Hi, all! Does anyone here know someone who uses one of those motorized scooters that are geared towards seniors who have some difficulty walking on their own? While noticing one of those TV ads, I wondered if there was one that could be adapted to pulling a kayak, loaded onto a kayak cart. The fact that the scooter has 3 wheels makes it more stable, I would assume, than my bike, and I’ve been looking for a bike trailer for some time. It’s less than half a mile for me to get the kayak into the water, on a paved road. Rather than spending the several hundred dollars on a bike trailer, perhaps I can find an old scooter for about the same price, or not much more, and also get more stability at the same time.
Actually, if it were just for me, I’d be okay with just hauling my kayak down to the water and back by hand. However, we have several that we have to haul back and forth when we have family and friends as a group come paddling with us. So far I’ve been “the human trailer hitch” – sitting in the back of a van with the hatch lifted, hanging on to the front of the kayak, while the rest is rolling along on the kayak cart wheels. If we could somehow adapt a motorized scooter, then the relatives and friends could take turns pulling their own kayak down to the water, and have a little fun to boot! 
what about adapting
a used golf cart?
not that i’d know how (though i’m sure there would be more than one way), but i got a visual while reading yoru post.
Not a bad idea
Most golf carts out here have a roof cover that you could probably rig up a set of thule or yakima bars to with the rain gutter towers. Out here we have a lot of retirement communities so used carts are always in the paper. I like it
Trailer hitches…
Carts can be fitted with them…I have a friend who uses his golf cart to move his boat around, and to tow a small utility trailer when doing lot maintenance on a Storage facility where he works…a bicycle trailer and a golf cart, or even a simple kayak cart and a golf cart…biggest problem?
Golf carts are not street legal in many locations…might have to drive on the sidewalk…(NOT).
Four wheel carts…electric
10 mile range…$689 each…
http://www.spinlife.com/critpath/spec.cfm?productID=77541
Questions and suggestions.
You said 1/2 mile for you, but for you from the house (where you store boats) or 1/2 mile after you drive to parking area? Do you meed to load trans the elect scooter to unload and then tow boats? Is there a charging station? If manufacturer says 10 mile range it means something less. So elect scooter at very best would make 5 round trips, but probably more like 4 or 3. And that is carrying one person and one boat. If several are going paddling the elect scooter must be shuttled. So only half the trips are productive and someone has to walk one leg of each trip to do the shuttling. Now only two paddlers and boats can be delivered each way before elect scooter needs a recharge? Hummm ... Sounds impractical.
If you can take a golf cart on this road that might be the better idea. Can seat 2 to 4 paddlers and haul at least 2 and carry 1 or 2 boats at a time. This assuming you do not have to load the cart into a car (like to see that ;^) to take to the parking lot. Range is more than 10 miles on golf carts I have seen. Also better designed to be out in the weather.
There are lots of places that sell used golf carts.
If you decide and start looking for scooters or carts let us know and maybe we can help. I will look up those places I have seen carts and maybe scooters. What area of the country are you in, or is the cart needed in?
Good Luck.
>:^)
Mick
Adult tricycle?
How about an adult size tricycle
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=882975&cat=133073&type=21&dept=4125&path=0%3A4125%3A133073
Leave the boats on your existing carts. Should be pretty easy to adapt the basket in the back to hold the bow of the boat.
Hmmm… battery charge…
Thanks for the input, Mick (and everyone)!
I already thought about the golf cart, but it’s only a two-car garage, and there isn’t even enough room for all the kayaks. When I saw the electric scooter ads, I thought that that might be a solution for all the folks paddling with us, some of which wouldn’t be easily able to peddle my bike even if I found a good bike trailer for it.
I thought that the scooter would take up little enough space to be stored indoors, whereas we’d have to have more space for a golf cart.
The road down to the marina is less than half a mile, on a paved residential street (no sidewalks) – it’s a small community, and several of the neighbors have already been borrowing the kayaks, some have bought their own, and some are now looking. I love that! Actually, one neighbor who uses ours a lot is storing a couple in his garage since we have so little room left in our garage. I want to find a good way to transport all these boats when we have groups of friends and relatives come for a paddling outing. Your mention of the battery charge issue is something that I hadn’t considered – good point!
Sounds like a great excuse…
… to buy a new Vespa…
Come to think of it that might work for me…
There’s a hitch! (Isn’t there always?! )
This looked really interesting! I contacted them, but here’s the reply I received:
“Unfortunately the scooters sold through Spinlife do not have an
attachment or receiver for a hitch to pull another object.”
THAT will be the key thing, whatever I get. The idea of the bike with three wheels and the basket in back is worth exploring… just need to figure out how to attach the bow of the kayak securely to whatever holds the basket.
Trailer hitch…
Small electric scooters have bicycle type seats with a post....this type of trailer attaches to the POST.
http://www.tonystrailers.com/kayak/
NOW WHY? Electric I mean...here's a GAS Scooter that does it all, and the trailer above, or a similar one would connect to the seat post....
GAS eliminates the electric charge issue....
http://bestscooterbuys.com/xg470.html
Tony’s Trayak
What synchronicity! I just e-mailed Tony of Tony’s Trailers less than an hour ago, before seeing your posting! I actually looked at his bike trailer site about a year ago, and at that time felt that I couldn’t afford one. However, he custom makes them, and apparently they are high quality and usually, you “get what you pay for.” Anyway, I may wind up going with my original idea of a trailer for my bike, as when I contacted “The Scooter Store” (.com) and asked about hitches, I was told that they are not meant to pull loads… it would burn out the battery.
The problem with a gas-powered scooter is the noise. I really dislike noisy engines… that’s why I prefer a kayak over a motorboat or worse, a jet ski! If there is a QUIET gas-powered scooter, I would likely be interested.
I originally thought of those seniors scooters as one way that others could also haul the kayaks down to the water with, not only me, but what the heck… I could certainly use the exercise of peddling my bike back and forth until the “floatilla” is all sitting at the waterline, awaiting the paddlers!
Thanks again so much to everyone for all this great input!