So, I finally picked up an aluminum jet ski trailer for my kayak, now what? It’s time to convert that jet ski trailer into a kayak trailer and it’s easier than it appears at first. In this video I’ll show you the simple steps that I took to convert mine. I detail out all of the components I purchased for the conversion below.
The Backstory
You’re probably thinking, you had a nice kayak loading cart that you used to use to load that same kayak into the bed of your pickup. So maybe I should start off with why switch to using a trailer for your kayak? Great question! That cart is still an excellent solution for loading and storing your kayak. However, it does not help you when you’re at the marsh. So, as you get older and your back starts to bother you, you may want to switch from that solution to a trailer. In my case, I wanted to switch in addition because the truck bed in my new-to-me Rivian R1T is shorter than the one in my former Toyota Tacoma PreRunner pickup truck. Rather than look at a bed extender I thought why not kill two birds with one stone and get a trailer. It has the benefits of loading even faster than the kayak cart, and the unload at the marsh …and the subsequent re-load at the marsh are also faster. I still bring it home and hose it down in the driveway just like the cart. All in all, it’s a time saver.
Learning Curve
Of course, there is a learning curve to backing a trailer up! So please be aware of that. Essentially you must know that when you back it up you turn the wheel in the opposite direction that you want the trailer to go. However, that’s only to a point. There’s an art to it that I haven’t yet mastered, but I can eventually get it to where I need it to go.
Conversion
The video covers the steps to convert the bunks, add a bow stop, and add self-retracting ratchet straps. A list of useful tools is listed in the kayak cart post.
Here are the components I purchased to do the trailer conversion:
- (2) PVC pipes used for the bunks should be 8′ long and you can optionally add a 45* angle cut as seen in the video.
- (2) Eye bolts that hold the ratchet hooks.
- (2) Stainless Steel Boat Rachet Straps
- (2) 2″ x 3′ Flat Aluminum Strips
- (8) 3/8″ x 1″ Stainless Steel Carriage Bolts to hold strips to trailer and the strips to PVC together.
- (8) 3/8″ Stainless Steel Nylon Locking Nuts
- (12) 3/8″ Stainless Steel Washers
- Rubber Bow Stop Bumper
- (2) Bow Stop Eye Bolts
- (2) 3/8″ – 1.5″ diameter – Stainless Steel Washers for Bow Stop
Enjoy the video!
Oh, and if you’d rather use a kayak cart instead, check out this article!
~Kayak Fishing Addict
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