Kudzu Posted April 11, 2012 Posted April 11, 2012 Woke up at 2 AM and couldn't go back to sleep. After a while I gave up and came in the office. Figured I work on something till I got sleepy. I am trying to get in a local event to display my boats and I need a light weight, portable rack that will break down quickly and set up quickly. It needs to fit in my truck or on the kayak trailer. I have been toying with idea for months now but nothing I cam up with appealed to me. So this morning I went back to K.I.S.S. approach and within 30 minutes I had it. Simple to build. light weight and FAST to set up. Best part $25 in materials. So this morning I headed to the lumberyard. Picked up some 1x4's and 3 hours latter I have a rack! Best part is how it is built. The ends are one peice, screwed and glued together, or will be. Just screwed together right now. The two ends are held apart by the closet rod dowels which slip in the holes drilled in the each end piece. Nylon cord with a truckers hitch provides cross bracing and gives it it's strength. No screws to mess with, not pins. Just like the boats it lashed together. It takes maybe 2 minutes to set it up? And about the same to break it down. And it is only 3 poles and the 2 ends. I put the cross dowels in as stops pins. Loop the line around the protruding end of the closet rod and as I said a truckers hitch provides the tension. Sort of proud of this. Loaded with boats is nice and rigid. Just need some stakes to tie it to ground in windy conditions and I think I am set. Quote
P Doug (WA) Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 Nice rack. I had to go look up the "truckers hitch" knot and learn how to tie it. Quote
Hirilonde Posted April 12, 2012 Posted April 12, 2012 I used to get lumber deliveries long ago (new house construction) where the driver used the "trucker's hitch" to tie down his load. It worked really well and easy to release. Of course back then this driver had my load all stacked according to the order I would use the lumber too. He kept track in his head where I was in my build, so he could stack my next order accordingly. But today's kids driving are as lost on stacking and tying loads as today's cashiers are if they had to add up change in their heads. The concept of thinking is all but gone in business today. Seems no one wants their employees to think, though in most cases they couldn't even if allowed. Oh well, I reminisce again............... Quote
Ward Posted April 13, 2012 Posted April 13, 2012 "I am trying to get in a local event to display my boats". Let us know about the "local event". Might want to drive over and take a look at your boats and if it is a canoe/kayak show, just have a look around. Ward Quote
Kudzu Posted April 13, 2012 Author Posted April 13, 2012 Looks like I will be in Chattanooga at the Outdoor Chattanooga's Gear Swap on 4/21/2012. Waiting on confirmation from them. http://www.outdoorch...ga.com/2923.htm I will have at least 2 boats and a bare frame on display. Quote
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