Thank you for showing this. I've been looking at carts figuring to take the best of all and put it into my creation. This covers everything! I hadn't thought of being able to flip the kayak to transport it. Awesome!
Excellent video and instructions. Much better than the commercial cart/dollies I've seen at Amazon and other retailers. Simple, inexpensive and functional. Nice work!
Bless you for this! I spent 2 years restoring a cedar strip canoe..last week I went and spent $160 Cdn for a cart..went for a maiden voyage 10min and some lowlife stole my cart..I found your video and am so impressed that youwould go to such an effort to help someone like me..now I can forget the slimeball who stole the other one and think about how cool you are..restores my faith..again Bless you!
Oh my gosh - thank you!! You just made canoeing in my own canoe with my young son possible! He isn't much help transporting, portaging, or car-topping as you can imagine. It was proving to be a barrier to getting out on the water as much as I wanted to because I felt I needed to rely on others to help me load, unload, transport or I would sometimes opt to rent waterside (which made me CRAZY since I own a canoe!). I can't thank you enough :)
Built mine last nite and fished Oceanside Harbour this morning. Held all my gear plus a heavy as heck deep cycle marine battery that powers a trolling motor. In public with out practising the battery acting as a counter weight I smoothly negotiated the docks and launched like a pro! Awesome tool!!
Built one--took about an hour. I just ratchet strap my canoe to the cart , then use a tarp strap from the seat support or thwart to the cart and it stays put. This thing is GREAT ! I'm going to share the plans with my son for his Kayak. THANK YOU !
I just found this video. I'm in Canada and parts totalled around $70.00. It was still cheaper than the cheapest manufactured dolly and a far superior design. After a little math to calculate the cuts, it only took about 1/2 an hour to build. Thanks again
Just discovered this tutorial...super straightforward and clear. Great quality! Can't wait to try this out. My kayak bottom is scraped up from all the times I've dragged it around the side of the house...
This is a great design. I built one for my kayak and it is bomb proof - so much more sturdy than the $100+ ones you can buy at a store or on line. Thanks for posting this video.
This is by far the best instruction for building a cart. We will adjust the width to fit the kayak and take the wings off for kayak purposes. Off to get parts Btw, the puppy is the best!!!
Hello! Awesome job. Super simple sturdy design. Just an FYI... If you load the canoe or kayak mid-ship it becomes super easy to lift and maneuver as the cart supports the entire load. Sometimes portages are a mile or more and this makes the task simply walking with the canoe rather than lifting it off the ground and carrying the load. Nice job. I'm going to build one tomorrow. Also for outdoor weather long-term durability I saw another vid where a guy sprayed truck bed liner over the surfaces making them UV proof and a bit stronger. Thanks for posting.
I built one from your plans out of PVC and destroyed it in the first few minutes so instead of quitting I adapted your plans to some 1" square 16 gauge metal tubing I had. After a couple of hours cutting and welding I have a heavy duty yet still light version that does what I wanted with out any flexing.. Thanks for your plans.
Thank you for posting your canoe cart. I used it as a model to build one for my 100 pound paddle boat. Works great. Because the boat is heavy I used 1 inch pvc pipe and added 1/2 inch pvc pipe internally as re-enforcement. I already had the wheelbarrow wheels, glue, and the 1/2 inch pvc, so I had to buy 2 1 inch pvc pipes, the pvc fittings (about $20), the 5/8 inch metal threaded rod ($20), a couple of 5/8 inch nuts and 5/8 steel spacers (about $5) at Lowe's home improvements. I placed end caps for looks and a threaded T so I can easily attach/dis-attach the pull/push handle. My biggest suggestion is not to glue anything together until you are sure the measurements are right. The one I built is bigger in width because the paddle boat is wider so I had to use my own measurements. The closest cart I could find that MAY work on my paddle boat, I found at LL.Bean for $150. So.... I know this one works for my wide boat and saved me about $100. Following is a link to the photo. Thanks again. Fun project and gave me bragging rights. :) www.clippersolutions.com/pbcart.jpg
Hi There, used your plans and adapted for a kayak works wonderful Instead of parallel top rails, I angled the rails to follow the contour of the hull Fits like a glove Also didn't need the handle I mount my kayak by standing behind the cart with both feet chocking the wheels. Cart is tilted down , with kayak to the side I lift it onto the cart , it levels up and I secure with a bungee. then i can move feet away, Go to the front and away I go !
Anything but very smooth terrain will take the wheels out even with tie down. I tried the build and liked it, but where I go I need something more sturdy and stable. Glad it works for you.
I was looking for a DIY canoe trailer- and this exceeded my expectations! Well done! Love the supply list you provided- adult legos! Haha great project for my 8 year old Son and I. Thanks again!
got it built with the help of the kids. cost 42 dollars with a coupon at harbor frieght. works well on trail works great on paved road. thank you. i have an 14ft alluminum canoe. the heavy canoe probably could have used larger wheels. but gosh the wheels were onlly 4 dollars each and it works . there is a learning curve on strapping technice . i use two staps around carrier to keep it centered and snug to the canoe. the plans work perfect and shopping list is acurate.
