Strapping surf board under TT lashed to the axles

[hbillsmith]

Looking for anybody that's already doing this and can report their experience.

Not really a surf board, but a 12ft Porta Bote. I've heard of some folks hauling the 87 pound folded boat by sliding it in underneath the travel trailer and lashing it to the axles. I have a 2013 Kodiak 24' trailer that has dual wide stance axles. I checked and they appear to be heavy metal tubes (not rubber). I'm sure I can safely buckle strap the 6" thick by 12.5 ft long folded boat to the axles, my concern is two-fold. A) What will that 87# of weight do to the way axles (bend them?) and B) Will impact my tire wear (cause the wheels to bow enough to cause uneven wear)?

Thanks....Bill

[time2roll]

Strap it to the frame not the suspension :E

[dewey02]

I have a 12 foot portabote and attached it to the side of my Starcraft 235 fb with the brackets available from portabote. Works just fine, and the width of trailer and bote combined is still under the legal limit. Easy to access, load and unload, and pretty safe from road hazards.

[DiskDoctr]

mobeewan wrote:
I can't understand why anyone would strap anything to 2 independently moving and flexing axle tubes.

Blame the 'Indiana Jones' movies 😉

[mobeewan]

I can't understand why anyone would strap anything to 2 independently moving and flexing axle tubes.

[DiskDoctr]

wa8yxm wrote:
Tear the boat up like crazy.. Now that's possible.

I don't recommend you try driving through PA with such a mounting. You likely have a 50-50 chance of rock damage or even road-rash on your board. Have you seen our pot-holes? They are legendary!

'They' also believe in something called 'Tar and Chip' as a road repair. Spray liquid asphalt and then spread lots of small sharp-edged gravel on the road. That's it. Let all the cars drive on it until some of the gravel is embedded into the surface and the rest is thrown off the road or into your windshield, chipped into the paint, etc.

Dangerous technique. I have personally seen motorcycles and vehicles that have slid off the corners into banks.

Drive on one of these roads for a mile or so and your boat would be toast. You thought 'hail' was damaging. At least it has rounded edges!

[wa8yxm]

Hurt the axles. NO, Not much chance of that.

Tear the boat up like crazy.. Now that's possible.

[Dan_Johnston]

I made a rack that holds two boards and is lockable. www.blinddogsurfboards.blogspot.com

dan

[jnharley]

We has a Toyhauler and stored our Portabote underneath. We made a support that we bolted to the frame, slid the boat in and then secured it with straps. Worked great.

[belfert]

Lantley wrote:
Wow lots of noise from the naysayers. I have been carrying a 14' Portabote beneath my RV for about 7 years now without an issue. I just leave the bote beneath the trailer 24/7. If I am going to a destination with water I pull it out.

The OP wanted to attach the boat to the axles. Nothing wrong with carrying a boat under the trailer if it is attached properly and not to the axles.

[RedRocket204]

mrkoje wrote:

RedRocket204 wrote:
Question: How are you going to get the boat to the water? Seems more logical to use a proper car roof rack that way you already have boat and can go launch almost anywhere you want.

I have my sit-on-top kayaks on top of my trucks canopy on a Yakima kayak rack. Two straps for each...I have put many, many miles on that set-up without bow/stern straps and no problems to note. A useful hint for loading on top of your SUV, bring along a 3' high a-frame ladder or similar. Makes it a lot easier loading/unloading.

It's a porta-boat. You can take that thing anywhere - at least drag it anywhere 🙂 I think they even come with a little wheel so that draging them are easier.

Was just curious as the places I have taken my kayaks have been 5-20 miles on standard roads from where our TT was parked...I like exploring a lot :). If you are launching close to where you are staying then it doesn't seem to be much an issue for you. 🙂

[Lantley]

Wow lots of noise from the naysayers. I have been carrying a 14' Portabote beneath my RV for about 7 years now without an issue. I just leave the bote beneath the trailer 24/7. If I am going to a destination with water I pull it out.

If water is unavailable the bote just stays put into the next time.
I have a wheel kit that I use to transport the Bote to the water from the camp site. With the wheel kit I can tow the bote behind my truck short distances on the CG roads. I can also just pull the bote to the river bank and launch is from the shore. No ramp required.

I carry the seats and etc. in a large duffle bag. I carry my 8.0hp Nissan motor in the basement of the fiver.
My current RV is a 5'er but I also carried the bote beneath my prior TT as well.
I have carried the bote on top of my old Ford Excursion SUV. This method is fine however I had to load and unload the bote each trip. When I got home. By carrying the bote beneath the RV. I have a lot less loading and unloading to do.

Pros of carrying bote beneath. Bote is always with you. Bote is out of the way and can stay underneath if you don't use it. Bote is out of site and does not attract attention.

Cons: Crawling around beneath the trailer is not fun. You must lay on your back to get bote in and out. I have improved my methods however its still not fun! If ground is wet,muddy or rocky laying on your back is a hassle.
TO the OP carrying beneath is very feasible however do not strap bote above axles. Strap bote in area clear of axles. Axles move up and down independently and may damage bote or make it harder to secure bote.
I secure my Bote beneath with ratchet straps.

Pota Bote link for those unfamiliar with the Bote!

Photos below: First 2 are with fiver others are with TT

[CincyGus]

Maybe fabricating a rack or box on the back of the RV that is welded to the frame (Not the bumper) that would give you a place to put the boat. While the previous solution of under the TT and the frame brackets would work also, I would be concerned with the clearance underneath along with the ease of getting it out and putting it away for the ride home. Seems like the back of the RV would provide the same solution without being so difficult to load/unload while eliminating any risk of tire treads beating it up or pot holes, speed bumps causing a problem.

Just my 2 cents. Good Luck in solving your problem.:)

[mrkoje]

RedRocket204 wrote:
Question: How are you going to get the boat to the water? Seems more logical to use a proper car roof rack that way you already have boat and can go launch almost anywhere you want.

I have my sit-on-top kayaks on top of my trucks canopy on a Yakima kayak rack. Two straps for each...I have put many, many miles on that set-up without bow/stern straps and no problems to note. A useful hint for loading on top of your SUV, bring along a 3' high a-frame ladder or similar. Makes it a lot easier loading/unloading.

It's a porta-boat. You can take that thing anywhere - at least drag it anywhere 🙂 I think they even come with a little wheel so that draging them are easier.

[RedRocket204]

Question: How are you going to get the boat to the water? Seems more logical to use a proper car roof rack that way you already have boat and can go launch almost anywhere you want.

I have my sit-on-top kayaks on top of my trucks canopy on a Yakima kayak rack. Two straps for each...I have put many, many miles on that set-up without bow/stern straps and no problems to note. A useful hint for loading on top of your SUV, bring along a 3' high a-frame ladder or similar. Makes it a lot easier loading/unloading.