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9 Best Kayak Trailers: Which Is Right For You?

Kayaking is a wonderful hobby that can take you to countless beautiful destinations – but depending on your boat(s) and your vehicle, you may need a kayak trailer to get there!

While they are not particularly large watercraft, transporting kayaks can still be quite challenging, especially when loading and managing boats by yourself. Tying kayaks into truck beds and hoisting them up onto cartops sometimes feels like a recipe for disaster, fortunately, there are some killer kayak trailers on the market that make transporting your vessels across town or across the country a piece of cake!

Our top list has highlighted the best trailer options for single and multiple kayak transport with a variety of different designs for every style of vehicle and vessel pairing! Say goodbye to bungee cords, ratchet straps, and roof racks, and add some safety and simplicity to your kayaking endeavors this season!

Price: $ – $
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Why Utilize a Kayak Trailer?

Trailering your kayak or kayaks, or small watercraft in general certainly has its advantages. 

Here are a few of the most notable benefits:

  • Trailers provide safer, more secure transport of your boat(s) than you can likely achieve with truck bed, hatchback, or car top transport
  • Utilizing a trailer keeps your truck bed, hatchback or car top free for other gear storage, and often provides additional storage space for equipment depending on the unit
  • Loading and unloading your boats is made easy and seamless - no more frustrating ratchet straps through windows, bungee-cording down hatchbacks or abrading your truck bed
  • Trailers typically achieve better gas mileage over car top transport due to the reduced wind-resistance
  • Trailers are convertible between vehicles, so you can transport your boat(s) using any vehicle with a compatible hitch and adequate tow strength
  • Many kayak trailers have the potential for lots of alternative uses and customization, so you can utilize these units for transporting all sorts of cumbersome gear and equipment in addition to your boats

Towing Hitch

Be sure to check your vehicle's compatibility with each trailer hitch receiver. If you have a towing package already, then finding a converter should be easy if it's not already compatible - if you don't, then be sure to read the specs on each option and buy accordingly.

Trailer Lights

Almost all of the above-listed options come equipped with adequate, street-legal lighting, but some savvy sportsmen might be inclined to purchase their own trailer light kit to better accommodate their needs, or for increased quality/lifespan.

Whether you choose to stick with the standard trailer lighting provided with your purchase or not, always be sure to abide by state and federal laws regarding the integrated lighting of your trailer. 

Registering Your Trailer

Be sure to check the rules and regs in your state for sport trailers, chances are you need to register your trailer before it's street legal.

Doing so is easy, simply provide your local DMV with the included necessary documents with the purchase of your trailer, and they'll walk you through the process.

If you have questions in regards to the registration process, contact your local Department Of Transportation for more information.

Malone Trailers

It's easy to tell the majority of our above selection are trailers built by Malone Auto Racks. The brand is an industry leader when it comes to sport trailers due to their quality of craftsmanship as well as their customer guarantee and support.

While there are some more than adequate alternative brands to consider, if you have the funds to spring for a unit by Malone, you won't be disappointed - not to mention covered in the event of any trailer defects or issues overall! 

High-Capacity Kayak Trailers

Most of the trailer options we've included within our top list are geared towards the recreational kayaker seeking to transport one, or a few boats. If you're searching for a higher capacity trailer capable of stacking and towing a large number of kayaks for either work or play, there are some stellar available options for convenient loading and unloading of many vs. a few boats.

A few of our favorite reliable options for kayakers seeking a high-capacity trailer include:

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