New kayak trolley
Nov 28, 2012 12:02:57 GMT -1
Post by philpot on Nov 28, 2012 12:02:57 GMT -1
Not an exiting subject but a good kayak trolley makes all the difference to launching and dragging your gear around.
We have two types of trolley, through the scupper hole type and the C-Tug. Without question, the C-Tug is the preferred type and particularly when carrying fishing gear. For me, the C-Tug has not been that good as I find the kayak moves around and sometimes becomes quite loose under the kayak. I have to say that my kayak is the Big Game which is ( like me ) both wide and shallow which could have some bearing on the matter.
I saw quite by chance a youtube of the new Feel Free Camel trolley which had some great features and on the face of it looked better than the C-Tug that I normally use. A call through to Pyranha and North West Kayaks for a chat regarding the trolley and they kindly sent a unit over for me to test.
On first sight, the whole concept of the Camel has been approached in a very different manner with some very simple and clever design features being used. The main design is a fully folding unit that has a really good quality kayak strap that goes right through the entire trolley so that when you tighten the strap, the trolley follows the contours of the kayak to ensure a better grip on the kayak's hull.
Now as said if it works on the Big Game, it will work on any kayak and having tried it on my own four different kayaks, I can confirm this system really works very well.
As you can see, the Camel takes less space for on board storage.
Simply pull the two support plates to set the trolley for use.
The wheel axles have a notch in them which locate with a locking device so connecting the wheels takes seconds.
As you can see in the photo above, the centre of the trolley is sitting on the floor. This is designed to keep the trolley upright whilst positioning the kayak on top. Below is showing a locking clip which allows folding and unfolding of the trolley. When you are ready to use the trolley, press the clip down to engage a ratchet system so that when the kayak is to be launched, the trolley will not drop back to the ground and so maintains it's correct holding position on the kayak.
Now the trolley is ready to have the kayak sited and fastened up. With the trolley centre sitting on the floor, position the kayak on top, bring the strap over the kayak and pull up tight.
The trolley now assumes the shape of the kayak.
When you are ready to launch, unclip the wheels, fold the main frame and pop it into the hatch.
To my mind, this is a superb design that has been very well thought out. The modern lines and user friendly way of using the Camel will appeal to many kayakers. Quality of manufacture looks to be spot on. On my tests, I found that on hard standing, there was no difference to the C-Tug but when I took the kayak on soft sand, I found that the trolley did not move around under the kayak and held firm------Hooray, just what I needed.
The retail price is £99 so on list, cheaper than the C-Tug and in my humble opinion far better value for money. My C-Tug will go to the back of the garage along with all the other bits I no longer use.
Phil
We have two types of trolley, through the scupper hole type and the C-Tug. Without question, the C-Tug is the preferred type and particularly when carrying fishing gear. For me, the C-Tug has not been that good as I find the kayak moves around and sometimes becomes quite loose under the kayak. I have to say that my kayak is the Big Game which is ( like me ) both wide and shallow which could have some bearing on the matter.
I saw quite by chance a youtube of the new Feel Free Camel trolley which had some great features and on the face of it looked better than the C-Tug that I normally use. A call through to Pyranha and North West Kayaks for a chat regarding the trolley and they kindly sent a unit over for me to test.
On first sight, the whole concept of the Camel has been approached in a very different manner with some very simple and clever design features being used. The main design is a fully folding unit that has a really good quality kayak strap that goes right through the entire trolley so that when you tighten the strap, the trolley follows the contours of the kayak to ensure a better grip on the kayak's hull.
Now as said if it works on the Big Game, it will work on any kayak and having tried it on my own four different kayaks, I can confirm this system really works very well.
As you can see, the Camel takes less space for on board storage.
Simply pull the two support plates to set the trolley for use.
The wheel axles have a notch in them which locate with a locking device so connecting the wheels takes seconds.
As you can see in the photo above, the centre of the trolley is sitting on the floor. This is designed to keep the trolley upright whilst positioning the kayak on top. Below is showing a locking clip which allows folding and unfolding of the trolley. When you are ready to use the trolley, press the clip down to engage a ratchet system so that when the kayak is to be launched, the trolley will not drop back to the ground and so maintains it's correct holding position on the kayak.
Now the trolley is ready to have the kayak sited and fastened up. With the trolley centre sitting on the floor, position the kayak on top, bring the strap over the kayak and pull up tight.
The trolley now assumes the shape of the kayak.
When you are ready to launch, unclip the wheels, fold the main frame and pop it into the hatch.
To my mind, this is a superb design that has been very well thought out. The modern lines and user friendly way of using the Camel will appeal to many kayakers. Quality of manufacture looks to be spot on. On my tests, I found that on hard standing, there was no difference to the C-Tug but when I took the kayak on soft sand, I found that the trolley did not move around under the kayak and held firm------Hooray, just what I needed.
The retail price is £99 so on list, cheaper than the C-Tug and in my humble opinion far better value for money. My C-Tug will go to the back of the garage along with all the other bits I no longer use.
Phil
