Build a Canoe Trolley

I made a couple of trolleys to carry my sit on top kayaks to and from the beach.

They are made from aluminium pipe and require no welding or glueing.

The trolleys fold and disassemble for transport and storage.

Aluminium pipe, washers, split pins

2 x Golf Trolley Wheels

Webbing Strap, washers, pop rivets

Nuts and Bolts

Pipe lagging for padding

Gaffa Tape for padding

I chose pipe that fitted through the wheels that I purchased and fitted into my Dad's pipe bender that I borrowed.

The critical distance is the width of the trolley.

To ensure that the pipes fit inside each other and both trolleys were the same size, I marked the distance on the pipe before I made both bends.

I then cut off the excess pipe to length with pipe cutters

The photos show the tools I used, a pipe bender and pipe cutter.

Drill holes and bolt the pipes together.

I used Stainless Steel Bolts and Locking Nuts

Locking Nuts are required as the bolts holding the two hoops together are not done up tight, to allow the trolley to fold.

I also added a washer between the hoops.

I used a combination of washers and split pins to hold the wheels on.

There needs to be some play between the washers and the wheels to allow them to turn.

I choose snap lock clicks for the outside of the wheel as these are easier to take out than split R pins.

I added a webbing strap to prevent the trolley collapsing when in use.

I don't have a strong sewing machine capable of sewing webbing, so I drilled holes through it and pop riveted it through penny washers.

The webbing joint was put to the test when my Brother used a trolley to tow the Canadian Canoe, all the picnic stuff and our young niece back from the lake!

The pipe lagging was added as cushioning, it is protected with Gaffa tape.

The canoe trolleys have worked very well.

We have used them numerous times on the beach and around the lakes

The wheels are heavy to transport but give good service in soft sand and are not pneumatic, so cannot burst.