Just stumbled onto your video and plans. Great idea and best set of plans I have found so far. I just picked up a 15' Old Town Canoe. this will be perfect to move it around. Thaks.
This is pretty awesome. I got everything but the wheels from lows for just under $30 That included the 1" PVC pipe and fittings as well as a 3/8" x 3' threaded rod, nuts and bolts, pipe insulation, and pvc ratchet cutter. I got the wheels for about $8 for 2 at harbor freight. Before this project I purchased a dolly at sports authority for around $70 and it was a piece of junk, so I took it back. This PVC dolly will be much sturdier and i like the looks of it much better, and it floats. All for around $38 :)
I looked at many suggested designs and decided on this one. I like the option of carrying the canoe right side up or upside down. I might suggest cutting a slot in the end of the axle to allow a screwdriver to keep axle from turning as lock nut is tightened. I originally had planned to have the dolly located at the middle of canoe when moving which would require a longer axle for my 17' canoe when carrying canoe upside down(a 3' axle would probably do). The advantage of locating dolly in the middle is that weight of canoe is balanced on either end making it easier to tow. With canoe upright dolly is easily located in center. One thing not really explained is that with an upside down positioned canoe relies on contacting the two pipes on either side. A single contact point on each side does not make for a stable support. The demonstration illustrates that stability is provided when the handle at bottom is forced up against the bottom making a three-point contact with the weight of canoe forcing the two supporting pipes toward the other side of a vertical line through the wheels. Probably a complicated way to explain it but the best I can do
I forgot to mention the handle when it flips up against the bottom of canoe when transporting upside down may hit thwarts or seats so positioning is important. I even thought about adding another "T" at the outboard end of single pipes at center, adding short pipes and another elbow and short pipe at ends to make a three-point contact on each side when transporting upside down.
Thanks man, I'll definitely use your design!!! And I'll send you pictures afterwards. You should sell this thing: I'm sure that you can do better than most of the manufacturers because your design is simple, functional, and cheap.
Thanks for the video, and the design! I live right on a river but we're on a steep hill, so it's been a pain to drag the boats up by hand and one of the canoes has a keel, so I didn't like dragging it. I altered your design. We have 2 canoes of different sizes and a kayak. I ran into the same instability issue others did, so built two wheeled frames and interchangeable middle connecter pieces of different sizes to fit the different boats-this allows me to easily strap the frames to the seats and keep the boats from slipping off). I used an 1-1/4" pipe for the middle pieces and the handles from your 1" frames are 24" long, I slide them into the 1-1/4" middle pipe with 2 holes drilled on each for each side secured with locking pins. This way the cart can be easily adjusted for each boat and it can also be broken down for easy storage. There are trees on the hill between here and the house, so instead of doing the same 1-piece 5/8" threaded rod in the front, I broke down a portaging cart we had, repurposed the wheels that had independent pin sets and made a separate section for the front: your (shortened) design on top, with a separate piece of pipe below for the wheels, T-fitting in the middle, and I drilled a hole through the 2 T-fittings and inserted a bolt with some large flat washers between the PVC fittings so there's some (albeit clunky) steering. The T-fitting of the top part (your design) has the handle pointed backwards to be inserted to the middle 1-1/4 piece. The "axle piece" has the handle facing forward so I can hand-pull it or hook it up to a tractor. For that portion, I drilled a put a cap at the end of the handle and drilled a hole and put an eye bolt through it so I can connect it to the tractor pin, or I can carabiner a hand-pulling handle onto it. I finally finished and tested it today and it works. I think the extra torque strain from the hill might cause the front frame to break sooner. However your cheap and easy design, and. Ecause it isn't permanently attached to the back section will allow me to rebuild it and/or alter the design a bit to suit the extra strain. Sorry for the log-winded and poorly explained redesign. You were immensely helpful, though. If you're interested, I'll take some pictures or make a video. But it started raining shortly after I finished today.
The way you put it onto your vehicle was smart! Using the wheels to act like a second person almost. Ive been toughing it up the side of my vehicle and I am going to try that method next. I have some el cheapo cart I bought. I should make my own soon.
So far so good. I had to cut two more 2" joiners cuz my end caps weren't like yours. But it went together. Haven't glued anything yet but it's together. I just hope it holds my tank of a canoe. It's a good 100 pounds.
Thanks again, for the clear and concise video. I've just completed mine, started out with a few mistakes, still got one that I won't try to fix as I've glued. :-)
This was a great video, thank you. I went out and bought everything and had it built in no time. Only thing I used different was 1/2 inch PVC, just because the kayak is a lot lighter. And it is a lot cheaper than going to Academy sports and buying one for 60 bucks.
Finished up my cart today,works great.the only thing I did was make it a little wider and I have 13 inch wheels.would put a pic but not sure how on here.thanks for the video helped me out a lot!
