Alumacart Sidekick Fishing Wagon: Made In USA (S7 E46)

The Sidekick from Alumacart is the last fishing wagon that I'll ever buy. I've purchased some of the cheaper carts from Amazon and after 3 months of saltwater use they rusted out. This all aluminum fabrication with stainless steel hardware creates a lightweight, rust-free powerhouse of a fishing cart.
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Cart / Wagon - kahunaoutfitters.com/product/...
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#fishingcart #jettycart #dockwagon #pierwagon

[@woodrowwoodchuck931]

Happy new owner of a Kahuna Junior beach cart. First impression it is very well built. Heavy enough gauge base to hold up to abuse and the handle/steering mechanism looks fine. Calling customer support was a very pleasant experience for a change. I called them, someone answered and hooked me up. Good job Kahuna. I have read a number of reviews and will add what I could not find in them. Also how I came to pick a Kahuna Junior over the many other options out there. First off, it fits easily in the back of a Prius with the back seats down, rod holders on the back and sides, and the side rails and handle off. This was the #1 requirement of ANY beach cart. The side rails and handle are easy and fast to remove - no tools needed. I am just on the sunny side of 70 and it is light enough for me to easily hoist it up into the back of the Prius! My #2 requirement. My measurements show a Big Kahuna would fit in there also. Build quality is there on my cart. Good beads on the welds. No ‘Oopses’ or overruns, just nice flowing beads. I could only find part of one end cut on one rail that was not deburred, so had sharp edges. Pieces fit nicely, had all the bolts and pieces needed to assemble and an instruction manual. One pre-assembled bolt I did have to tighten was the bolt to hold the steering plate. There is still enough play in it, so it swivels as designed. As noted in some other reviews, there were a few minor scratches on the inside of the base plate. Cosmetic only, no real digs or deep scars. I will likely put heavier damage on it with my first beach trip. I am an hour from the factory and UPS roughed up the package pretty good. Kahuna did an excellent job of packing it. Shrink wrap, cardboard and zip tied pieces together inside it. With what the box looked like, I would have expected much more damage. The INSIDE of the base is 19 5/8” by 35 5/8”. But the bolts for the side brackets will interfere with placing a larger cooler. So INSIDE the bolt heads the base measures: 19 ¼” x 35 ¼”. And yes, some items will fit in places to avoid the bolts that are inside the base bottom, but this is one measurement I was curious about. I would think the Big Kahuna bolts will take up the same space from overall measurements. Next, the side rails. They do stick inside the base so cut down on the inside dimensions also. The overall inside cargo area dimensions with the side rails on: 18” x 34”. The top of the side rails is 8 5/8” from the inside base. The solid base sidewalls are 2” tall. The side rails easily go in and out of the holders. If you fasten the corners, they are a solid structure. You COULD use the rails to fasten gear to. The rails fit 3” into the holders. They fit loosely though, so could pop out under rough conditions. There is 1” space under the rail in the holder to attach bungies to. There are also many 3/8” and ¼” holes drilled into the sides and base to attach bungies or ropes to. Speaking of the rail holders, there is only one bolt holding them. I cranked the bolts pretty good and the holders can still move a little, twist side to side. Taking the sides on and off, they will tend to tilt a bit and will need to be retightened. Just something to keep an eye on. You can insert the side rails in the other direction, with the uprights on the inside and the rails on the outside of them. This will increase the overall inside dimensions, except for the base listed above. This will add another 2” overall (1” for each side rail) so 38” x 22” between the uprights. The corners cannot be fastened though, but still sturdy enough to hold gear in. If you have rough travel, it would be good to wrap rope around them, to give them more support. You COULD fit a larger item, like a cooler that is 22” wide, sideways in it. You would just need to have something that is 2” thick underneath it, to get it above the base sides. An added plus to this arrangement is you can put a 1-inch diameter “wind anchor” between the side rail and base platform. You can also put a wind anchor between the rod holders and the base with the side in the normal position. A wind anchor is something you use on the beach to prevent the cart from being blown away, a pole or rod stuck into the sand. Beach umbrellas have a 1 ¼” diameter pole and that is exactly the space you have. It might work, but would be a tight fit and scratch things up over time. Turning the side rails in that direction interferes with the rod holders. The bottom “C” of the rail will not fit between the rod holder and the base. Meaning it will not go all the way into the holders and the side rail isn’t in enough to actually be useful. So with rod holders, the sides or front/back cannot be turned around. BUT… The rod holders act as a kind of side rail anyway. They stick up 5” from the top of the base lip and are 1 ¾” away from the base lip. It is enough to prevent items from falling off in transport. If you have no back rail, the rod holder in the back, with fishing rods, and a large cooler in the base, you would have 1 ¾” to ‘wedge’ or carry something between them. Beach umbrella, towels or some other soft item. It would also help to stabilize the fishing poles. Most are loose in any rod holder and wiggle around, so this would prevent that. That is about it for dimensions and things I did not see listed elsewhere. Now, how I came to pick the Kahuna over the many other options out there. I read all the reviews of all the carts and watched more videos of other folk’s beach fishing carts than I care to admit to. I do recommend watching ones with people’s modifications! What I needed was an aluminum, 4-wheel cart. A big boy Radio Flyer! Solid bottom, lifted, balloon tires, front wheel steering, rod holders and something that I could lift and fit in the back of a Prius. It also had to be large enough to fit what gear an ornery old man would need for a full day fishing on the pier, surf or jetty in southern Florida. Towel, live bait cooler, cut bait cooler, food/beverage cooler, iced fish box, poles, tackle, cast net, sand flea rake, chair, umbrella, 5-gallon pail, sand spikes, coffee… Four coolers??? My days of using one cooler for bait, beverages, sammiches and fish are over now. My preference was for buying once and taking care of it to see me through. This way I can also modify as I go along to better suit my needs. As a retired craftsman, I am not against spending money for the right tools. I pondered modifying a 2-wheel cart by adding another axel and tires, lift kit, changing the handle, rod holders… But by the time I was finished buying all I would need, it was going to cost me $800 or more. Not including my time and trips to the hardware store to complete the job. I also looked into the ‘collapsable’ beach carts and modifying one of them. I could not find an aluminum one, all are steel. So would need replacing in a few years even with diligent care and rinsing. Why the Junior over the big cart? I am older and wiser now. Well.. older anyway. I found if you have the space, it will be filled. I have no need for a 120-quart cooler filled with adult beverages anymore. A 12 Quart is more than enough for my needs. A 6-pack cooler carries enough frozen bait to feed the fish all day long. I like pompano, flounder, snapper and whiting. No need for a cooler big enough to fit gaffer mahi or a 50# striper. A 12 quart is more than enough. Although.. If I am going for Snook or such, I could put a 48 quart in and stack the other gear like a gypsy wagon for a day. The only larger cooler I need is a 13-quart live bait cooler. I know how to streamline my tackle so don’t bring the entire stable of rods and 80# of lead. And, the more crap you have in the cart, the heavier it is to move. Move light and tight, not heavy and slow. For myself and my needs, the Kahuna Junior fit the bill perfectly. It was worth the $800 investment to have a solid fishing cart I could rely on. If I ever find I do need more space in a cart, I would not hesitate to buy a Big Kahuna or look into the electric one.

