Kayak Landing Gear Pontoon Rack

My attempt at making a landing gear inspired wheel system for my Lifetime Tamarak kayak with outrigger pontoons.

[@thebigeasy8609]

Hands down best kayak mods on KZbin! Very imaginative and practical to boot! Well done sir and thanks for the ideas.

[@jamespanoulias7577]

Dude. Im literally building the exact setup so my kid doesn't overload my current mounts. Im going to add a sealed board to cover the frame for his lounging comfort as we fish. I literally have been watching everyone else's videos to gauge the most effective electrical conduit/pvc frame layout for weight dispersement. Then, boom! The man with the set up. Thank you

[@Woodstock271]

Love your inventive and tinkering mindset. I’ve always been the same way. If I see something built and overpriced in a store, I know I can build it for much less and improve on the design to fit my particular needs and wants. And have lots of fun figuring out the details. In the early 80’s in Hawaii I built an 8 foot boat out of plywood to go fishing in the ocean on. Every part of this boat was free since we had lots of building materials at work that would go to waste if I didn’t use them for something. My boss thought I was some kinda crazy inventor and let me build my boat out of scrap and surplus building materials. I used what we had. Since we were re-roofing the lanais on the buildings, I used the same mesh and elastomeric coating on the hull of the boat. Leakproof. At least for a few years. Temporary needs leave room for more permanent ones should I waste my time on this. That’s the fun part. A flat-bottomed pram design with a rounded 2x4 keel and it worked. Tracked beautifully in the test-lake. I tried to capsize it and it wasn’t hard to do. Okay, I need outriggers. No way I’m going in the ocean if I can capsize this thing in a duck pond. That’s just stupid. So I built outriggers using aluminum tubing and crab floats back to back, exactly like you did here. Problem solved. A marine trolling motor and 12 volt deep cycle battery was the only thing I paid for and I was off. Fishing the outer reefs in Hawaii on my crazy-looking outrigger boat. It worked because I MADE it work. Lots of trial and error, but you don’t give up once you’ve invested your blood, sweat, and tears to achieve your dream. Decades later, which is right now, I bought a cheap kayak and wouldn’t you know it? The damn thing needs outriggers. I’m in Washington State now and the ocean has always been my calling, so yep, I need outriggers on this kayak. When I first “invented” outriggers for my homemade boat, the internet didn’t exist. KZbin didn’t exist. I just knew I needed outriggers to make this work. Now, everything you could ever hope to look up, Google it. It’s there. So I googled “Outriggers for kayaks” and a whole bunch of videos showed up. I watched a bunch while my kayak is in my living room, and I liked yours the best. Mostly because your design is almost exactly like mine was back in the 80’s. Now way you could have stolen my idea, just great minds think alike. Two foam crab trap floats glued back to back on a PVC pipe with caps on both ends. No air bullsh*t fenders, closed-cell foam floats forever with zero maintenance. Plus, they’re a little bit longer than the boat bumpers other people are using. More floatation is always good. I’m in really cold ocean water now, capsizing is not a good option. Hyperthermia is minutes away should I capsize. (Sorry for the long story, I’ll end it soon I promise) So, I had the same floats you have now and tied them directly to the side of my kayak. Went into Puget Sound and the ferry wakes threatened to capsize me. The outriggers need to be extended out. Okay, I’m right back to knowing I can’t get away with half-assing this, so I have a list of PVC parts and I’m walking to the hardware store. By this evening, I’ll have a detachable and extendable set of outriggers. Watch out, salmon. Sean has figured it out. Thanks for your help there. One tinkerer to another. Peace and aloha to you and yours always. 🤙🏼

[@user-gd1wl8yd5j]

Come out really nice. Your talking about putting a trolling motor on it. The only reason I haven't done that you have to register it then, at least in Texas you do.

[@jakejacobs3895]

Great video my grandchildren and I are going to do this during winter for spring fishing another video would be great 👍

[@YourNextCast]

That is a really great kayak set up. Very creative and practical. Awesome set up.

