Need help with trailer setup for Hobie Outback

Hey all,

Need some help with outfitting a Smith Multi Sport trailer for my 2022 Hobie outback.
I bought this trailer and Jon boat from a friend’s dad for $1,000.
Not necessarily a deal but the family was having financial troubles from medical bills and were basically selling off everything they could.

I’ve seen some great builds on here. Some using the Hobie cradles others using PVC pipe wrapped in foam to run between the hull’s grooves, my favorite being NowhereMan’s build with coil over suspension. This trailer has a single leaf spring, which I think is normal.

So I’m wondering about people’s positive and negative experiences with either the Hobie cradles or foam wrapped PVC.
Do I need to protect the hull or bow against rock strikes?
I’m running 33” AT tires and they do pick up stones.

Have I gone the wrong direction with an impulse buy and should I be looking at a different trailer with better suspension for rough mountain / forest roads? Could the lack of shock absorption from the single leaf spring cause a hard hit to crack the Hobie’s hull?
I seem to end up on horrible roads often.

Any advice or direction is welcome. Thank you.

That should be fine. I have a Trailex SUT with single leaf springs and I have towed my scull boat (150# fiberglass) on many gravel and dirt roads across California and Nevada-- Forest Service, BLM, NDOW, FWS, etc. The fenders do a decent job of fending off rocks from below. A kayak hull's polymer is going to be a lot more forgiving than rigid fiberglass unless it's compromised by UV exposure or something.

In addition to my Rack-and-Roll-wannabe DIY trailer, I also have a Trailex trailer, similar to Rick. I've used the Trailex for several years to haul my Hobie AI.

It looks to me like your trailer will work well, and I don't think you'll have any issue damaging the hull due to rough ride.

I'm a fan of PVC pipe cradles. If done right, I think PVC pipe supports at least as well as Hobie cradles, and the newer Hobie cradles are notorious for cracking. Rocks getting kick up my your tires might be a more legitimate concern--not sure what the best defense against that might be...

It would be easy enough to weld shock tabs onto the axle and frame, if you want to smooth the ride out a little.  Being designed for small boats, the springs are probably a little stiffer than you would need for a kayak - you could also pretty easily remove one of the leaves to reduce the spring rate if desired also. 

That said, I think you would probably be fine if you had decent surface contact between your bunk and the hull, and secure the kayak tightly so it doesn't bounce on the bunk.

A nice little tool box on the front of the trailer could hold PFD/gear/paddles/etc and would protect from rock damage too.

When I transport my kayaks I always turn them upside down and just strap them down with cam straps. I notice few people do this but it is very simple and you don't have to worry about deforming the hull or suffering on rough roads. It only takes a few seconds to turn them over after I slide them up onto the trailer. I would turn them upside down anyway to get all the water out of the rod holder holes. Of course if you have stuff permanently mounted that would be in the way this may not be an option.

@Rick
Thanks for the info. I moved to El Dorado Co. 2 yrs ago and would like to learn the local areas this year. Plan on targeting Ice House & Union Valley Reservoirs. The roads aren’t in the greatest shape.

@NoWhereMan
What size PVC would you go with? I see some post ranging from 3 1/2” or 4 1/2” and a post using 6” though that was for a pro angler.

@SpeedyStein
The only type of wielding I know how to do is the JB kind.

@jp52
I do run a few hard mount items on my outback and currently car top it upside down. It’s kind of a pain which is why I’d like to use the trailer.


Having some sort of equipment storage would be nice though after taking measurements the trailer is just over 10’ long from hitch to rear frame. With the current supports being 5’ carpeted 2x4s.

I want to minimize how much the kayak overhangs, possibly moving the bow stop up the tongue but that will only reduce the overhang about 6”s. Leaving 4’ of overhang.

If anyone has photos or a link to their build they could share it would really help me out.
I don’t have much design experience so for now I’m trying to copy someone’s build or perhaps blend two or three ideas into the trailer, nothing crazy. 

Thanks again.