DIY: Canoe Trailer

It's never a good idea to paddle alone if you're going out into the wild on the river or into the back country. For that you need at least two canoes and since there's probably room for only one on the roof of your truck, here's a simple design for a canoe trailer that comfortably carries two canoes. This design requires no welding to make a sturdy framework for hauling a pair of 12-foot to 20-foot canoes.

  1. Find a trailer

    • Get yourself an old used boat trailer. Try to find one with a wide wheelbase, but for only two canoes, a smaller one will work quite nicely. They're not too hard to find. Wash it down and strip off the parts you won't need like a winch crank, hull pads, rollers or anything that will get in your way. Check the brake and running lights to make sure they're legal and check the tires for wear and proper inflation. Sometimes old trailers don't have titles or the title has been lost, so you may have to get a builder's title from the registration office. Make sure the trailer is roadworthy before you start building your canoe frame on it.

    Forward Uprights

    • You'll need four pieces of 1-inch-by-2-inch or 1-inch-by-3-inch steel tubing cut 4-feet to 5-feet long, depending on the width of your trailer and the width of your canoes. Build sturdy. You'll be glad you did. Once you've calculated the length, including the overlap for bolting, buy your tubing cut to the correct length. Bore 3/8-inch holes in the trailer frame as shown in the picture and in both ends of the tube steel. Bolt the lower ends of the front uprights loosely in place with carriage bolts. Overlap the upper ends of the tube steel uprights, align the holes and insert a keeper bolt in place while you tighten the lower bolts.

    Rear Uprights

    • Repeat the above process with the rear tube steel uprights.

    Ridge Beam

    • Measure the distance between the inside edges of the two uprights at the bolt holes. Cut a pressure-treated 2-by-6 or 2-by-8 to fit between the uprights. Pull the keeper bolts and fasten the uprights to the ends of the pressure-treated board with lag screws. Pre-drill the holes into the ends of the board and screw the lag bolts into place. The wider the ridge board is, the sturdier the framework will be.

    Canoe Support Arms

    • Drill holes about 4 inches above the frame of the trailer in the center of each of the tube steel uprights. Cut two 2-by-6 pressure-treated boards about 6 inches longer than the width of the frame of the trailer, excluding the tires. Strap the cross members in place with bungee cord in the position shown in the picture to form an "A" shape. Drill a 3/8-inch hole in the center of the upright and through the 2-by-6's, as shown. Bolt the supports in place with 3/8-inch carriage bolts.

    Tie-downs

    • At the end of each cross member and in the ends of the ridge board just inside the uprights, drill ¼-inch holes and bolt eyebolts in place for conveniently attaching tie-down straps or bungee cords.

    Final Configuration

    • Load the canoes on their side between the cross members. Tie bungee cords or light ropes to hold the canoes in place. Toss the paddles and life jackets and your cooler or adult beverages into the back of the truck, and you're off to for an adventure. This design holds two canoes. A short cross member attached near the top could allow you to add a third canoe on top if your trailer is stable enough and you don't build your "A" frame too tall.

    Tips

    • Don't build your "A" frame too high or try to get too many canoes tied onto the frame. A top-heavy canoe trailer is easy to tip on twisty back roads, especially if there is a high wind.
      Add a flat paddle locker if there's room under the "A." It's nice to have your canoe gear altogether. A simple flat plywood box with hinged lid works great.
      Make sure your trailer lights are visible with the boats loaded. You may have to move them if not.
      If your canoes are long, you may have to attach flags or reflectors to meet local traffic laws. Know your local laws.