[@AllTheHobbies]

Thank you. Still tinkering with it but so far I like it.

[@randallperry6774]

Very good and clean application, well thought out dude!

[@MooMooOutdoors]

Great diy landing gear and outrigger system. 👍👍

[@AllTheHobbies]

Thank you sir.

[@tgs989]

Great video-good customizing -Tim in MI

[@milnomad]

That is really cool!

[@jamessilverman4887]

Nice concept. I would like to see details how the parts are connected and what you would do different if made another. Thanks

[@laptopbarn]

Nice job!

[@davestewart2631]

I bought a plastic transcend from Amazon that I thickened to mount a new Mercury 7.5e motor.it comes with hardware to mount.

[@DanielSmoot]

Awesome additions! How has the 3/4” emt performed? I found another design which uses 1” but maybe that’s over spec’d? Look forward to seeing an update video if you post it!

[@danharding4794]

Well done.

[@stephenhill3861]

Amazing sir well done tight lines sir 🇬🇧💪💪

[@AllTheHobbies]

Glad you enjoyed

[@ChroniclesofAJ]

Great gear

[@AllTheHobbies]

Thank you.

[@garygraves6496]

I agree with all of the above!! ... been looking for the perfect solution to the same issues you were having and you nailed it ... gotta think you modified your seat too, did you raise it up or replace it with a bigger better seat? Thanks for sharing!!

[@trooper2221]

I like it, ( your build), I’ve had my tamarack for 3 years, only took it out yesterday for first time, I do feel I need outrigger support, I like the way you’ve placed yours further back, and you say though you still hit them with paddle a few times hmmm. Bit anyway, so you feel the outrigger support is good. With them further back ? Thanks

[@mmgibson2169]

very nice..

[@rossco254]

Brilliant idea, just asking would I need wider wheels for moving over sand ?

[@curiousgeorge4674]

Please do an update video! What are your thoughts this many years later? Do you still have it? Did you make any further changes or improvements? Could you show new video of using this setup on the water? Whatever else you think would be pertinent I think we would love to know.

[@mikelundrigan2285]

Nice project, but you should be aware steel in contact with aluminum in water causes galvanic current between the dissimilar metals, which will cause your metal parts to corrode especially in salt water.

[@daleval2182]

I may buy 2 of these kayaks and use them for out riggers on my Jon lol

[@pauseintheaction]

Very Impressive DIY . I have been thinking of doing something similar. I think I want to modify it to add a trolling motor bracket at the rear. Anything you have found the need to change since you did this video?

[@AllTheHobbies]

Thanks for watching and yes somethings have changed. I did end up shortening the drop length for the pontoons. They were down in the water too far. Made it really stable but caused a lot of drag while paddling. The wheels work but after about a dozen uses they have become really lose around the pins. There was a little play right from the beginning but now there is more. If I did it over I think I would have the normal position more up and down instead of leaned towards the rear. There is no issues with the rack though. No flex or stress on the plastic. That all seems really solid still.

[@jimd1720]

@@AllTheHobbies Did you try wooden dowels inside the conduit to make the wheel assembly to reduce the flexing?

[@AllTheHobbies]

@@jimd1720 I didnt but I dont think that would work because most of the flex is at the bench in the conduit.

[@fathmi]

Hey man! Great video.. I thought I was the only one thinking about combining the cart and outrigger! But you didi it before me...lol... I have a question...how did you bend the rods for the cart, by yourself or you bought from somewhere? Thanks...

[@AllTheHobbies]

I used a 3/4" conduit bender.

[@fathmi]

@@AllTheHobbies Another question.. what fasteners have you used for mounting the channels (since you have sit on top also like mine) ? I don't have any hatch like your's so I was thinking about using rivets, but that would be lot of work!

[@mjanes2552]

Why not configure both wheels and pontoons on same support.flip one way for transport flip again for water 😊

[@JohnBorgen]

Is this Vancouver Lake?

