Do you transport your boat in the bed of a pickup truck? Enjoy a good home project? If so, this video from Kayak Fishing Addict is for you. Host Ron presents a simple, self-draining DIY kayak storage and loading cart that can be disassembled and packed away when space is tight. Even better, the cart pivots to provide extra leverage for loading and unloading. Watch along for Ron’s full review, and see below for a link to the specs so you can try it out for yourself.
DIY Truck Bed Kayak Storage and Loading Cart
As we at Kayak Angler have seen, there may be no more popular home project for today’s heavy fishing kayaks than load-assist gadgets—carts, tracks, trebuchets and so on. Ron had three requirements for his kayak cart: easy to disassemble; assist in loading and unloading; waterproof and self-draining. He stumbled across a promising design from now-defunct YouTuber Lef Yak Fishing, who kindly encouraged him to run with it.
The design boils down to two PVC pipes anchored to a small wooden frame that fits inside the top of a pre-made plastic Uline cart. In storage mode, the kayak rests between the two pipes. Load your boat by rolling the cart to your tailgate and lifting the PVC pipes from the far end. This tilts the PVC-and-wood portion of the cart, sliding your boat into the truck bed.
What about when you need to fit two cars in your two-car garage? The PVC-and-wood portion of the cart can be lifted from the Uline body and propped against a wall to save space. And when you’re ready to hose off your boat after a day on the water? The cart is entirely waterproof and self-draining with one key modification to the Uline body’s built-in shelves and tray. “Water will pool up in these areas,” warns Ron, “if you don’t just take a simple drill bit and drill out the corners.”
Consult the Full Kayak Cart Specs
Ron’s cart is sized to fit his 2022 Hobie Mirage Outback, but the design can be adapted to fit just about any fishing kayak by adjusting the space between the PVC pipes. In the video he covers all the components and steps in construction, plus lots of fine touches to make your DIY cart really perform.
You can find detailed specifications and photos at the Kayak Fishing Addict blog.