Best canoe cart video because it is VITAL to be able to care canoe with gunwales down in order to be able to load onto a vehicle. Nice to be able to carry right side up for carrying canoe full of gear to put-in, but this solves my problem of getting canoe on car. I USED to be able to just lift it up, but not any more! THANK YOU! Nothing like this on the market.
Love, love, love this design! I'm a short (5' tall), 61 yo woman and I've been looking for a plan that would help me with my 11' kayak. I have little upper body strength so this would also help me load by being able to roll it up to my mini van. Can it be used to help unload? So happy to see this video. In fact, I have some of the materials (wheels, PVC) so all I need is the fittings, threaded rod, washers, nuts and pipe insulation. Your video is so well laid out, explained and demonstrated. I'll take pics when I have it finished. Thank you for sharing your plan. I so very much appreciate it!
Nice job you did not say how tall the frame is can you let me know. I find it hard getting the canoe on the dolly I guess I need to make a handle maybe you can send me a video of you doing this task.. I boat by myself and I'm 59 yrs old I'm not as strong as I used to be. Just to let you know I put out riggers on my canoe because I fish in the Hudson River it can be very rough at times. They work very well I will never flip with them oñ thank you for your video it helped me alot
Burning the midnight oil. Just made one. Did not calculate one piece right. It's 4am now, home depot open I think at 6am. Going fishing at 8:30am. My friend is new to fishing and has not got use to getting up earlier. I'm always on the water by 7am. Thanks a lot, can't wait to use it. Going after some crappie today.
Thanks for the idea. I made one and it seemed to be working ok, then it broke at one of the t-joints. I blame more my canoe being heavy as hell than anything. It's an older coleman canoe. Built like a tank but also just as heavy. I'll probably modify the design to suit my needs but building a second dolly with the same design and linking them up with the handle t-joint for better stability.
Maybe this is a silly question but did you use pipe cement to seal it all together? I just built one ... thanks for the plans they’re awesome ... but in testing it out it isn’t tight enough to stay together, it sort of collapsed. I have several ideas for solutions just wondering what others have tried. Thanks!
Thanks! Great vid. I built based off of your parts list, looks great. However, when in use every single fitting rotates and it very easily collapses. How did you fit the pipes into the couplers? Did you use pvc cement?
Great, simple design. Well done video. How about a piece of rope threaded through the handle end cap (knotted on the inside). Then you could run the canoe and cart right into the water at the ramp and retrieve the cart with the rope once the canoe is floating...
Seems like a great design, however can't keep the cart under the canoe which is quite heavy. I broke the middle tee coupling for the handle on my first go round... Any sugguestions?
I can’t get the cart to work with my cedar strip canoe turned upside down. The whole unit pivots downward, so that the “handle” is digging into the ground, or it pivots upward and the end of the canoe scrapes the ground. What’s your recommendation?
I thought your design and presentation was great, too, so I built mine accordingly. Wasn't sure if I needed the wings, so haven't added them yet. But I think carrying it upside down may be best. Thanks!
Hi, I made one and it works great and had no problems with your directions mainly because I do this sort of thing for a living (I'm a GC), but for projects such as this and others like it, may I suggest that you supply some sort of "cut list". Instead of just saying it should be 9" wide, 7" high, etc., a cut list allows for the lengths that go into the tee's, etc. For example: the fittings I used, the insert length is 15/16ths (so I rounded off to 1", because it's not that critical) thus, if you want 9" between fittings then you have to cut the tubing to 11". I little diagram at the end of the video of where these pieces go in relation to each other would be helpful. Also, I used the large wheels off of an old lawnmower and as things worked out I didn't need to cut the threaded rod, plus, I used end caps on the exposed ends which not only makes it look neater but it keeps the foam tubing from sliding off. I think mine could beat yours in a race.
Ok, so I followed your instructions and I would say have the same cart. than you for the diagram. I have a big problem though. How in the world do you use the cart with the canoe upside down? for me it only has one point of contact on each side, making it really unstable, it wiggles and falls backward or forward. How do you hold the cart? Can you help me with that? THank you!
Hardest part is getting the carrier to stay put underneath the canoe and not slip out. If you have any tricks, I'd love to see a video. Bungies and straps aren't helping at all. I'm on my second cart now because the weight of a standard canoe forces the cart to slip out and eventually break after too many tries.
Built this. The cart falls over when ever I try to move the canoe. Where along the canoe do you strap it (seat, thwart, etc.)? Do you position it a special way when you carry the canoe upside down?
Put it together almost to the letter of your pattern. As soon as I put my canoe on it it fell apart. I know that glue would sturdy it up somewhat but my canoe is aluminum and I think yours would work better with a plastic boat.
I noticed a loop (wire?) through the bow. I am rebuilding a Sq. back canoe, and need something like that. Did it come with the boat? Any Ideas, I like the fact that it stays out, protrudes away from bow.