[@jjrjr6016]

Man just add a go kart motor and 2 wheels up front and drive it down to the water !💦

[@trinacria1956]

I am looking to use similar, only wheel part, but attach via scupper holes to give lift from bottom. Combining yours and video by Ralph Blackwelder:" Field and Stream Talon fishing kayak diy outriggers" . If it works beats the badly engineered Bondock $400 landing gear wheels that cracked your hull by attaching on top! Looking like you could add tubes through your scuppers and get the added support.

[@trinacria1956]

Update of previous comment: my combination mod did not work. Too much stress on PVC that goes in scupper holes. Back to drawing board...

[@Woodstock271]

@@trinacria1956, Love that honesty. Trial and error are just part of the learning process. Not so much learning by watching and copying, but by DOING. Every situation has its nuances and it’s up to you to figure out what works and what doesn’t. That’s the fun part. On land, you’ve got everything just right. In the water, all sorts of problems you didn’t foresee. Being a mechanical engineer and living on sailboats for years, helps just a little in designing a very efficient outrigger system for my kayak. I’ve screwed it up many times. “Back to the drawing board” as you said. So true. I’m not about to invest more than the kayak is worth just to make it stable, at that point, you’d just buy a frigging boat. But, I’m having fun with various outrigger systems that require a lot of tweaking to get right. I can’t afford a $4000 dollar fishing kayak, so I’ll make a cheap one just as stable and just as seaworthy. This kind of project involves lots of thinking. That’s good for your brain. It’s good for your personal well-being. How do I solve this problem? That’s the mindset of problem solvers and the ones who should rule this world, except, we don’t want to. I’m happy succeeding in something nobody notices. Let’s see….my waterline is approximately here, without me and gear, so if I put my outriggers too low, they’ll drag horribly. If they’re too high, they won’t touch the water until I’m in capsize mode already. A happy medium is the result of bad garage mechanics. This didn’t work and here’s why. You learn based on actual testing. Let’s move the outriggers up just a bit. See how that works? Every part of this process is about using your brain and experiencing what you overlooked. There’s no mathematical equation that solves the problem of your particular kayak being less stable than you’d like. I’m in a cheap folding kayak in the ocean . Nothing can be permanent since it has to fold up for transport via hand truck a block from the ocean. This presents a whole other dimension in my outrigger system. Trial and error. Fun stuff. So now I know not to glue pipes together until I figure out what length of riser works. Make them longer than necessary and test it in the water. Too long. The floats are buried.I knew that. Cut an inch off, test it again. Better, but still not there. Cut an inch more off the riser and test it again. Perfect. Glue it. Glad I didn’t cut way too much off. It takes time and persistence to dial-in whatever homemade rig you build. Now mine is perfect. Didn’t cost more than $30 dollars but cost lots of time, lots of satisfying frustrating fun.. People see me at the beach rigging up my outriggers on my kayak and ask where I bought this space-age looking rig? “Well, it’s PVC and stainless fittings I got at the hardware store. Many trips back for more parts I didn’t know I needed. It’s not a “kit”, it’s something I finally made work after months of failing. You can’t buy such a contraption and it won’t fit on any kayak except this one.” I catch salmon and crab on Puget Sound and the kayak is stable. Finally.” I love channels like this and watching someone figure out every single bump in the road of design and then find another bump. It’s what makes us human. Solving problems you don’t foresee until you see them. Peace and aloha my fellow water lovers. 🤙🏼

[@trinacria1956]

Before the blazing heat hit us here in Texas did successfully add 2 steel side bars along both side rails that stabilized frame but need rethink wheel attachment. Heck modified C-Tug cart still gets me there.

[@bowlerjr]

Looks nice but why did you make them so far apart ? You took away the narrow fishing areas you can take a Kayak!

[@AllTheHobbies]

Mostly for extra stability. Also needed that space to clear the paddle. So far I have not taken it anywhere that was that narrow. I guess if I did I could just leave them home that day.

[@jlkenzo7551]

clever . mount