DIY Homemade Canoe Trailer

If, like many canoers, you've collected several boats and need to get them down to the lake or river for canoe trips or family outings, you probably need some sort of trailer. Car-topping multiple canoes is not practical, and unloading and loading takes extra time you could be spending on the water instead. Best of all, a dedicated canoe trailer allows you to leave the boats tied to the trailer for storage and ready to go for your next trip.

Things You'll Need

  • Used boat or utility trailer
  • 2 tube steel uprights, 3 inches by 3 inches, 8 feet long
  • 1 tube steel brace, 2 inches by 2 inches, 10 feet (cut to fit)
  • 2 angle iron pieces, 2 inches by 2 inches, 2 feet long
  • Tape measure
  • Carpenter pencil
  • 8 Angle iron pieces, 2 inches by 2 inches, six feet long
  • 8 Pieces 1/8 inch steel plate, cut to 5-inch sided equilateral triangles.
  • Welding machine and supplies
  • Grinder and disk and wire brush wheel assortment
  • Clamps
  • Screws
  • Drill & 3/8 inch bits
  • 8 eye bolts, 3/8 inch bolts, 3 to 4 inches long
  • 8 foam swimming "noodles
  • Sharp knife
  • 24 Zip ties
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean up the old trailer you're using as a base for your canoe hauler. Strip the boat cradle, and cut away cradle mounting hardware that will get in the way. Check the electrical system, and make sure the brake and running lights work properly and meet your state's regulations. Look for a trailer that has as wide a wheelbase as you can find for stability. Since you are converting the trailer, you might have to get a builder's title from the title office. Check before taking the trailer out on the road.

    • 2

      Weld the 2-by-2 uprights to the trailer frame fore and aft. The front upright should be set on the three from the hitch. The base of the rear upright should be welded to the top of the cross-member farthest back on the trailer. Grind the trailer and upright, where they will be welded first to remove rust and old paint. Weld the uprights securely to the trailer. Use multiple passes as this joint will receive the most stress when assembly is completed.

    • 3

      Measure and mark the uprights at the bottom and every 2 feet up to the top of the upright. The top cross-member will be welded to the top of the upright. The bottom cross-member will set down against the trailer frame.

    • 4

      Grind the joints and center of the angle iron cross members and clamp them to the uprights ---- four on the front, and four on the back upright spaced 2 feet apart. Weld the cross-members to the uprights. Weld the triangular steel plates between the uprights and the cross-members to stiffen the joint.

    • 5

      Measure, cut and weld the 2-by-2-inch brace between the two uprights at the top. Weld the 2-foot angle iron braces at an angle from the uprights to the top brace.

    • 6

      Sand and paint the trailer. Drill 3/8-inch holes in the ends of the cross-members, and bolt the eye-bolts into the end to provide tie-down points for the canoes.

    • 7

      Cut the foam swimming noodles halfway through to expose the hole in the center. Then cut them into lengths to fit between the uprights and the eye bolts in the end of the cross-members. Spread the noodles at the cuts, and wrap them around the cross-members. Zip-tie the foam noodles in place to provide protection for the boats from the steel cross-members.