Boat Trailer for a Bike

Before I started designing my boats to be collapsible, I had built this one out of coroplast. It weighs around 10-15 lbs and didn't quite fit into my 96 firebird. The lake I frequented on my morning rows was about 2 miles away from me, and I wasn't about to carry the thing over my head through town to get there. The solution? Build a custom trailer from my junk supplies.

Step 1: Wheels Are Important

Apologies for the lack of pictures, I shall try to guide with words alone.

I started with a handy golf bag caddy my neighbor was tossing in the rubbish. It had two large wheels with a lot of surface area.

I extended the handle with a piece of pvc 1/2 inch electrical conduit (remnants of my strandbeest) to be the length of the boat and reach to my bike seat.

On the base of the caddy where the golf bag would set, I secured a piece of pallet wood the width of my boat. Test fitting my boat, I could lightly bungee the back side down to the board for travel.

Near the front of the boat, I heated and bent another piece of conduit around the existing piece to create a V notch where the front of my boat would set in. I secured the two by pre drilling and fastening the connection with a small screw.

Step 2: The Bike Hitch

I wanted the trailer to easily detach from my bicycle. I took a 3 ft end piece that was flanged and heat formed/bent it on the support of my bicycle seat. I further formed it over the contour of my back wheel. Connecting the trailer into the flanged hitch, I drilled a large hole vertically and used an old nail as a pin to keep the two connected.

Step 3: Thanks for Reading

The boat and trailer have received many glances from towns people to include honks and shouts from drivers by.

"I used to have one of those" - some older gent in a pickup

Please ask as many questions as you have in the comments, though I'm hopeful it's straight forward enough, wheels, frame, hitch.

Hope this helps anyone lug their boats around, be it homemade or not. Thanks for your votes in the bicycle contest, as well as your favs.

Comments

[nvnusman]

Cool!!! I want to make something similar for a kayak and a golf bag cart might be a good start. The most helpful thing you could do, if you still have this trailer, is take more photos (Borrow a camera or a phone with a camera, if you have no camera yourself) with and without the boat on the trailer, showing closer details of the attachment points, the extended tongue and the hitch, which are the critical areas that with help other people. Thanks!

[YaënD]

great idea but lacks of pics is cruel. ;)

[Megrathea69]

Wicked, i have made a couple of homemade boats in the past and have a homemade trailer with a couple of different boxes,can carry approx 250 cubic litres with bike and trailer................this was my best homemade boat,a vid of it can be found on youtube listed as Boatvid or Nigels boat vid i think...