I built one of these today, thanks, you saved me a bunch of time figuring this out. My only problem is finding that pipe insulation, where did you get yours? Once I find that, I'll send you a picture. Thanks again, Jon
Wondering if you think your design can be altered to use the cart as a dolly for moving stuff from the put in or dock to a campsite? We have some boat-in campgrounds that have a bit of a distance to the site. I'm thinking that the single handle could be replaced with two handles, equally spaced from the vertical supports that are bridged by a cross piece glued into place with two 90 degree elbows. The side wings might reduce its effectiveness in tight spaces, so I suppose those could be shortened to within the inside of the wheels. What do you think?
I have the same question as GoneByRVBlog. In the video the PVC appears larger than 1 inch. Also, you indicate that the length between the two top support bars is 12 inches. That being the case, is that the length between the inside, center or outside of the two support bars? I appreciate any clarification you can provide. Thanks and regards.
I built this project to spec based on the excellent video and multiple positive comments. I have to be doing something terribly wrong though. Although the cart works on a paved surface, as soon as you travel over grass or any other rough terrain, the cart slips out from underneath the canoe. I've tried securing the cart to the canoe with a bungee cord (useless) and even a ratchet strap...no luck. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
@@johnjames3440 I am doing similar project bigger wheels and tires are a must if moving about the yard or off any hard packed surface just from my own observations.
Great video, cart looks great. The end caps are not available at Lowes, HD, or Ace in the Denver area, and $6 each on Amazon were a deal breaker for me...back to the drawing board!
If you haven't already figured something else out, I promise you HD carries the 1 inch. Schedule 40 plug (I used a plug rather than the cap because, unless you have a drill press, it's easier to drill a good hole in a plug than a cap that's going to be a little rounded-also I think it just suits this job better). I went in yesterday and made sure. I couldn't find it online or on the app, though, it only shows the threaded. There's probably a mistake in the computer system and they have the same SKU for both. Also, FYI, the employees that work there have no say over the organization of the department. There's a separate team that comes in and seems to do a set up that makes absolutely no sense, and right when we learned where everything is, they'd change it again. The smooth plugs were not only NOT next to the other plugs and caps, they were on a different shelf. If your Denver store doesn't have them find a manager or someone that's been there for a long time and have them call another store and get a store-to-store transfer. It may take a week, but it's free and the plugs will only be about $1. Hope this helps.
Nice cart. I love the fact that I will be able to load my canoe on my Expedition without breaking my back! Can you give specifics of the components and the recommended assembly method? Thanks!
Thank you for showing this. I've been looking at carts figuring to take the best of all and put it into my creation. This covers everything! I hadn't thought of being able to flip the kayak to transport it. Awesome!
Excellent video and instructions.
Much better than the commercial cart/dollies I've seen at Amazon and other retailers.
Simple, inexpensive and functional.
Nice work!
Thank you!
Bless you for this! I spent 2 years restoring a cedar strip canoe..last week I went and spent $160 Cdn for a cart..went for a maiden voyage 10min and some lowlife stole my cart..I found your video and am so impressed that youwould go to such an effort to help someone like me..now I can forget the slimeball who stole the other one and think about how cool you are..restores my faith..again Bless you!
Ardyth Fitzgerald I'm sorry your cart got stolen. I'm glad you like the video though.
Oh my gosh - thank you!! You just made canoeing in my own canoe with my young son possible! He isn't much help transporting, portaging, or car-topping as you can imagine. It was proving to be a barrier to getting out on the water as much as I wanted to because I felt I needed to rely on others to help me load, unload, transport or I would sometimes opt to rent waterside (which made me CRAZY since I own a canoe!). I can't thank you enough :)
Built mine last nite and fished Oceanside Harbour this morning. Held all my gear plus a heavy as heck deep cycle marine battery that powers a trolling motor. In public with out practising the battery acting as a counter weight I smoothly negotiated the docks and launched like a pro! Awesome tool!!
The first cart I've seen made with the option to flip over a canoe, nice build
Built one--took about an hour. I just ratchet strap my canoe to the cart , then use a tarp strap from the seat support or thwart to the cart and it stays put. This thing is GREAT ! I'm going to share the plans with my son for his Kayak. THANK YOU !
I just found this video. I'm in Canada and parts totalled around $70.00. It was still cheaper than the cheapest manufactured dolly and a far superior design. After a little math to calculate the cuts, it only took about 1/2 an hour to build. Thanks again
Dude!! Thank you for making this video. I'm not a boat owner, but it gave me direction to make a weedwacker trolley. Thank you!
Just discovered this tutorial...super straightforward and clear. Great quality! Can't wait to try this out. My kayak bottom is scraped up from all the times I've dragged it around the side of the house...
This is a great design. I built one for my kayak and it is bomb proof - so much more sturdy than the $100+ ones you can buy at a store or on line. Thanks for posting this video.
This is by far the best instruction for building a cart. We will adjust the width to fit the kayak and take the wings off for kayak purposes. Off to get parts Btw, the puppy is the best!!!
