Wheels any ideas

Show off your DIY project!
User avatar
Babylon
Needs a life (forum tragic)
Posts: 4893
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:43
kayak: 2017 Hobie Revo 13, Hobie Compass Duo
Real Name: Jim
Location: Corinella Victoria

Wheels any ideas

Post by Babylon »

Am planning a move hopefully early next year and its a 1.2 k walk form house to boat ramp
and i was wondering with all you smart people 8-) out there has anyone made a front wheel setup
for their Kayak so instead of lifting and pulling it along just grab front and start walking it, was thinking
of using mirage drive plug but not sure about stress, any ideas appreciated.Cheers Babylon :thumbsup:
User avatar
laneends
Vyak Addict
Posts: 6641
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 15:59
kayak: Quests 11 13 Adventure 16 Revo 16 ORSki epic k1
Real Name: Keith
Location: Melbourne, Bundoora

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by laneends »

Problem would be steering it the would have to pivot. Also the rear ones would rock on the scupper supports causing impact stress as weight was transferred side to side, front to back over bumps. Thats why 4x4 trailers only have one axle ideally it makes them more manouvereable and stable. A kayak trolley has no suspension.

I have thought about a harness to help take the load rather than hauling with one hand behind you. I have sometimes rigged up a shoulder strap using the tie downs thread through handle padeye to help spread the load before.

I think constantly trollying a heavily laden kayak over long distances is asking for trouble eventually. If you do this dont use a scupper trolley, maybe some kind of lightweight hand cart arrangement especially if its down a road/good path to a ramp.
User avatar
Hvalross
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1280
Joined: 24 Sep 2015, 20:05
kayak: Yellow Hobie Pro 14
Real Name: Andrew
Location: Woodend, Victoria

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by Hvalross »

This is also near and dear to my heart.....Have decided to invest in another set of wheels for the front so I can have the yak walk behind, agree that turning with two sets of wheels will be an issue, but my solution will be to "lift" the front set to effect a direction change.
When all else fails........read the instructions!
Studies have shown that people who have more Birthdays tend to live longer...
User avatar
Babylon
Needs a life (forum tragic)
Posts: 4893
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:43
kayak: 2017 Hobie Revo 13, Hobie Compass Duo
Real Name: Jim
Location: Corinella Victoria

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by Babylon »

was thinking along the lines like a shopping trolley wheel swivel base single wheel.babylon
Btw Kayak is a Revo 13 :thumbsup:
User avatar
Hvalross
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1280
Joined: 24 Sep 2015, 20:05
kayak: Yellow Hobie Pro 14
Real Name: Andrew
Location: Woodend, Victoria

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by Hvalross »

Babylon wrote:was thinking along the lines like a shopping trolley wheel swivel base single wheel.babylon
Btw Kayak is a Revo 13 :thumbsup:
Been looking at thhose 3 wheel prams in Opp shops. Problem has been getting a suitably stable cradle arrangement up forward.
When all else fails........read the instructions!
Studies have shown that people who have more Birthdays tend to live longer...
User avatar
chrisw
Square eyes
Posts: 577
Joined: 17 Dec 2016, 18:06
kayak: Dune PA14
Real Name: Chris
Location: Werribee South

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by chrisw »

This is a topic of quite some interest to me also. I haul my yak about 300m, mostly over grass with a little bitumen at the start and sand at the end. I have never yet car-topped or trailered it, though I surely will eventually.

I use the central scupper holes of the PA14 (under the seat) so it's more or less balanced and I don't have to carry much weight. One issue this causes though is that to keep the back from rubbing on the ground I have to keep the front more or less horizontal, and the height is too low for me to be comfortable (I'm over 6'). Additionally when I go through the grass in the park, especially if it's wet (e.g. from dew), it adds sufficient resistance that facing forward and pulling it becomes uncomfortable. I was never particularly comfortable pushing it from behind either.

The system I've come up with now (which I'm still not completely happy with but it's OK) is to use two tie-down straps linked together and looped around the rear handle which are then looped to a shorter very wide strap which goes around my chest and loops back behind my neck. I adjust the length so that when I lean forward the front handle is roughly beside my hip on the right. This is pretty easy to pull and the balance works out pretty right. I'm not using my arm to pull, just balance.

I switched back to the soft tyres after my last experience using the hard ones on the soft sand but ideally I would be back using the hard ones as they are better for most of the terrain. For the short distance of beach I have to cover I think I would be better off removing the cart entirely and just sliding the yak over the sand (there is a roughly 1ft high ridge of sand at the high tide mark that it's pretty much impossible to pull the yak up over even with the 30cm wheels on so I have to slide it when retrieving whether I like it or not).

