Kayak Kart

Here's the one I have

http://canoekayak.com/whatto/canoekayakcarts/index1.html

But I don't have the yellow wide wheel yet.  I think I get one and see what happens.  If it's not satisfactory, I'll find a dupe to buy my current cart and go get me a roleez.

Took a while to get a photo, but here it is.  You can see I took the 'Tim Taylor' *hruh hruh hruh* (tm) method...


Note the indestructable 2x4 construction and the barely inflated 16" wheelbarrow tires.  Holes at the ends of the 2x4s allow it to be strapped/tied as needed.  I cut a slit down large diameter pool noodles and inserted the 2x4 edges into them to cuishon the kayak, and steel Ts reinforce the 2x4s. An 2x4 goes down the axle and isn't visible, to hold the two 2x4 Ts at a fixed distance on the axle.  The wheels were 17 or 23 each or something, but they make this the monster truck of kayak karts.

Hey PS.... you just love those 2x4's don't you???
First... your "ghetto rhino bar"... now this....  

But seriously... as ghetto as it looks, 2x4's do make some sense.  They're tough, rustproof, and they float... just as long as you use the right hardware.

2x4 has a tensile strength of 87MPa, and PVC is less than 35MPa - and there's alot more wood in a 2x4 than there is pvc in 1 or 2" pipe.  I found that the PVC tees would usually break first, and my steel tees should hold up indefinitely.    The axle goes right through a hole I drilled on the bottom of each T, so there's steel from the axle to the crossbar.

The cart does weigh about 20lbs, but it rolls very easilly to make up for that.

The weight is a bit of a killer, welded aluminum seems to be the best strength to weight compromise but you have to weld.

The weight is all in the wheels and the 5/8" threaded bar that I use for the axle.  I've only added a few lbs of wood and steel for the rails.

The main drawback is actually that it's bulky, but I drive a cargo van, so..

speaking of cargo vans....I'm looking into getting a used beat-up cargo van and convert it into a "man-van" Some thing I can use as a weekend get-away adventure vehicle   I LOVE the idea of the Sports Mobile :
http://www.sportsmobile.com/

...but that's something I cannot afford....for now at least. I have seen Bob's van conversion and I like it a lot. Anyone else out there that may have "Man-Van" pics to share?

I built a shelf for the back of my asto - it's supported by 2x4s (of course) that go between the window-wells.  I put all my stuff on top of it in rubbermaid bins and milk crates, and sleep on the carpet underneath.  That conversion only costs about $20, and it allows me to wake up, crawl into the front seat and drive to the launch, without ever getting out.  It sleeps 2 and the 2nd person doesn't have to wake up until we're at the beach and ready to unload.

Unfortunately, our commuter car is down, so the 'man van' is going to work and picking up the baby (needs back seats for child seat), so I can't take a photo until the van is back to being a dedicated fishing vehicle.

Cool! Looking forward to the pics. I'm also hoping that Bob can post pics of his MV as well.....

Must be nice to be able to pull over and take a comfortable nap when driving the distance - or even just pulling up to a camp site and not have to pitch a tent   (I'm getting lazy   )

Joel, Don't forget to get an MV that will hold your 11 kayaks

That's why I like pullouts.  Last time I camped, I spent more time out of my van stuffing money in a box than I did out and about on the campsite.  I got out, took a leak, got back in and that was it.  Highway 1 pullouts have a spectacular view of the stars at night too, it's windy, but the van isn't going to blow away.  I guess I paid $20 to not have to think about avoiding pissing into the wind on that last trip...

Tote - Does your Roleez cart break down or fold up easily? I'm thinking of getting one, but I don't have a lot of room in my Subaru and I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time with tools assembling each time I launched.