Hello! Awesome job. Super simple sturdy design. Just an FYI... If you load the canoe or kayak mid-ship it becomes super easy to lift and maneuver as the cart supports the entire load. Sometimes portages are a mile or more and this makes the task simply walking with the canoe rather than lifting it off the ground and carrying the load. Nice job. I'm going to build one tomorrow. Also for outdoor weather long-term durability I saw another vid where a guy sprayed truck bed liner over the surfaces making them UV proof and a bit stronger. Thanks for posting.
I built one from your plans out of PVC and destroyed it in the first few minutes so instead of quitting I adapted your plans to some 1" square 16 gauge metal tubing I had. After a couple of hours cutting and welding I have a heavy duty yet still light version that does what I wanted with out any flexing.. Thanks for your plans.
Thank you for posting your canoe cart.
I used it as a model to build one for my 100 pound paddle boat. Works great.
Because the boat is heavy I used 1 inch pvc pipe and added 1/2 inch pvc pipe internally as re-enforcement. I already had the wheelbarrow wheels, glue, and the 1/2 inch pvc, so I had to buy 2 1 inch pvc pipes, the pvc fittings (about $20), the 5/8 inch metal threaded rod ($20), a couple of 5/8 inch nuts and 5/8 steel spacers (about $5) at Lowe's home improvements. I placed end caps for looks and a threaded T so I can easily attach/dis-attach the pull/push handle. My biggest suggestion is not to glue anything together until you are sure the measurements are right. The one I built is bigger in width because the paddle boat is wider so I had to use my own measurements. The closest cart I could find that MAY work on my paddle boat, I found at LL.Bean for $150. So.... I know this one works for my wide boat and saved me about $100. Following is a link to the photo.
Thanks again. Fun project and gave me bragging rights. :)
www.clippersolutions.com/pbcart.jpg
Very cool! I'm glad the cart worked out for you and saved you some money.
Your cart design was what I was looking for. Not only does it carry the canoe well, it can help you load it singlehanded on a SUV. Thanks
Hi There, used your plans and adapted for a kayak
works wonderful
Instead of parallel top rails, I angled the rails to follow the contour of the hull
Fits like a glove
Also didn't need the handle
I mount my kayak by standing behind the cart with both feet chocking the wheels.
Cart is tilted down , with kayak to the side I lift it onto the cart , it levels up and I secure with a bungee. then i can move feet away, Go to the front and away I go !
jim c Awesome idea about angling the top supports!
love the out-takes on the back end I used to do that with my TV show.
thanks for posting
Anything but very smooth terrain will take the wheels out even with tie down. I tried the build and liked it, but where I go I need something more sturdy and stable. Glad it works for you.
You sir, have no idea what a blessing and life saver you are, lol. Thank you for the information!!!
I was looking for a DIY canoe trailer- and this exceeded my expectations! Well done! Love the supply list you provided- adult legos! Haha great project for my 8 year old Son and I. Thanks again!
got it built with the help of the kids. cost 42 dollars with a coupon at harbor frieght. works well on trail works great on paved road. thank you. i have an 14ft alluminum canoe. the heavy canoe probably could have used larger wheels. but gosh the wheels were onlly 4 dollars each and it works . there is a learning curve on strapping technice . i use two staps around carrier to keep it centered and snug to the canoe. the plans work perfect and shopping list is acurate.
Well done video. Simple, robust, inexpensive, solution to a problem I have needed to solve. I'm going to build one of my own.
Just stumbled onto your video and plans. Great idea and best set of plans I have found so far. I just picked up a 15' Old Town Canoe. this will be perfect to move it around. Thaks.
Great idea! Best canoe caddy I've seen yet. I am going to use your design. Thanks
This is pretty awesome. I got everything but the wheels from lows for just under $30 That included the 1" PVC pipe and fittings as well as a 3/8" x 3' threaded rod, nuts and bolts, pipe insulation, and pvc ratchet cutter. I got the wheels for about $8 for 2 at harbor freight. Before this project I purchased a dolly at sports authority for around $70 and it was a piece of junk, so I took it back. This PVC dolly will be much sturdier and i like the looks of it much better, and it floats. All for around $38 :)
You could have bought a well-manufactured, very sturdy no-flat kayak dolly from Amazon for $35.
I looked at many suggested designs and decided on this one. I like the option of carrying the canoe right side up or upside down. I might suggest cutting a slot in the end of the axle to allow a screwdriver to keep axle from turning as lock nut is tightened. I originally had planned to have the dolly located at the middle of canoe when moving which would require a longer axle for my 17' canoe when carrying canoe upside down(a 3' axle would probably do). The advantage of locating dolly in the middle is that weight of canoe is balanced on either end making it easier to tow. With canoe upright dolly is easily located in center. One thing not really explained is that with an upside down positioned canoe relies on contacting the two pipes on either side. A single contact point on each side does not make for a stable support. The demonstration illustrates that stability is provided when the handle at bottom is forced up against the bottom making a three-point contact with the weight of canoe forcing the two supporting pipes toward the other side of a vertical line through the wheels. Probably a complicated way to explain it but the best I can do
I forgot to mention the handle when it flips up against the bottom of canoe when transporting upside down may hit thwarts or seats so positioning is important. I even thought about adding another "T" at the outboard end of single pipes at center, adding short pipes and another elbow and short pipe at ends to make a three-point contact on each side when transporting upside down.