Overall I'd say that if most of your distance is hard, level ground then the above system would work OK. It's really easy on the footpath/road. One change I'd make is I would like to get a harness to avoid having the have the strap around my chest and back of my neck but as it is it's tolerable as it's quite wide (about 6").

If your yak doesn't have central scupper holes one alternative might be to have a second strap around your shoulders that takes the weight of the front. You might even be able to use this to pull and not use the rear handle/straps at all.

If you do go for a two-axle arrangement I think a single swiveling wheel at the front hooked up to a short towbar that you can rope off to your waist or just hold the strap in your hand might work. Think of the arrangement they use to move planes on the ground. You at least get steering that way; if pulling on that is an issue due to hull stress you could still use a strap on the back.
Last edited by chrisw on 25 Apr 2017, 11:53, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
laneends
Vyak Addict
Posts: 6641
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 15:59
kayak: Quests 11 13 Adventure 16 Revo 16 ORSki epic k1
Real Name: Keith
Location: Melbourne, Bundoora

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by laneends »

Multiple wheels need to be on a single frame not individually connected to kayak or kayak will be subject to flexing stress. eg extension bar from rear trolley projecting to mount of front wheel, and kayak rests on, rather than fixed to, any front wheels. Of course this creates bulk that you have to store somewhere when you get there.

Annoys me no end when I go away on hols and stay somewhere that is teasingly close to trollying to water, but not quite, and have to load and unload on car each day just to travel a few hundred meters
User avatar
chrisw
Square eyes
Posts: 577
Joined: 17 Dec 2016, 18:06
kayak: Dune PA14
Real Name: Chris
Location: Werribee South

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by chrisw »

laneends wrote:Multiple wheels need to be on a single frame not individually connected to kayak or kayak will be subject to flexing stress. eg extension bar from rear trolley projecting to mount of front wheel, and kayak rests on, rather than fixed to, any front wheels. Of course this creates bulk that you have to store somewhere when you get there.

Annoys me no end when I go away on hols and stay somewhere that is teasingly close to trollying to water, but not quite, and have to load and unload on car each day just to travel a few hundred meters
Technically using two axles shoudn't be a lot different to using one and lifting the front, other than the point of stress of the second axle would be in a different location. There would still be flexing. That said I would agree it may not be ideal to support the kayak on a point it's not designed to unless the load is spread across the entire width (for example like if it were on two roof-rack bars).

A middle ground might be a single front-wheel arrangement that connects up to the front handle/hull tip so the load goes onto that and the very front of the hull.
erik the viking
Square eyes
Posts: 543
Joined: 18 Jul 2015, 20:43
kayak: 2015 Outback
Real Name: Erik

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by erik the viking »

Babylon wrote:Am planning a move hopefully early next year and its a 1.2 k walk form house to boat ramp
and i was wondering with all you smart people 8-) out there has anyone made a front wheel setup
for their Kayak so instead of lifting and pulling it along just grab front and start walking it, was thinking
of using mirage drive plug but not sure about stress, any ideas appreciated.Cheers Babylon :thumbsup:


How about a strap on? No, not that kind.........something like a C-Tug or DIY of course.
Strap it on up the front and tow it along. Just lift the front up a tad to turn or mount curbs etc.
Sounds like the straight line bit is the longest part of the journey, so x2 wheels at the front should be fine.
Also, C-Tugs (or look alikes) pull apart and fit easily in the front hatch. :thumbsup:
Pivoting singles wheels are fantastic, but........................ a hassle to organise to under the yak.
Also the pivot is another thing to fail.
Good luck with it. Show what you eventually come up with.
Us old farts need all the help we can get lugging the hobies around. :D

E

PS PVC tubing=yakkers best friend
User avatar
bjspinner
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1566
Joined: 13 Jul 2012, 12:08
kayak: PA14 180Drive/ Oasis
Real Name: Bruce
Location: Upper Royal Skye

Re: Wheels any ideas

Post by bjspinner »

https://beachwheelsaustralia.com/produc ... wheel-kit/

Here is a beach wheel castor Jim should not be to hard to mount some way.
A urethane v block from a boat would sit nice on the bow with a strap to tie down.
Mobile 0418991898
PB: Micro surgery on one of Scuba Sue's Gummy's
Post Reply