Inflatable kayak for travel trailer trips

[Regulator]

We bought a Jayco travel trailer last year and found that a lot of the places we visit have water close by that would be perfect for kayaking. I have a couple of kayaks but they are too long to carry in the bed of the truck without them hitting the trailer. The bed cover prevents me from using a rack.

We were at Silver Springs State Park recently and one of the families in the RV park had four Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayaks. I was really impressed with the quality and when I found that I could get one for only $250 I ordered one. I got it out for the first time this morning.

It took about ten minutes to get it inflated. When inflated to the recommended pressure the floor and sides are remarkably rigid. It was a little tippy when I first sat down but it only took a couple of minutes to get my balance and then I was comfortable. There are two skegs on the bottom that help with tracking, but it still doesn't track anywhere near as well as a rigid kayak. I found that, as Sea Eagle advises, it is best not to dip the paddle too deep when paddling. That helped improve the tracking a lot.

I took a spinning rod with me and fished a little bit. I found that the boat is affected quite a bit by the least little breeze, which I fully expected. There is no way to attach an anchor to hold you in position so you are constantly making small corrections with the paddle.

The kayak performed exactly as I expected for an inflatable and I look forward to taking it with me on many of our RV trips.

[beyondblessed]

Great. Thanks for sharing. We recently bought 2 Intex K2 Explorer kayaks ($60 each) for our family and love every minute of using them. The ease of inflating and deflating made this ideal for packing/storage. They perform better than expected and they allows us to get on the water anytime we want vs trying to rent some. Even if they only last 1 season, we are saving money.
I will agree that the breeze does effect them more than a standard kayak but it’s not a major negative.

[Fire_Instructor]

I carry three full size ‘yaks on a Thule roof rack system. Well clear of my trailer, both my previous bumper pull and my current 5er...

[kayakterp]

I use the "Universal Truck Rack for" my hard shell kayaks while I pull my TT.
Picture in signature
It works well for me as I need my tandem SOT (Sit On Top) for my Black Lab.
It allows me to haul 2 full-size kayaks.