Kayak Trailer for 1 1/4" receiver

Advice
#1

Does anyone know of a kayak trailer that can be used with an 1 1/4" class II receiver?



Thanks,

Dina

#2

any lightweight trailer
that doesn’t exceed the rating of the hitch… I’ve pulled a kayak/canoe trailer (made by Genesis trailers in MI) halfway across the country full of boats, with my Honda Element and a similar hitch.

#3

yeah most light weight trailers are.
My canoe trailer is. I think the 1 1/4" goes up to 1500lbs or something. Jetski trailers used to be, they may not be now. Either way, a trailer ball is about $10.



Ryan L.

#4

Ways to adapt, and one NOT to do
If you want a trailer that comes stock with the common 2" ball, you can buy a drawbar-and-ball combo to fit your 1 1/4" hitch receiver, for very little money. I did that when I had a Class I receiver on a Jeep Wrangler.



Just make sure you do not exceed the lowest common denominator. That is, the weakest link in your setup is the limiting factor, regardless how much higher a load other parts can support. It could be any of the following:


  • Max tongue weight
  • Max load of the trailer
  • Max load of the hitch
  • Max load of the drawbar
  • Max load of the ball
  • Towing capacity of the vehicle
  • Max load of the trailer tires–but this probably doesn’t matter with such a light load as kayaks



    Whatever you do, do NOT use the bike-rack adaptor that makes a 1 1/4" receiver fit a bike rack that is made for 2" receiver. That’s fine for putting a couple of bikes over the hitch but it is not recommended for trailering.
#5

Trailer for 1 1/4" receiver
Thank you for your reply. It was very helpful. I appreciate it! Dina

#6

Actually, there are more things to avoid
I’m glad you found it helpful. After posting yesterday, I realized there is more than one thing you should not do, for safety reasons. So I’ve edited my original post, as follows:



SAFE TO DO:



If you want a trailer that comes stock with the common 2" ball coupler, you can buy a drawbar-and-ball combo (has a 1 1/4" drawbar with a 2" ball) to fit your 1 1/4" hitch receiver, for very little money. I did that when I had a Class I receiver on a Jeep Wrangler. If you already have a 1 1/4" drawbar and it accepts a 2" ball, the ball alone costs only $10 to $15.





NOT SAFE TO DO:


  1. Make sure you do not exceed the lowest common denominator. That is, the weakest link in your setup is the limiting factor, regardless how much higher a load other parts can support. It could be any of the following:


  • Max tongue weight
  • Max load of the trailer
  • Max load of the hitch
  • Max load of the drawbar
  • Max load of the ball
  • Towing capacity of the vehicle
  • Max load of the trailer tires–but this probably doesn’t matter with such a light load as kayaks


  1. Do NOT use the bike-rack adaptor that makes a 1 1/4" receiver fit a bike rack made for 2" receiver. That’s fine for putting a couple of bikes over the hitch but it is not recommended for trailering.


  2. Do not try to tow with a 2" coupler on a 1 7/8" ball–they look similar being only slightly different in size. But this is very dangerous. Yes, trailer dealers have told me people actually do this!





    ALSO,

    A suggestion not related to physical safety: Avoid having your trailer stolen by locking it. There is more than one lock involved:


  3. Lock the drawbar in the hitch receiver, which you can do with a cylindrical-keyed pass-through lock (sold at hitch dealers); this item replaces the nonlocking cotter pin setup that comes standard. If you don’t lock this, someone can take the pin out and steal your trailer with it attached to the drawbar and ball.
  4. Lock the coupler so that it cannot be unlatched from the ball. A weather-resistant padlock (bronze) from the hardware store will do the trick.
  5. If the spare tire is mounted to the trailer, lock that on also. What you do will depend exactly where and how it is mounted.



    I know this seems like a lot of fuss but trailers frequently get stolen. While the above steps are no guarantee, they create some deterrents. Good luck, and I bet you will love having a trailer to haul the boats!
#7

Kayak Trailer for 1 1/4" receiver
Pikabike, Thank you for all your information. I’m new to the whole trailer thing so I really appreciate all of your advice. Thanks for taking so much time to explain things.

#8

Trailers
I have been looking too. Check out:

Malone: http://maloneautoracks.com/sport-trailers.php

Magneta: http://www.magnetatrailers.com/

Yakima makes a nice one as well.

#9

Choice of trailers
Because it is easy to put a 2" ball on a 1 1/4" drawbar, you will have a wider range of trailers to choose from. Some kayak trailers come with 2" coupler, some with 1 7/8" coupler. Sometimes you can switch couplers, but the bolt-hole spacing on the tongue is likely to NOT be the same.



For instance, SportsRig, Yakima (what used to be Rack n Roll trailer), and the non-commercial-duty Trailex trailers come with 1 7/8" coupler. But Malone’s trailer and the larger-capacity Trailex trailers come with a 2" coupler, which is the most common size.



If you have not already done so, check out the reviews right here on Paddling.net. I posted a review of the Trailex SUT-350-M2 that I bought last year. IMO, the perfect kayak trailer has not yet been commercially manufactured. But you have more choices now than there were 10 years ago.

#10

Trailers
It’s a good idea to put a pin in the lever assembly that opens the hitch on the ball.

Some states (and Canada) will ticket you if no pin is used. I live in Michigan, where no pin is required.

#11

I Put a Small Padlock…
…instead of a pin. Makes stealing a bit more inconvenient.

#12

Putting a lock on it
…is also a good way to check that you seated the coupler fully on the ball.



I know someone who did not do it right. The trailer came unhitched from the vehicle. Glad I wasn’t around, especially in back!