Canoe Trailer Hauling

[leftwing88]

Hello new to the site today, but wondering about hauling an 18 ft long wood and canvas canoe about 75 lbs dry on a Malone LOWMAX canoe trailer that specs say can haul up to 17 feet long canoes. My friend bought the trailer sight unseen for $800 it was only used a couple times and it looks like it retailed for about $1700 new. Should she just resell or try and make it work with that one foot difference. Thanks in advance have never used a canoe trailer before.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I have a lightweight canoe trailer but am not experienced with this particular issue. I don't see any harm in experimenting with the trailer in a safe place. Try tight turns to each side. Maybe slide the boat back a bit if it's too close to the vehicle, making sure the coupler is locked on the hitch ball. There also may be tongue extensions available to buy or that can be made. See YouTube. Check with Malone.

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome, the Malone LowMax trailer is described at https://maloneautoracks.com/XtraLight-LowMax.html as being 11 feet, three inches long overall. This should be fine with a single 18 foot long canoe that is centered over the tongue. Some experimentation is always a good plan as Glenn suggested. A bigger trailer has been listed at the link below if your testing is not successful. Keeping the load far enough forward to maintain a positive tongue weight is also important. (Don't ask how I learned this to be true.)

My old canoe trailer died a few weeks ago so I recently purchased a Malone MegaSport trailer. I occasionally need to haul multiple 18 foot long wooden canoes and other heavy stuff so this should work well. Good luck,

Benson

canoe trailer for sale

1997 Family Four. by MO Trailers. 14 inch wheels , spare tire, electric all works, Marine plywood box that still seems intact. Open top. The frame for the box is all steel. Similar to this but the box sides are wood in a metal frame and my trailer carries four craft. I will...

www.canoetripping.net

 

[Boatman53]

Welcome to the campfire Leftwing pull up a stump but not over there that’s were the smoke is heading.
All good advise from Glenn and Benson.
Jim

 

[scoutergriz]

usually trailers like that are sized based on 2 canoes side by side, as evidenced by the 78" racks, which means they have to account for tight turns and jackknifing, centering the canoe should alleviate that problem. If not, it's only the work of a few minutes to have a good welder slice off the tongue and weld in an extension with heavywall square tube.

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

You might experience some "fish-tailing" of the trailer if the center of gravity is farther back because of the length. You could counteract that by adding ballast toward the hitch.

 

[Boatman53]

Here is a short video about tongue weight, and how important it is.

Jim

 

[yellowcanoe]

Welcome, the Malone LowMax trailer is described at https://maloneautoracks.com/XtraLight-LowMax.html as being 11 feet, three inches long overall. This should be fine with a single 18 foot long canoe that is centered over the tongue. Some experimentation is always a good plan as Glenn suggested. A bigger trailer has been listed at the link below if your testing is not successful. Keeping the load far enough forward to maintain a positive tongue weight is also important. (Don't ask how I learned this to be true.)

My old canoe trailer died a few weeks ago so I recently purchased a Malone MegaSport trailer. I occasionally need to haul multiple 18 foot long wooden canoes and other heavy stuff so this should work well. Good luck,

Benson

canoe trailer for sale

1997 Family Four. by MO Trailers. 14 inch wheels , spare tire, electric all works, Marine plywood box that still seems intact. Open top. The frame for the box is all steel. Similar to this but the box sides are wood in a metal frame and my trailer carries four craft. I will...

www.canoetripping.net

if you know of anyone needing a trailer and will accept the package of a very good Royalex tandem that is sitting on it send them to me. I don't need the trailer or canoe anymore. I have pics in the classifieds and it will indeed take 18 foot boats. And has never fishtailed at all.