My search is over! Thanks for putting this out .
Thank you for sharing this with us! I followed your plans instructions and worked great using some spare wheels from an old spread seeder.
Thanks man, I'll definitely use your design!!! And I'll send you pictures afterwards.
You should sell this thing: I'm sure that you can do better than most of the manufacturers because your design is simple, functional, and cheap.
Love the out takes.
Thanks for the video, and the design!
I live right on a river but we're on a steep hill, so it's been a pain to drag the boats up by hand and one of the canoes has a keel, so I didn't like dragging it.
I altered your design. We have 2 canoes of different sizes and a kayak. I ran into the same instability issue others did, so built two wheeled frames and interchangeable middle connecter pieces of different sizes to fit the different boats-this allows me to easily strap the frames to the seats and keep the boats from slipping off). I used an 1-1/4" pipe for the middle pieces and the handles from your 1" frames are 24" long, I slide them into the 1-1/4" middle pipe with 2 holes drilled on each for each side secured with locking pins. This way the cart can be easily adjusted for each boat and it can also be broken down for easy storage. There are trees on the hill between here and the house, so instead of doing the same 1-piece 5/8" threaded rod in the front, I broke down a portaging cart we had, repurposed the wheels that had independent pin sets and made a separate section for the front: your (shortened) design on top, with a separate piece of pipe below for the wheels, T-fitting in the middle, and I drilled a hole through the 2 T-fittings and inserted a bolt with some large flat washers between the PVC fittings so there's some (albeit clunky) steering.
The T-fitting of the top part (your design) has the handle pointed backwards to be inserted to the middle 1-1/4 piece. The "axle piece" has the handle facing forward so I can hand-pull it or hook it up to a tractor. For that portion, I drilled a put a cap at the end of the handle and drilled a hole and put an eye bolt through it so I can connect it to the tractor pin, or I can carabiner a hand-pulling handle onto it.
I finally finished and tested it today and it works. I think the extra torque strain from the hill might cause the front frame to break sooner. However your cheap and easy design, and. Ecause it isn't permanently attached to the back section will allow me to rebuild it and/or alter the design a bit to suit the extra strain.
Sorry for the log-winded and poorly explained redesign. You were immensely helpful, though. If you're interested, I'll take some pictures or make a video. But it started raining shortly after I finished today.
I'm glad the video was helpful. I'd love to see some photos whenever you get a chance.
Best instruction on Canoe/Kayak cart online by far.
The way you put it onto your vehicle was smart! Using the wheels to act like a second person almost. Ive been toughing it up the side of my vehicle and I am going to try that method next. I have some el cheapo cart I bought. I should make my own soon.
Thank you for the PDF. I went & got all the supplies today. Thanks to the Home Depot gift card I had I have like $12 invested :)
So far so good. I had to cut two more 2" joiners cuz my end caps weren't like yours. But it went together. Haven't glued anything yet but it's together.
I just hope it holds my tank of a canoe. It's a good 100 pounds.
Thanks again, for the clear and concise video. I've just completed mine, started out with a few mistakes, still got one that I won't try to fix as I've glued. :-)
This was a great video, thank you. I went out and bought everything and had it built in no time. Only thing I used different was 1/2 inch PVC, just because the kayak is a lot lighter. And it is a lot cheaper than going to Academy sports and buying one for 60 bucks.
Thanks for your work. The pdf plan made it a breeze to do. Much appreciated !
Finished up my cart today,works great.the only thing I did was make it a little wider and I have 13 inch wheels.would put a pic but not sure how on here.thanks for the video helped me out a lot!
I just built mine. It works great! Thanks for the design.
Dude- your a legend - wanted to make one of these - your design is simple and effective and I intend to use it- thanks dude :-
+Nick Bamber (PembsPara) You're welcome. Glad you like it!
I’m very excited to find this! It won’t break the bank or my back! Take care!
beautiful job love it, I will definitely make one when I get a canoe.
Best canoe cart video because it is VITAL to be able to care canoe with gunwales down in order to be able to load onto a vehicle. Nice to be able to carry right side up for carrying canoe full of gear to put-in, but this solves my problem of getting canoe on car. I USED to be able to just lift it up, but not any more! THANK YOU! Nothing like this on the market.
Thanks. I'm going to ask my teenager to make one like this.Looks perfect for my canoe.👍
Very good. I was able to make a kayak cart after watching your video. Keep up the good job.
Awesome job at both your creation and the video...keep'm coming.
