PVC Trailer help for Pro Angler 17T

Hello All,

First time poster here and new to Hobie kayaks. About me, I have been canoeing and kayaking for the past 22 years. A few years back I got out of the sport (kids) and switched over to power boat/fishing. That became a bit of a hassle and expense that I did not want to maintain anymore. So I decided to sell the boat and downsize to a fishing kayak – Pro Angler 17T. I know some of you won’t say it is a kayak but it suits my family needs perfectly. Well almost perfectly and hence my question.

This thing is BIG and Heavy and I need an easy way to transport it safely. I have seen plenty of designs for PVC pipe trailers for the Pro Angler 12 & 14 but have not been able to find any for the 17T. Can anyone here point me in the right direction or give me some help? I have a flatbed utility trailer that I am going to convert to a boat trailer.

My main questions are:
What diameter pipe should I use? I read that you want it to be stiff enough to support the boat yet have some bend in it? I was thinking 3’
What length pipe should I use? Do I need to support the whole 17’ or could I safely use 10’ and support the main part of the boat?
how do I determine how far apart to put the PVC center to center?
Should I lay the pipe right on the flatbed or elevate it on each end so that the pipe can flex?

Thanks for your help.

If I were to set up a PA-17, I would mirror my PA-14 set up using 3" OD Schedule 40 PVC using 1/4 x 20 SS hardware with fender washers and Nylock nuts.

The length of my PVC pipes are 84" to the aft couplers and since this is a 14' kayak, Hobie specs the cross supports at 67" apart.
I also used 11 degree couplers so its much easier to guide the PA on to the pipes.....especially if its windy.

I have a 9" wide rubber roller at the bitter end of the PVC as shown.

The last item is a 600# capacity boat winch to help drag the sucker on to the trailer.....my PA-14 is about 180#'s fully loaded...not as heavy as you PA-17, but the winch is a life saver.

Hobie will tell you how far apart the "Hobie Cradles" should be set for, so that is the spacing you need (front and back cradle).

Lastly, turn over your PA-17 and lay the PVC pipes on the hull......measure the parallel spacing you need for the pipes....a simple way to determine the distance required.

These photo's will give you some idea of my set up, on my Hobie Trailex trailer.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

The point of the PVC is that it flexes to match the contour of the hull. If you're going to mount it in such a way that it can't flex to that extent, you might as well use 2x4s or just sit the boat on the flat bed of your trailer. The PVC was chosen only because it has the ability to flex, conform and fit nicely in the channels on both side of the keel.

Hi there – Thanks for the reply.

I get that the PVC is meant flex and to conform to the hull. I turned the Pro Angler over and it appears that the channels look to be to parentheses shaped channels for example ( ) I have mounted my PVC using a rope system so that they can move flex and conform to the shape of the hull SIDE to SIDE.

My remaining question is should I Place a 2x4 under each end so that they can flex UP and DOWN?

Maybe. It depends on the beginning height of the PVC and how far it can flex in the center. I left my attachment bolts slightly loose so the PVC actually angles upward beyond the ends where it is fastened to the trailer. The pipes match the hull upsweep almost exactly.

We don't have a PA17, but we have had several TI's and store the boats in our garage on the trailer in Florida where it gets really hot, and when at our other place in Key West the boat sits in the sun (scorching hot). Our first PVC pipes were larger (maybe 2.5" dia). When the boat sat for long periods of time in the heat the center area of the hull kind of caved in. We ended up using 1 1/2 " dia OD pipe (not sure what size that is (maybe schedule 40 1 1/4").
On the smaller PVC the center of the boat and the two outside curved areas on the TI hull are only slightly above the cross braces on the trailer. This way when the hull gets hot and sags in the middle it only sags maybe a half inch then settles on the deck/crossbars) and doesn't cave in anymore.
I have no clue if this would apply on your PA17. To make the PVC a liitle stiffer I just stuffed wood broom handles into the tubing to make it a little stronger.
I have mine attached at the front and the back but not in the middle, so it can conform to the shape. I didn't measure anything I just placed the boat on the trailer on the pvc, kinda centered the boat letting the PVC find it's own location. i then just marked the spot and added a couple screws to hold it at the front and back only. If I push the pipe sideways in the middle it pushes/flexes back and forth a few inches (self aligning).
Having the PVC stick out past the back of the trailer a foot or so helps guide the boat straight in a crosswind.
My roller is at the back of the trailer (not the pvc), this works great on the TI (because it has a pointed bow), but may not work on your PA. I also use my winch, it's a back saver on steep ramps.
Hope this helps
FE