[@justinbartlett4711]

Dude, 860 bucks. I spent about 150 bucks on my cart 3 years ago. That thing would have to last 13 years to be equivalent.

[@2reelyakrz481]

Outside my price range, but looks like a nice cart.

[@nathanmorkovsky2855]

Awesome cart!!

[@MDLRFishing]

Thanks Nathan 🤙

[@old18]

Great info.

[@MDLRFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@christinerogers5331]

Mark, this is definitely a cool fishing cart!

[@MDLRFishing]

Thanks Christine!

[@doctordifferentialspeedsho9506]

3:15 wow you must have been excited. You’re moving fast getting it together!! 😅😅

[@MDLRFishing]

😂🤙

[@hectorcoria3650]

Good input, ty for sharing.

[@MDLRFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@arroyoriverrat]

Thanks!

[@MDLRFishing]

No problem!

[@josephfazekas3034]

Need to change the tires for beach use, it will take two people to pull through the sand.

[@JimbeauxJ]

My Stella reel cover doesn't have that side/handle opening. Anyways, I love that cart!!!

[@MDLRFishing]

I cut a slit in mine and burned the edges.

[@Sn-tk8rq]

I get it, but that price is not competitive. thanks for sharing.

[@MDLRFishing]

Hopefully it lasts more than three years.

[@cowpounder57]

Been using my Gorilla Cart for 5 years & haven't had any problem at all

[@MDLRFishing]

I wish that would’ve been my experience. Thanks for sharing 👍.

[@michaeljenkins5557]

Hey Mark, do you use a side scan fish finder and does it make a difference in your success?

[@MDLRFishing]

Doesn’t make much of a difference in the marsh. If I’m fishing deeper water then it lets me see what side the fish are on.

[@genoory5090]

I been on these for over 3yrs now. I'm actually replicate one out of aluminum and I'm gonna make it longer for a bigger cooler

[@MDLRFishing]

DIY would be the way to go if you have the tools to do it. 🙌

[@genoory5090]

@@MDLRFishing absolutely🤙🏻

[@abrahamjoseph6707]

That price!!!!! Wow

[@MDLRFishing]

Very steep but the quality is second to none.

[@Bellyup6969]

When my lottery ticket pays me maybe,,,that price is obnoxious

[@Thefishingplumber]

My gorilla cart rusted out but they sell parts online 😊

[@MDLRFishing]

As long as it keeps working 🙌

[@Thefishingplumber]

@@MDLRFishing the neck broke off last time at the end of the jetty man it was a battle getting all my things off the jetty helped me appreciate it alooot ! Have a good Sunday Mark!

[@davedemchak3309]

That's built nice but way too much money lol.