Rolling Kayak Rack Build

tl;dr I made a 5-kayak, free-standing, movable rack for $130. Pictures below.

I moved last fall and have a new space to work with. My old garage was small and everything fit in exactly one space only. Now I have more options and I'm hoping to add to the kayak quiver soon (and SUPs too). I also want to be able to use my (next) trailer for things other than hauling kayaks.

So, it became evident that I need a place to put my kayaks besides on my trailer. After some thought I listed these design considerations:

• Kayaks indoors
• Kayaks not on wall
• Kayaks upside down
• Able to move easily
• "Slide on" style (not end-loader)
• Store 4 kayaks
• Not too tall for Mrs. Redbeard
• Supports at same width as trailer supports

I want to spend my money on kayaks and fishing gear instead of kayak racks so I used materials I had laying around as much as possible. That included a stack of 2ft. square OSB scrap.

A 2x4 seemed strong enough for the vertical part of the rack and I decided on 2x3s for the horizontal arms. So I cut the 2ft. X 2ft. OSB into triangles and then cut an arc out of them so the kayaks could slide right up against the support. I had to create 16 braces - 8 left and 8 right - because I wanted 2 on each arm. The bottom-most kayak rests on 2x3s that are attached directly to the frame.

Then I built the frame out of 2x4s and added some OSB triangles (to keep the frame square) and lockable rolling casters. I want to use my wallspace for other things so this had to be freestanding and I thought it might be convenient to roll it around to get it closer to the trailer or out of the way of another project.

Next came the actual kayak rack part. This ended up being the most time consuming part of the build. I wanted the brackets to be uniformly attached so I stenciled identical screw patterns on each set, making sure that the screw holes on the one side of a pair was slightly offset from the other side. I also rounded off the ends of the arms - it hurts a lot less when you catch your head or back on them. (DAMHIK!)

After doing some napkin math I changed my mind about how to support the uprights and went to a "sailing mast" model, adding a strut to the frame and running cable from the strut to the upright member. I added a 2x2 section to the top of each strut to make it stiffer; even under moderate tension I was getting significant deflection on the 2x3 alone. Turnbuckles ensured I was able to tension the cables correctly. I then added cross-bracing to keep it plumb and rigid along the other dimension, did a little spot sanding, and I was done.

It works great and cost me less than $130. Of course I had the OSB scraps already. It actually holds 5 kayaks but the top rack is a bit tall for Mrs. Redbeard so that will hold paddles for now and SUPs eventually.

My materials list is below if anyone is interested. (EDIT: The list is not 100% complete as I used some things I just had laying around.)

More pictures...

Nice. I need to get my rack upgraded to 4 boats.

Looks good Cap!

I need to get a rack built for in the back yard.  I have 3 kayaks that I need to get up off the ground.   

I'm noticing the garage door opener in the background of one of the pics... you gonna hoist this baby??

Looks good, man!  I did something similar (not rolling) but mine was free because I had enough scrap 2x4's laying 'round from some disassembled stuff.  I'm surprised you were getting enough deflection to need to add those cables to the back.  Mine is all glue and screws and it holds our 80lb kayaks on tier 2 and 3 with no issues at all.  What is the impetus for adding wheels?  I keep mine in the backyard, so I'm guessing just so you can wheel the whole thing around frequently when you work on other stuff in your garage.  I would have wall mounted mine in the garage but I need the space so I had to fabricate a roof (non-structural, purely sun/rain) of sorts.

Thanks everyone!

bb2fish: Haha! No. It was left behind by the previous owner. Not sure if it even works.

YippieKaiyak: The moment around the base of that 2x4 upright is pretty large once you get kayaks up higher, since the only attachment point is the base. Also I didn't really design the base of the 2x4 to take that force; I was going to do some static triangle bracing but liked the cable option instead.

The wheels are so I can get it closer to the trailer for loading or out of the way of other projects. Like you, I wanted to save wall space so I had to make something free standing.

hdpwipmonkey: If you are putting it on the side of the house/garage I really liked YippieKaiyak's design.

With that extra space behind yours you could even load in your SUP's or whatever on their sides (or paddles).  Heck you could even add hooks across the top and put the extras like PFD's and other stuff on it then wheel it up to the wall to maximize the usage of the space.  I'm really digging the options with having it on wheels.

With that extra space behind yours you could even load in your SUP's or whatever on their sides (or paddles).  Heck you could even add hooks across the top and put the extras like PFD's and other stuff on it then wheel it up to the wall to maximize the usage of the space.  I'm really digging the options with having it on wheels.

Great suggestions - and you're reading my mind. I'm figuring out what I like for a paddle holder and we are going to get PFD storage going too. Maybe filet mat, fishing nets, etc. - other bulky things. Thanks!