YES! As Tom mentions, it is pointless to use PVC tubes unless they are permitted to conform to the hull shape, in all directions. Not sure about the 17T, but on the PA14's, depending on your trailer configuration this often requires elevating the fore and aft mounting points. This elevation is necessary if the tubes rest on the trailer at their deepest "sag" in the mid-hull area. In order to best distribute the load against the most hull area, you do not want the tubes to bottom out against the trailer bed or frame when traveling. I elevated my tubes on 2x4's mounted tall-side-up, 8-ft apart on the trailer frame. I then inserted additional PVC tubes inside the 3" stock in order to "tune" the stiffness of the tube suspension to the load, like adding leaves to a leaf spring. I ended up with 3 concentric layers of PVC (I think I used 2" inside 2-1/2" inside the outer 3"). Depending on the camber of the 17T hull, these inner stiffeners may not need to run the full length of the outer tubes, allowing more bend at the ends than in the middle, for instance. My PA14 now rides suspended on springy tubes that bow very well to the full hull contour.

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This is where the spacing between the "cross wise supports" becomes important.......Hobie will specify the distance required if you use their cradle support/saddles.....for the PA-17 it's P/N72020404.

If you look at my photos, you can see the PVC pipes are allow them to "sag" and conform to the hull shape.

I purposely drilled 1/2" diameter holes in the PVC pipe where the 1/4 x 20 bolts are installed....but, I also used fender washers I pre-bent, to fit the inside contour of the pipes and did not over tighten the Nylock nuts......this allows the pipes to move/sag under load.

Tom's earlier description is exactly why the PVC pipes are a good solution.

The last caution is to make sure you do not inflate the trailer tires, like you are carrying a 1000 pound load!

I run only 14-15 psi in my trailer tires......Trailex specs 12-15 psi and this helps soften the ride and not compromise tire wear/life.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

About the pressure on trailer tires, what you are saying is contrary to everything I have read about trailer tires. Trailer tires are not constructed like car tires, and my understanding is they should always be filled to the recommended pressure. We have many thousands of highway miles pulling trailers and have had many fail on the highway, almost in every case we knew the pressure was lower than it should have been (our bad), most of our failed tires de-beaded after hitting a bump (usually pretty obvious what happened, actually I don't ever recall having a tread failure).
However I agree on such a light load (our boat is 250lbs and trailer is around 140 lbs) you can get away with lower pressure, I'm just questioning the 15psi, We fill our small 8" chinese tires to 25-30psi but only use them for local driving (nice soft ride with little risk of breaking the bead seal on bumps). On long hauls I always mount my 12" american made Carlyle tires inflated to 50 psi, we just feel more secure with the better tires at 85mph for long periods of time especially going across the nothingness across the everglades in the hot summer (100 plus air temps). Even the big tires get scorching hot. I simply don't trust the 8" chinese tires that came with the trailer on long trips (even when inflated properly).
Just our experience thats all.
FE

Fusioneng- I have been running 12" Carlisle tires on my HF Special for several years. I have progressively reduced tire pressure based on tread wear pattern and am now down in the 12-15# range. I'm sure a pothole at high speed would be damaging but on the paved and dirt roads I travel to 99% of my fishing spots, I have had no issues.

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Thats good news
FE