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BEST SUV KAYAK TRAILER
Before digging into our analysis on the Best SUV Kayak Trailer, we suggest you visit our Fishing Kayak Trailer Ultimate Guide. KFC has spent hours comparing and contrasting the various styles of kayak trailers on the market today.
Frankly, over the years, and due to the exploding popularity of kayak fishing, kayak trailer products have entered the market with exponential growth. Some kayak trailers are specifically built for transporting multiple fishing kayaks. Other kayak trailers are built for those KFC readers who transport their fishing kayaks by truck.
We have decided to author this particular KFC post because many of our readers have written in requesting our opinion on the best SUV kayak trailer. After collecting and reviewing materials provided by a number of kayak trailer manufacturers and retailers, we narrowed the list to just a small handful of kayak trailers.
Then, we compared and contrasted that list to boil it down to the #1 Best SUV Kayak Trailer. If you’re a KFC reader that drives an SUV, you won’t go wrong with purchasing what we recommend as the #1 Best SUV Kayak Trailer.
Unbiased Review
First, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
All product reviews that you see included on KayakFishingCorner are based on my own independent investigation. I’ve amassed the experience necessary to opine on these kayak products, and I treat doing so quite seriously. I promise to never give any brand or company preferential treatment or write misleading reviews, and I evaluate each product on an equal playing field.
In this particular case, I want you to learn about the Best SUV Kayak Trailer to determine whether it fits your kayak fishing needs. My number one priority is to earn the trust of the entire KFC community, and I write and publish unbiased reviews and analysis as a means of doing so. If you have any questions about how I review products, please send me a message and I’ll get back to you very promptly. Enjoy the post!
Best SUV Kayak Trailer: Introduction
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Shortcut to Best SUV Kayak Trailer Review
I know that I have seen it more times than I care to remember, and I’m going to guess that the avid KFC kayak fishermen have as well. The kayak fishermen that have yet to make an investment in a kayak trailer, and instead rely on transporting their fishing kayak by…other means, which is often times an overburdened roof rack! This is dangerous and should be avoided! A kayak trailer, as you see below, is specifically manufactured for safely transporting one (or many!) fishing kayaks!
Fishing kayak trailers are typically constructed of marine grade galvanized steel comprising the kayak trailer frame, leaf spring suspension allowing for a smooth ride, wide coated steel load bars providing ample room for a number of fishing kayaks and certain associated kayak fishing gear, and many times a a 2 piece reinforced and extended “tongue”.
These pieces comprise the “chassis” of the kayak trailer. The kayak trailer will often times ride on dual 8″ diameter wheels (which, as we go into detail on below, should always be “high speed”), composite fenders to keep dirt and random material encountered on the roadways from flinging up and damaging your fishing kayak (or the windshield of the car behind you) and DOT approved lighting (required for towable kayak trailers of this nature).
My Experience
I knew it was time to get purchase a kayak trailer for my SUV when I went from one fishing kayak to two fishing kayaks. Initially, I was hesitant to purchase a trailer. After all, I hadn’t ever “trailered” anything before, and my wife would tell you that I am by no means the world’s greatest driver!
My hesitation was quickly alleviated when I discovered that trailering my kayaks wasn’t difficult at all, and in fact, I actually felt much safer with the fishing kayaks on the trailer, rather than the other means by which I had been transporting them (which I won’t get into here!).
The ride was smooth, the mounting and dismounting was easy, and the kayak trailer handled the transition from city and highway roads to dirt and gravel roads with ease. Turns out, the transition to a kayak trailer was much easier than I could have imagined, and frankly I should have made the switch much earlier!
Best SUV Kayak Trailer: Our Pick
(Commissions Earned)
Of all the kayak trailers on the market today, the kayak trailer depicted above was a clear choice for our recommendation on the Best SUV Kayak Trailer. The manufacturer got it right with this one. It is almost as if they are kayak fishermen themselves, and manufactured a the kayak trailer with all the right tweaks and features that make it so perfect for hauling your fishing kayak safely to the destination of your choice!
Strength. When it came to ranking all of the kayak trailer features necessary to decide upon the best SUV kayak trailer, we decided that strength was of the utmost importance. This kayak trailer is constructed of galvanized steel, which comprises the kayak trailer frame, and is professionally welded and jointed at all connection points, ensuring that the frame remains rigid when under transport or loaded up with the weight of several fishing kayaks.
