Turn a Golf Cart Into Kayak Dolly

by OttawaMaker

33K396

Intro: Turn a Golf Cart Into Kayak Dolly

I have kayaks and carrying them from the car to the water's edge can be a problem, especially if you are alone. They are a bit awkward to carry. Commercial kayak dollies cost upwards of $100, a sum I didn't want to spend. It came to me that perhaps I could build my own if I could find the right wheels. Golf carts have the perfect size wheels and the added benefit of a folding frame. In this Instructable, I'll show you how I turned a golf cart into a kayak dolly in less than an hour.

STEP 1: Find a Golf Cart

These old golf carts are easy to find. Look for them in garage sales or online on sites like Kijiji. Prices start as low as $5. This one cost me $10.

STEP 2: Make a Few Modifications

For this cart, I had to cut off the little platform at the bottom of the cart because I wanted to have the dolly completely underneath the back one third of the kayak. The second picture shows most of the platform cut away. I finished it off with a small saw.

STEP 3: Change the Straps

I took the original straps off the cart and added a pair of my own. These ones allow me to easily tighten them up for maximum holding power.

STEP 4: Test It Out

Now attach the dolly to your kayak (or canoe) and play around with positioning and belt tightness. I found the first time I tried it, the whole thing slipped off the back end of the kayak. You may have to weave the straps through existing cords on the top of the kayak to prevent the dolly from slipping back.

STEP 5: Easy to Store

While this one is still too big to fit inside the kayak, at least it folds for easy storage in the car.

Don't spend a of of money buying something you can easily make and frankly, don't use that often. Have fun!

OttawaMaker

4 Comments

HandsomeCptAngusMcDathinEsq 4 years ago

This is a great idea, however the shape of the hull on most sit-on kayaks makes this device very difficult to get under the boat and strapped in. I think it will work great for my wife's sit-in kayak however. Thanks.

AlD21 8 years ago

I think that's a pretty cool mod. there Ottawa maker.

I wonder what it weighs?

I like it and you have given me more ideas. Thanks.

michiganhiker 8 years ago

Thank you for the great idea. When I go to the resale shops I see cartsvall the time. I have been looking for a design that I could use on an upcoming trip where I have some portages over well developed pathways and a cart like this could fold up and go right in the canoe with me.