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Rolling canoe rack ideas?

Joined
Jan 31, 2013
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Middle of the Florida paddling paradise
Spent the week tearing down one quarter of the canoe barn/workshop/lawn mower shed. Roof was rotten due to the way the person who built it tied into the original roof. We have discussed rebuilding but financially it will be a couple of years as a completely new design will be needed and have already put new siding on 2 sides and a new roof for the remaining building in November. With the loss of the lean-to have also lost room for two canoes.

Have a wall rack for four canoes. Would like to build some kind of a rolling rack on wheels that could be rolled in front of the wall mounted rack to store but moved to get to the wall mounted canoes. Have seen this in adds for kayaks made out of steel tubing. Need to be able to make this mostly out of the waste 2 x 4's from the tear down. Any plans, pictures or other help will be appreciated.
 
We have one of our racks which is free standing, primarily 2x6 feet and uprights with 2x4's for canoes which are notched into the uprights for additional strength. There are 2x4's X'd for cross support. It wouldn't take much to add wheels to such a thing for mobility.

I don't have a photo to show what I mean without the canoes on it and all sorts of crap around it. It is one sided for boats, the back side we use to store wood vertically off the ground. I'll try to get photo's if you are interested.
 
Would like to build some kind of a rolling rack on wheels that could be rolled in front of the wall mounted rack to store but moved to get to the wall mounted canoes. Have seen this in adds for kayaks made out of steel tubing. Need to be able to make this mostly out of the waste 2 x 4's from the tear down. Any plans, pictures or other help will be appreciated.

I have a couple of sets of oversized sawhorses that I use for overflow boat storage. I built them four feet tall with a six foot wide top crossbar (and a lower crossbar for additional storage. I also use them when I need to work inside a decked boat.



If you have scrap 2x4s something like that would seem easy enough to build and add a horizontal platform base and wheels to, and you would have lumber storage room as well.
 
Hey cflcanoe,
Here's an idea...have you seen the flat bed trucks that deliver slabs of glass? They have racks that sit up vertically, but are on a slight angle. If you were to use that particular design, and fasten a few 2x4's horizontally straight out to act as arms for the canoes, I think that would do what you are looking for.

See the pic

Momentum
https://www.google.ca/search?q=glas...wgsonline.com%2Fglass%2FTRSS2496.html;310;350
 
Here's one at the local canoe shop, but it's metal and made for canoes on both sides of the uprights, so it might not be much help.
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Building the rack out of wood, to roll and with only 36-40"s between the wheels might need an extra fold up set of "outrigger" wheels on the back side to prevent a tip over. They wouldn't have to be weight bearing, just enough to stabilize the rig from tipping, as you push the rack back to the wall, you can build them to fold up or lock in place when moving the rack.

I would use ply wood scraps cut in triangles to help add strength to each individual arm coming out from the uprights. Plywood triangles really add strength, they can be trimmed to fit each canoe.



I have 60"s between the bottom arm and the top arm for 4 canoes. One way to make the rack more stable is to go out and buy a wood canvas canoe for the bottom arm, all that weight will surly make the who system stable, haha:rolleyes: (dust on a canoe is a sign of neglect!)

 
Robin your wall mounts could be mine. Look almost the same except for your canoes. The outrigger legs could go under the wall mounted canoes so will be a feature that will be incorporated into the design. Was trying to avoid removing the current wall mounts but the metal rack with canoes on both sides looks like the best space saver.


Momentum that is a good idea.

Mike MicCrea that is about what I am using right now. Have a set of canoe cradles with carpet slings to be able to wrok on the inside of the canoe. Drilled holes and put dowels in cross beams across the top so they can double as over sized saw horses. We think alike. Just need a stacking solution now.
 
Mike MicCrea that is about what I am using right now. Have a set of canoe cradles with carpet slings to be able to wrok on the inside of the canoe. Drilled holes and put dowels in cross beams across the top so they can double as over sized saw horses. We think alike. Just need a stacking solution now.

When I have had an excess of canoes I put two boats on the six foot wide top crossbar and one on the lower crossbar. Actually, with skinny canoes or kayaks, I can fit two on the lower crossbar.

For a movable, wheeled rack built using scrap 2x4’s that is the best I can come up with. I likewise have wall mounted racks in the shop similar to Robin and others.

My preference for any kind of rack is one on which I can get underneath the canoe without crouching too low and simply stand up with my shoulders in the yoke (especially with heavier canoes). The wall mounted racks largely preclude that easy action, but with the oversized sawhorse racks I can at least stand up under the two canoes on the top crossbar.
 
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