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Old 05-09-2013, 07:09 AM   #65 (permalink)
canoeist
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Winnipeg
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For canoes

I made a small canoe trailer out of an old boat trailer. It will hold 3 canoes and tow behind my ford focus. I believe the MPG is slightly better when towing 2 canoes than having those same 2 on a roof rack. This is on flat ground, though. The trailer itself likely weighs about 200lbs, so maybe in more mountainous regions the weight would play a bigger role. The easier loading, more secure tie downs, and extra cargo room on the trailer are great. I've even used it to haul barrels to make a floating dock, long lumber and for other utility purposes.

A friend who knows a bunch about cars told me any modern engine has the power - the issue for the cars with no rating is the structure of the frame. Apparently some honda's don't really have a frame extending back far enough to mount a hitch, so the hitch is mounted to material never designed to take the loads of braking a trailer.
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