What is a Kayak Trailer? A kayak trailer is a type of trailer that is designed to be towed behind your vehicle. It is one of the fastest, easiest, and also one of the most preferred ways to tow a kayak. They are much more convenient than a roof rack because they have more space for multiple kayaks as well as other gear. You will also find it easier to load it up as it is situated closer to the ground.
Now finding the right kayak trailer for your next kayaking adventure trip should not be complicated. To make your job easy, here we have listed the best kayak trailers that money can buy –
Best Kayak Trailers
Multi-Sport Multi-Rack Kayak Trailer
When you do not like the idea of fitting kayaks atop your SUV or minivan but still want to transport kayaks safely, investing in a kayak trailer makes sense. You cannot go wrong with this model. Compared to the competing products in the market, setting it up may take less time. You get to set up guidelines as well. Build quality is simply superb and it will cope with heavy usage. You get DOT certified tough high-speed tires. The lights are easy to set up and they work as expected. Unless you have very large kayaks, loading 4 units will be easy.
Right-On Trailer Multi-Sport Multi-Sport Trailer
Do you want to carry your fishing kayak to a distant lake but do not want to set the kayak up atop the car roof? This trailer is a suitable solution for your needs. It may take a few hours to set up. You get an instruction manual with the unit and that should make assembling simpler. Once it is set up, the experience is great. You can make it run over any road. The build quality of the components and the mainframe is top-notch. It will cope with weather exposure easily. You can carry long and large-sized kayaks on it.
Ironton Personal Watercraft and Boat Trailer
When you have one or more kayaks and want to take these to distant kayaking rips, buying a kayak trailer/carrier is necessary. The Ironton Personal Watercraft and Boat Trailer is a good contender. It is built robust and the White powder-coat finish looks great too. The company offers every accessory you need in the pack and the build quality of each part is impressive. The manual is there but setting it may require some time- more so if you lack prior experience. You should be able to carry fishing kayaks that are up to 12 feet long on this trailer without issues.
Ultra-Tow 40in. x 48in. Aluminum Utility Trailer Kit
Do you have one or more large-sized kayaks and indulging in a distant lake or river kayaking is on your mind? Then get this amazing kayak carrier and you will have a great time. This is a road-ready trailer. Made of a solid rustproof aluminum frame, it comes with quality fenders. The bed has a payload capacity of 1060 pounds. It is laden with an LED lighting kit for safety. You get all required fixtures in the pack including slipper springs, 4.80-12in. tires, side running lights, coupled with safety chain. The trailer weighs 135 pounds. Setting the trailer up may take some time.
Malone MicroSport Sports Trailer for Kayaks
You cannot count on just any random kayak trailer to transport your fishing kayak to distant places, safely. The Malone Micro Sport Kayak Trailer is a good option in this regard. It is a premium quality kayak trailer. The unit has a sturdy and galvanized steel frame with 800 pounds carrying capacity. Its extended heavy-duty tongue makes it easy for you to carry 4 kayaks. Assembling the trailer is not as hard as such. If you face any hiccup in setup, just resort to the detailed instruction. You can carry long kayaks on this trailer without hassles. The long tongue makes maneuvering the unit easy.
Ruff-Sport Trailer
When you want a sturdy and durable kayak trailer, just opt for this model. The model comes with a top-grade corrosion-resistant Galvanized finish. The steel frame is robust and comes laden with 12″ Wheels. You can load large-sized kayaks on it. You also get quality Led lights with it. The sturdy frame and soft springs soak in the road bumps with ease even on rough terrains. Setting it up may take a few hours. Of course, the company packs in required guidelines with the unit. The trailer is shipped with all necessary components and they are of great quality.
CE Smith Multi-Sport Trailer
Have you been looking for a solid kayak trailer that is easy to set up? Try the CE Smith Multi-Sport Trailer and you will be happy. The assembly is straight forward and needs a couple of hours overall. You can carry kayaks that are up to 12 feet long on it. The rated carrying capacity is 800 pounds. You get everything required to set this up in the pack including the likes of DOT-approved lights, winch stand, tires, hook, and strap. The trailer weighs 200 pounds. The build quality of the main rack and the components is great. One nice thing is the trailer lights are quite bright and they will not get obscured by the kayak.
Kayak Trailer Buying Guide
Kayaking is a relaxing sport that helps you stay in close proximity to nature. But the problem is that transporting a large kayak from Point A to Point B is never easy. The entire process will throw a gauntlet of challenges and things might go haywire if you have multiple kayaks to transport. To simplify things, you need to get a trailer unless you don’t mind going insane in the process. A kayak trailer can save the day for you in such circumstances. With a kayak trailer, you will be able to move the kayak around without straining your back.
Materials
Kayak Trailer should ideally be made from premium quality materials. Galvanized Steel, Non-Galvanized Steel, and Aluminum are the top three materials that are primarily used in the making of a kayak trailer.
Kayak trailers made from Galvanized steel are designed for seafaring as they have got an extra layer of zinc that protects the trailer from the saltwater.
Kayak trailers made from non-galvanized steel are available for cheap and are much stronger than trailers made from aluminum. However, they have got some serious downside and that is they are suspectable to rust and corrosion.
Kayak trailers made from aluminum are extremely lightweight but are extremely costly. But they are easy to move around.
Storage Space
Unless you live in or around Miami costa, the chances of experiencing sunny weather all year round is next to impossible. You will have to live through blizzards, strong wind, and biting cold and therefore that means, there is no way you can enjoy kayaking all the time. So, you need to find a way to store the kayak trailer away. When not in use, you need to store it inside your garage to keep it protected from snow and rain. Before you even consider purchasing a kayak trailer, you need to measure the length of the garage otherwise you will find yourself in a soup sooner or later. A kayak trailer that does not fit properly inside a garage is the worst nightmare of every kayak enthusiast. You also need to make sure that the kayak trailer is secured otherwise, it will move around here and there in the garage and it could be the perfect recipe for a disaster.
Maneuver
You should not face any difficulty while moving the kayak trailer. Easy and effortless maneuverability is the hallmark quality of a good quality kayak trailer. You would hate to have something which is extremely heavy to move around.
Size of Wheels
Contrary to what most people believe, having smaller wheels is not a good idea when it comes to Kayak trailer. Yeah, we know that having small wheels means the kayak will stay close to the ground but it has got some serious drawbacks. Smaller wheels tend to wear out fast. Large wheels can cover more distance whereas to cover the same distance, smaller wheels have to roll almost twice or more.
Length of Tongue
In order to have a firm grip on the kayak, the kayak trailer needs to have a long tongue. In case, you have no idea what a tongue is – allow me to break it down to you in simple English. The distance between the trailer hitch and the axle is referred to as Tongue. Towing a standard kayak can become really complicated of the tongue of the kayak trailer is very short. Technically, the longer the kayak trailer tongue is, the better it is for everybody.
Suspension System
Moving a kayak trailer through a dirt road is never an easy task. There will be ups and down in that unpaved road and that means, the trailer has to have a good suspension system in place to cushion the impacts otherwise someone is going to get seriously injured in the process. A bumpy ride can inflict serious damage to a kayak and which is why you need to give this aspect as much importance as possible.