Love, love, love this design! I'm a short (5' tall), 61 yo woman and I've been looking for a plan that would help me with my 11' kayak. I have little upper body strength so this would also help me load by being able to roll it up to my mini van. Can it be used to help unload? So happy to see this video. In fact, I have some of the materials (wheels, PVC) so all I need is the fittings, threaded rod, washers, nuts and pipe insulation. Your video is so well laid out, explained and demonstrated. I'll take pics when I have it finished. Thank you for sharing your plan. I so very much appreciate it!
Great video. I loved the "take outs" of your pooch.
Nice job you did not say how tall the frame is can you let me know. I find it hard getting the canoe on the dolly I guess I need to make a handle maybe you can send me a video of you doing this task.. I boat by myself and I'm 59 yrs old I'm not as strong as I used to be. Just to let you know I put out riggers on my canoe because I fish in the Hudson River it can be very rough at times. They work very well I will never flip with them oñ thank you for your video it helped me alot
right ON man I just bought a canoe that looks just like the one you got so yeah I'll definitely will be building one of these carts for my canoe
Looks awesome! I appreciate the very informative video and plan to build one soon. I will try to post some pics as soon as I finish.
Thumbs up looks like it works much better than my $60 one I bought
Burning the midnight oil. Just made one. Did not calculate one piece right. It's 4am now, home depot open I think at 6am. Going fishing at 8:30am. My friend is new to fishing and has not got use to getting up earlier. I'm always on the water by 7am. Thanks a lot, can't wait to use it. Going after some crappie today.
Thanks for the idea. I made one and it seemed to be working ok, then it broke at one of the t-joints. I blame more my canoe being heavy as hell than anything. It's an older coleman canoe. Built like a tank but also just as heavy. I'll probably modify the design to suit my needs but building a second dolly with the same design and linking them up with the handle t-joint for better stability.
I made this today in about 40 minutes...Haven't used it yet but it looks awesome!
Nice! Myonly concern is the ware of the end caps by the threaded rod. Seems it will open up in short time without bearings. Just a thought.
I built mine tonight. I'm going to make a video so you can see how it turned out. Thanks!
Awesome! Can't wait to see how it turned out.
Maybe this is a silly question but did you use pipe cement to seal it all together? I just built one ... thanks for the plans they’re awesome ... but in testing it out it isn’t tight enough to stay together, it sort of collapsed. I have several ideas for solutions just wondering what others have tried. Thanks!
Thanks :) I've been wondering about making a cart more versatile...you answered my question. Great video composition too.
Thanks! Great vid. I built based off of your parts list, looks great. However, when in use every single fitting rotates and it very easily collapses. How did you fit the pipes into the couplers? Did you use pvc cement?
Me too :(
@@andrewblair7478 Did you glue everything?
PVC is measured by the inside diameter. Also, you might be looking at the T fittings, which are larger so they can fit the straight pipe on the inside
Thank you for the guide...was able to make our own watching your video. 🤙
Headed to Lowe’s today! Awesome job!
Great job! You made this very simple and understandable.
Great, simple design. Well done video.
How about a piece of rope threaded through the handle end cap (knotted on the inside).
Then you could run the canoe and cart right into the water at the ramp and retrieve the cart with the rope once the canoe is floating...
Seems like a great design, however can't keep the cart under the canoe which is quite heavy. I broke the middle tee coupling for the handle on my first go round... Any sugguestions?
i built one and am stoked to try it out! thank you!!
I can’t get the cart to work with my cedar strip canoe turned upside down. The whole unit pivots downward, so that the “handle” is digging into the ground, or it pivots upward and the end of the canoe scrapes the ground. What’s your recommendation?
I thought your design and presentation was great, too, so I built mine accordingly. Wasn't sure if I needed the wings, so haven't added them yet. But I think carrying it upside down may be best. Thanks!
+Pete M Glad you like it. Upside down works best for my canoe but you can't really do that for a kayak.
Hi, I made one and it works great and had no problems with your directions mainly because I do this sort of thing for a living (I'm a GC), but for projects such as this and others like it, may I suggest that you supply some sort of "cut list". Instead of just saying it should be 9" wide, 7" high, etc., a cut list allows for the lengths that go into the tee's, etc. For example: the fittings I used, the insert length is 15/16ths (so I rounded off to 1", because it's not that critical) thus, if you want 9" between fittings then you have to cut the tubing to 11". I little diagram at the end of the video of where these pieces go in relation to each other would be helpful. Also, I used the large wheels off of an old lawnmower and as things worked out I didn't need to cut the threaded rod, plus, I used end caps on the exposed ends which not only makes it look neater but it keeps the foam tubing from sliding off. I think mine could beat yours in a race.
You have a canoe?
Get over yourself. There is a diagram
Thank you so much for sharing! Can you explain the purpose of that long handle? it does not seem to do much for carrying the canoe. Thank you!
Ok, so I followed your instructions and I would say have the same cart. than you for the diagram.
