Last week, I was standing outside of our garage, looking at all of my stored boat and camping equipment, when my husband, Larry, commented that it was starting to look like the storage area of “Sandford and Son”…
I have tried many ways of hauling and storing multiple boats, all of which seem to be o.k., but not very secure or organized. I have purchased all of the suggested equipment, but nothing seemed to be a safe way to haul boats.
Last summer, I gave up on loading them on the top of my Tahoe, and putting multiple boats in the back of our trucks didn’t seem to be much better. So, I purchased a utility trailer with front and back rails. That worked fine for a couple of boats, but when I loaded 3 or more, they shifted during travel.
I planned to get the trailer outfitted with a multiple T-rack, and had contacted several custom welders, but the least price quoted was around $750.00 -/+.. Wow!
After studying the situation, my husband suggested that we mount the “Yakama” J-racks on the front and rear rails of the trailer. This turned out to be the best way I have ever hauled boats. It emptied the bed of the trailer, and we were able to install his truck tool box under the boats, at the front of the trailer. This is the perfect place to store paddles and PFDs, etc.
I immediately put it to the test by hauling 4 boats, equipment and camping gear to Savannah’s Ft. McAllister State Park. Give it a try – It Works!
By Marie Short