Any money “saved” by opting for a less expensive, and probably less strong, kayak trailer isn’t money saved at all, and we’ve heard horror stories from the KFC community of kayak trailers breaking down at the worst possible time, causing inconvenience, and even injury. The model depicted above is sure to have the strength to stand up to the weight of your fishing kayaks, and the stress of the road.
Capacity. Going hand in hand with strength is capacity, and capacity is an important consideration when naming the best SUV kayak trailer. This particular model of kayak trailer can handle several fishing kayaks, with the ability to bear weight of 275 lbs. This ensures that you are able to trailer a number of fishing kayaks without concerns about overburdening the trailer.
Aside from this kayak trailer’s weight bearing ability, is that it has been designed to safely transport 4 fishing kayaks of up to 14 feet in length! The horizontal racking bars allow you to safely tie down your fishing kayaks, providing a nice and sturdy frame with which to work. If you find yourself frequently traveling to kayak fishing destinations with one or more of your kayak fishermen friends, this trailer affords the flexibility of safely transporting numerous kayaks at once. Of course, it is equally capable for single kayak transportation.
Quality. Perhaps the biggest common flaw or complaint among the kayak trailers we evaluated was regarding their quality. We found reference after reference citing concerns about weld joints, stability on the road, sagging at contact points, and generally poor craftsmanship. Seeing these complaints, and then noticing their conspicuous absence on our best SUV kayak trailer recommendation, we knew we had found our winner.
You can see that this model of kayak trailer is crafted with a high degree of craftsmanship, using construction techniques aimed at creating a trailer that will last you many seasons of kayak fishing. You can see the attention to detail in the zoomed in picture above – tie downs for the electronic lines, bolted leaf spring suspension, marine grade galvanized steel.
Other kayak trailers simply didn’t include all of the features you would expect to find in a high quality trailer. Perhaps you could use such a trailer for one or two seasons, but KFC is in the business of introducing people to the sport of kayak fishing, and keeping them involved once introduced. A low quality trailer is contrary to that goal. The best SUV kayak trailer suggested in this post, however, will be reliable for your kayak fishing outings for years to come.
Safety. It is probably safety, above all other features necessary to be named best SUV kayak trailer, that is most important to KFC when doing its analysis. Again, so many of the kayak trailers on the market had simply skipped critical elements of kayak trailer safety for one reason or another. Missing break lights, lack of included electrical wiring, poor quality tires, lack of suspension, the list goes on and on. Luckily, the kayak trailer we highlight here, passes each of the above tests with flying colors. Not sold on a kayak trailer quite yet? Check out all the reasons you should buy a kayak trailer!
Break lights for safety.
Wheel fenders for protection.
The importance of safety on the road while trailering your fishing kayak trailer is paramount. Any one of the above features which is lacking from your kayak trailer will heighten the risk of an accident. The kayak trailer we’ve highlighted above has all of the safety features you would desire when hauling your fishing kayaks, and we’ve received reports of the trailer performing suitably at speeds of 65 miles per hour! Of course, we would suggest not taking it quite so fast, but it is comforting to see that our readers have been able to safely undertake such speeds. Learn how to secure your fishing kayak to your SUV Kayak Trailer!
If you are here, you are probably a “hands on” kayak fisherman. Learn How to Install a Kayak Brush Gripper and see how quickly it improves your kayak fishing ability! We have written a similar article about How to Install a Kayak Paddle Holder!
Best SUV Kayak Trailer: Conclusion
Arriving upon a recommendation on the best SUV kayak trailer requires a full analysis on strength, capacity, quality and safety. Only after each of these factors has been fully evaluated and vetted can we feel comfortable suggesting our “pick” to the KFC community. If you’ve decided to take your kayak fishing hobby “on the road” then the above featured kayak trailer is your logical choice.
Its versatility from city streets, to highways, to dirt and gravel roads is unmatched. Its components and construction are of high quality. Take one kayak, or bring along several others, this kayak trailer can truly do it all. Try it out, let us know what you think! Kayak Fishing with a friend? Check our the Best Kayak Trailer for Two Kayaks! Check out some of our favorite tips for safely towing your trailer here!
Learn more about how to safely use a roof rack when transporting your fishing kayak, here!
Comments
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