To PVC or not to PVC- and a few other trailer questions...

This looks great. But it seems like a lot of work moving the axel forward, and I don't know that you have that much room to do so on the frame of that trailer. I would just try it out and see how it tows. I have mine centered because I wanted as much weight over the axel as possible, to help with ride. You might not have that issue with this aluminum trailer as it is designed for lighter loads. As far as tongue weight goes, your not going to have to worry about overloading the tongue with a 150lb kayak, but it may ride better further back.

I would suggest strapping the kayak on the trailer with different lengths of its stern sticking of the back. See where it rides the best, and adjust from there. Like I said, i have mine pretty much centered on the axel with around 5' hanging off the back deck of the trailer. The added benefit to me is that i do not have to back into the water as far to launch the kayak. The negative is i need a red flag and worry about people rear ending me. But figure that is what insurance is for.

Also, i am not sure if you have done this already, but invest in bearing buddies. They help keep the grease in the bearings under positive pressure which helps keep air pockets out and intern helps keep water out. And submersible lights, though i usually unplug mine before i dip the trailer.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

Well my first 60 mile round trip on the trailer went very smooth. My main concern was how the 8" tires would handle as my last kayak trailer with 12" tires bounced all over the place. I was expecting my 8" tires to be worse after reading all the hoopla about 'bounce' between 8" vs 12" tires.

My tires are inflated to the max 60 PSI (I figured I'd might as well use the max psi as a starting point) and I will say I was pleasantly surprised at how well they handled. I don't know what 'bounce' people are talking about (unless they are using 8" tires on a trailer with heavy springs rated for 1K+ pounds) but my little trailer handled WAY better than my old trailer with 12" tires. I went over some pretty bumpy roads to get to the launch (not to mention quite a few sections of pot-holes on the black top) and the bounce was minimal (hardly noticeable actually). My last trailer bounced all over the place on the very same road! So I think I'll hold on to my little trailer tires- for now. I'm sure the will wear much quicker than the 12" tires, but it will be negligible as the lakes I fish are all within 30 minutes of my house. If I get 3 years with them, I'm good!

I sure am glad I broke down and got a trailer for my PA. It was very nice just backing up to the launch to unload and load my PA.

Thanks for the tips STL- I think I did a pretty good job eyeballing it so no need to move the axle. Whewwh! Bearing Buddies are definitely coming on in the future. But with the 8" tires I didn't even have to submerse them to load/unload.

That is great that it rode so well, especially at 60psi. Mine is riding GREAT since lowering to 15psi and the added weight of the ladder/roof rack!

If you can keep the trailer as dry as possible, you will be better off - definitely extend the life of the trailer, lights, etc. With my last kayak on my HF trailer, i would dip the wheels, but not to the bearings. That kayak weighed about half of my PA14, so it was easy to push off and give a little lift and pull to get it back on. Now, with the 12" tires and the weight of my 14, i am all the way in with the trailer. Submersible tail lights (though i disconnect every time anyway) and bearing buddies are a must. I am also making sure to wash the trailer down after each trip, and touching up any chips or rust before it gets out of hand.

Keep us all posted, it helps everyone!

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937