are trying to use the utility trailer for one motorcycle and kayak for camping without having to buy another trailer and without having to take the RV and the truck. We thought about putting the kayak on the roof of the RV but I am too old to try and pull 100 lbs up 12'.

Plus I don't want to overload our utility trailer with piping when I use it for other things. Not sure how I am going to work this out.

That's too flimsy. My guess is that when you get up to hwy speed the kayak will be shaking bad. You need diagonal supports. Wouldn't be bad but your vertical attachment points are too low.
What you might do is put some tie down points on the trailers floor at the rear at least. Then run a ratchet clamp from the upper bar rearward to the floor. That way if you have to jamb on the brakes hard the kayak won't want to go forward. That will give you more overall stability as well.

2 pipes that you add to the top that go from the top to the ground (on the side of the trailer) on a 45 degree angle. You slide the boat up them using them for a "ramp". Then after loaded, you remove them and fasten them to the trailer floor.

Better yet sell that trailer and buy yourself an enclosed trailer. We tow a 10 footer carrying two motorcycles, an air compressor, a tool cart with tools, lawn chairs, tables, rugs and everything else under the sun. We don't even use the roof. I could stick a boat up there if I wanted to. It's nice to have a garage and I can lock everything up.

hedge wrote:
I think you need some angle bracing, it looks like it will collapse the first time you have a hard stop

That's what I thought. Needs support "front to rear".

Thanks for the ideas guys. I should have slid PVC over the pipe prior to installation. Attaching the pipes into the 90's was a pain. It looks like I will have to remove and redo if I want rollers. After thinking about it some more, I will likely unclamp and use u-bolts through the angle iron so that there is no chance of the bars rotating forward or backward during braking and acceleration.