I have a big problem though. How in the world do you use the cart with the canoe upside down? for me it only has one point of contact on each side, making it really unstable, it wiggles and falls backward or forward. How do you hold the cart?
Can you help me with that?
THank you!
Thanks for posting this. I think you just solved my problem.
Love the dogs role! Great job on the video.
Hardest part is getting the carrier to stay put underneath the canoe and not slip out. If you have any tricks, I'd love to see a video. Bungies and straps aren't helping at all. I'm on my second cart now because the weight of a standard canoe forces the cart to slip out and eventually break after too many tries.
LOVE the out-takes! (and the cart) lol
Built this. The cart falls over when ever I try to move the canoe. Where along the canoe do you strap it (seat, thwart, etc.)? Do you position it a special way when you carry the canoe upside down?
Nice idea! There's a rowing school and public-access ramp 1/4 mile from my house. I could build one of these and simply walk it there.
Your dog is precious
Thanks for the video, i followed the plan and am very happy with it.
Put it together almost to the letter of your pattern. As soon as I put my canoe on it it fell apart. I know that glue would sturdy it up somewhat but my canoe is aluminum and I think yours would work better with a plastic boat.
I noticed a loop (wire?) through the bow. I am rebuilding a Sq. back canoe, and need something like that. Did it come with the boat? Any Ideas, I like the fact that it stays out, protrudes away from bow.
I have built one, but find when I place the canoe on it with gunwhales facing down, the cart tends not to stay upright. Any thoughts?
The PVC is, in fact, 1 inch. The top supports are 12 inches apart from the centers of each pipe.
Good video, clear and simple. Thanks.
Nice video, well edited and explained. thanks...
***** Glad you liked it!
I'll be putting one of these together this weekend!
A cart like that would cost a mint at Bass Pro!
Great job. Did you use 40 or 80?
Great job all around on your video and project!
Love the blooper reel at the end.
Thanks :)
hey,
Caddis gets a thumbs up too. I've been looking for something like this. Thanks
I built one of these today, thanks, you saved me a bunch of time figuring this out. My only problem is finding that pipe insulation, where did you get yours? Once I find that, I'll send you a picture. Thanks again, Jon
I got mine at home depot.
Wondering if you think your design can be altered to use the cart as a dolly for moving stuff from the put in or dock to a campsite? We have some boat-in campgrounds that have a bit of a distance to the site. I'm thinking that the single handle could be replaced with two handles, equally spaced from the vertical supports that are bridged by a cross piece glued into place with two 90 degree elbows. The side wings might reduce its effectiveness in tight spaces, so I suppose those could be shortened to within the inside of the wheels. What do you think?
I think your design would work and would probably be stronger and more sturdy than my design.
What is the purpose of the "handle"? (the longer piece in the video) Does it simply serve as a kickstand for the cart?
I have the same question as GoneByRVBlog. In the video the PVC appears larger than 1 inch. Also, you indicate that the length between the two top support bars is 12 inches. That being the case, is that the length between the inside, center or outside of the two support bars? I appreciate any clarification you can provide. Thanks and regards.
I built this project to spec based on the excellent video and multiple positive comments. I have to be doing something terribly wrong though. Although the cart works on a paved surface, as soon as you travel over grass or any other rough terrain, the cart slips out from underneath the canoe. I've tried securing the cart to the canoe with a bungee cord (useless) and even a ratchet strap...no luck. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
+Tim Murphy You need bigger wheels/tires....go to Goodwill and get a kids bike for $5. and improvise from there....
same thing happened to me
@@johnjames3440 I am doing similar project bigger wheels and tires are a must if moving about the yard or off any hard packed surface just from my own observations.
Great Job, do you have any ideas for a Jon boat?
Great video, cart looks great. The end caps are not available at Lowes, HD, or Ace in the Denver area, and $6 each on Amazon were a deal breaker for me...back to the drawing board!
If you haven't already figured something else out, I promise you HD carries the 1 inch. Schedule 40 plug (I used a plug rather than the cap because, unless you have a drill press, it's easier to drill a good hole in a plug than a cap that's going to be a little rounded-also I think it just suits this job better). I went in yesterday and made sure. I couldn't find it online or on the app, though, it only shows the threaded. There's probably a mistake in the computer system and they have the same SKU for both.
Also, FYI, the employees that work there have no say over the organization of the department. There's a separate team that comes in and seems to do a set up that makes absolutely no sense, and right when we learned where everything is, they'd change it again. The smooth plugs were not only NOT next to the other plugs and caps, they were on a different shelf.
If your Denver store doesn't have them find a manager or someone that's been there for a long time and have them call another store and get a store-to-store transfer. It may take a week, but it's free and the plugs will only be about $1.
Hope this helps.
Nice cart. I love the fact that I will be able to load my canoe on my Expedition without breaking my back! Can you give specifics of the components and the recommended assembly method? Thanks!
How many of each PVC connectors, and is there any small pieces that need cut to put it all together?