Looking for a trailer for a 16 foot canoe. Can’t seem to find anything locally. Does anyone have any ideas? I like the aluminum Trailex SUT 200 I found on the internet.
more research
seems to be called for. There are Slick Ryder trailers. I have a canoe trailer by Mo, in Indiana. They deliver your trailer to you; no dealers. Its a beefy trailer with 15 inch wheels which I highly recommend, they wont overheat and blow out on the interstate. Cost is about 2 grand but it will carry 1750 lbs.
I’ve been using
an SUT 200 for a few years now and it is a good unit. I added additional lighting to increase visibility for when I have to wind my way through a big city on long trips.
The trailer weighs only about 80 lbs and makes a good boat caddy if you have a busy put-in and want to haul your boat and gear all together to the water without using your vehicle.
Consider the larger wheel/tire option if you’re going to do much highway time. Better ride and lower tire temperatures.
I also added some eye bolts to the frame so I could use loop straps easier. Mount a small weather-proof box to the tongue to store straps, locks, tools, etc. Very handy. Still plenty of room to mount a spare tire.
The 200 is quite narrow and jackknifes easily. Difficult to see behind you when unloaded and reversing. Add an aerial to the rear of the trailer so you can see where she is.
I’ve used the 200 to haul 12’ kayaks on up to 17’ canoes. Easy to configure for various hulls.
Get the Bearing Buddies if you plan on gettin’ the wheels in the water on a regular basis. I don’t so I just clean and pack the regular bearings each spring.
The stock placement for the license plate is poor. It will drag on the ground when hand carrying the trailer. Easy to mount in a higher location.
I’m done!
Good luck and take care.
~Holmes
how is the handling
I have always liked the heavy trailer because its a breeze to park, even in shopping malls(if you can find a tandem space) and it doesnt jump all over the highway when you hit a pothole or sway at 75-90 mph (yes that would be passing). How do the lighter ones do?
I’m with ya
on the heavier trailers.
My previous units have been homemade trailers contructed with automotive axles and good old iron. Hard to beat 'em for their performance.
The Trailex units really perform quite well for lightweights. The integral rubber damped suspension handles rebound and damping very well. You still get the initial bounce when hitting a pot hole but the damping of the suspension eliminates the successive bounce, e.g., the boing-boing effect so often seen with the lightweights. This is very important because the canoe/kayak obviously does not weigh enough to damp the trailer itself.
I’ve pulled the SUT 200 at 70-75 mph quite a bit and the wind doesn’t bother it much. Wyoming cross winds are famous for dumping U-Hauls on I-25!
If I were doing consistent long distance highway running, I’d still opt for my heavyweight with full size auto tires, but the SUT 200 is great for those who need a short run trailer.
I’m doing a few Yellowstone trips this year (a 6 hour drive for me), and I’ll be using the SUT since it’s so easy to hand drag around put-ins and campgrounds.
Pleasant waters.
~Holmes
We bought…
a 5’ x 10’ utility trailer and made my own rack with pipe to carry our boats. The rack I built comes off in less than five minutes and viola… I’m ready to help someone move.groan (Pssst… sometimes I tell people the rack is welded on wink)
You might also look around (classifieds, boat dealers etc… for a used, small boat trailer and convert it.
Like the others who posted above, I like 14" or 14" tires on my trailers.
Like Lou
I went to the local trailer builder and had a trailer built. 4’ wide x 12’ long, my Yakimas fit nicely across and are easily removeable in 5 minutes–like Lou–there is also enough room for our two recumbents when I use the J racks.
It has 15" wheels, highways nicely, and has 1500 lb. axles. It was well worth the $500 I paid for it.
I had debated a trailer for a few months before I decided to go for it. I wanted something with 14 or 15" wheels and relatively light weight. I got both. Frequently it doubles as the utility trailer it really is.
Joe3
Sports Rig
Check it out in the product reviews section or go to their website www.sportsrig.com. Without question the best trailer for light loads.
Regards,
Bill
do it yourself
Habor Freight tools out of Ca sell a nice utility trailer in kit form for from $199. THRU $250. shipped to your door. Put it together yourself and save $$.Just add your own rack or bunk systen. I have one set up to haul my Cobra fish n dive that is all set up for fishing…works great.
SnowBear 8000
I bought a SnowBear 8000 series trailer from Home Depot for about $600.00 and love it. http://www.snowbear.com/html/8000.html
The tongue extends two extra feet, it can hold two kayaks or one canoe as is. Front and rear panels can be laid flat giving you a 12 ft bed. I built a wooded rack that I can slide in/out to haul more boats when needed.
Slide the tongue in and the trailer tilts real easy for loading lawn tractors, etc. Check it out.
Another Snowbear fan…
…got mine at Costco; $570. Removed the “head” and “tail” gates. Bolted 2 2x4s to the top rails; then bolted my Thule Hull-a-Port saddles AND a Thule box on them. Built a cradle to hold two boats, bolted to plywood floor. Voila! 4 kayaks and all of the gear on the trailer!