Hobie Pro Angler CRADLES

What is the distance required to use the Pro Angler cradles on a trailer? I currently have a single jet ski trailer that I want to use the cradles on but I was told I need to have certain distances to use them.

I was also thinking of upgrading to the Trailex tandem trailer. Would the cradles work on this?

thanks.

Per the information in the Fall 2011 Hobie Kayaking/Fishing parts & accessories catalog on page #27, it shows Pro Angler Cradle set P/N 72020401 with the comment ( Cradle mounting spacing 67" for proper fit).

I bought from the Kayak Shed in Hood River, the Hobie (Trailex) trailer for my Outback and found the crossbar spacing is very easy to adjust.....my only disappointment is the universal pad set is simply 4 separate 2 x 4 x 10" long pressure treated lumber, covered with indoor/outdoor grey carpet, mounted on aluminum supports......not the nicely molded cradle sets made for the AI's, TI'S and Pro Angler......IMHO, at $189.00, that is a very expensive, marginal pad support for the Outback.

The Trailex trailer with 200# capacity is really nice and not hard to assemble.
Easy tow, tracks nicely, to move around and store.
The main mod I made to my trailer was to change out the rear 5" wide rubber roller to a 10" wide roller.....this better fits the center hull shape when loading/unloading my Outback.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

The spacing for PA cradles is roughly 67". I say roughly because there is some variation from hull to hull. To get the best fit, turn your PA upside-down and lay the cradles onto the hull see where you get the best fit, then you can make pencil marks and take your measurements.

Will the cradles mount to a roof rack? Like a Yakima? I currently have the Hully roller & aero saddle setup. The PA seems to be too heavy for the rollers to move properly. The wheels seem to bind-up pushing the kayak up onto the roof. I also want something that conforms to the shape better.

I have the same set-up and the same problem with the Hully Rollers. I'm thinking I may drill a hole in the frame below the roller and slide a pin through to keep the roller from flexing too far rearward and binding on it's own frame. That should limit the movement and allow it to roll. To answer your question, each cradle has two holes for mounting bolts (I think they are 3/8" and about 20" or so apart). I just received mine with the intent of mounting them to my existing trailer. You should be able to fashion a solution to mount the cradles to a roof rack but I would question how effective they would be in helping you slide the PA onto your vehicle from the ground. You would have to load the PA level from the side of your vehicle (with two people and a car with a low profile) and lay it directly on the cradles. The two cradles fit two very different hull profiles (bow vs. stern). Given the weight of the rigged PA, sliding the bow profile over the stern cradle first (loading it bow first from the rear of your vehicle) would grind it awkwardly over the rear cradle, possibly damaging either the hull or the cradle. I may be completely wrong because people load PA's onto these cradles attached to trailers all the time, I just don't know if the technique is similar. Matt Miller may be the best person to answer.

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_<>-+ copterchief

With the way the rollers bind, I actually end up pushing the PA up the back of the truck until it gets weight-forward and then let it drop down onto the rollers at level. That kinda defeats the whole purpose of the rollers. Once level, they work fine. I also am using round crossbars, and even though I have the rollers torqued down as tight as I can, the weight of the PA will rotate them backwards towards the roof. The "pin" idea sounds like it just might work. Let me know if you do it. I won't get a chance to look at mine till next week.

You've described the exact problem I have with the rollers and the Yakima round bars. When the rollers bind, they actually act as a brake, making it even more difficult to move the PA up onto the roof. It just spins the rollers around the bar, no matter how tight they are torqued down. It's more the angle than the weight because you can actually squeeze the roller down with just the force of your hand and get it to make contact with it's frame. Really bad design. Try laying a piece of carpet or a rubber-backed rug on top of the rollers until you get enough of the PA onto the rack that it will sit level. Then you can pull the carpet out. I know it kind of defeats the purpose of having the rollers but you can still then use the rollers as the rear support and lock the down. It's a temporary solution until we figure out how to keep the rollers from binding. I may not get around to trying the fix until the first of the year. I'll post when I get it done and would appreciate you doing the same if you get to it first. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

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_<>-+ copterchief