Now that I’ve gone from no Kart to 2 Karts in the span of a month, I’m having to sort out transport. Luckily we already had a 6x12 enclosed trailer but I had that set up to transport 3 dirt bikes so I’m updating the layout to suit Karts. I dug through the forums and looked at a number of photos but I can’t really tell: is it safe to transport a Kart on a cart?
I read somewhere that tweaking the chassis is a concern so I had planned to just run etrack on the floor and strap down the tires, but it’s amazing how fast the trailer filled up just with the Kid Kart, my Kart, and the two carts. If I could tie down the Kart to the cart and then the cart to the trailer it would save a good bit of space and make getting it all in and out of the trailer a good bit easier.
Here is what I’m working with. They are just set in there for storage for now.
Transporting on a scissor style stand could result in the stand collapsing. The Kid Kart is probably fine on that kind of stand. I can’t tell what kind of stand the adult kart is on.
A common way to free up floor space is transporting the karts standing vertically on their rear bumpers. You may have to remove the front bumper to fit them without hitting the ceiling.
Otherwise another common solution is to build two platforms on the sides of the trailer to roll the kart onto. Then you can fit a bunch of stuff under that platform.
to answer your specific question…I have seen karts transported on stands, it can work but as TJ mentioned they can fail too. I think you mentioned your track is an hour plus away so that is a fair amount of miles that may fatigue the stand.
A few options. There are stacking stands where you could stack 2 or 3 karts but unless you have 2 able bodies it may be a challenge to load.
I have the same size trailer and with a little help from a vocational welding class had a in trailer stand made and a use a ATV winch to lift the top kart into place. Here is a picture and if you are interested I can give you more details. In this picture there is a third (middle) kart that is a little tricky to load but with the manual Kartlift stand we make it work.
Yeah, my track will be in the 120-140 mile range once we land on one to join next year. And it’s not an easy 120-140 miles as we have to go over one major mountain range and 1-2 other passes. I’m competent pulling a trailer, but still.
Both karts are on non-folding stands though I don’t know that either are particularly high-end (and thus unlikely to fail).
Getting the karts onto stands is a whole other back of potato chips. I can lift the Kid Kart myself without issue, but the other kart is a challenge for sure. My 4.5 year old is strong, but not “grab the other side” strong (or tall).
Lifting karts, for me, is probably the hardest part of karting. Race ready adult karts are about 200lbs and they are awkward to lift properly. There are options for both manual and electric stands. The manual stand require tilting the kart on its rear bumper and then positioning the stand under the kart. It can be done solo. The electric stands (and the manual versions that use a boat winch set up) hook onto the rear bumper and pivot on the front bumper. They are truly a one man operation. These stands are designed more for transportation, but they take up space.
The kid kart in your picture should be fine for transportation, just make sure it is tied down with straps.
Likely your easiest route is the stacker.
You will need some sort of a winch system to lift the kart at home, but at the track you can likely always find help.
Related: I can tip my kart onto its rear bumper, no problem. However, when I do the same with my son’s (same model), gas pours through the carb and out of the air filter. I’ve changed the slide on my son’s kart, so maybe I put the new one in wrong? Or is there some other reason that fuel would leak out?
I doubt the slide is a factor. I would drain fuel as much as possible when transporting but I know some will say on a 4stroke its better to have fuel in the bowl. If I had to guess you have some positive pressure in the fuel system on your sons kart and it is basically siphoning out when the carb becomes the low spot when tilted up.
The stacker is our solution. We’re able to get two adult karts and all the associated canopies, generators, air compressors, fans etc. etc. in our 6x12 trailer. you can make or buy a platform for the stacker and use it as a table, we use it as a second stand to transport a kart to the grid.
Thanks as always everyone. This forum has been absolutely instrumental in my figuring this all out. My 11-year old self is finally getting the Karts he always wanted! Haha.
@Deanbert first off, amazing livery. Those look fantastic.
How do you attach the karts to the stacker? Do you put anything (like foam) between the chassis and the stacker? I’ve noticed that my carts aren’t particularly gentle on my chassis.
Rubber heater hose from your local auto supply is the most common used thing. However, I have seen everything from pool noodles to old floor mats. Anything works and having something anti-slip makes them easier to push around while on the stand.
As for attaching them to the stacker, we use what I call the giant bread ties. Something like this:
We use 1” vinyl tubing cut lengthways and zip tied to the frame. Like @fatboy1dh said, anything like that will work. We use exactly what Derek suggested to tie the top kart down. You can find them at various big box stores.
That is genius! Truly it never would have occurred to me that those would be sufficient for holding a kart in place, but if both of you have had success with that then it’s a good enough recommendation for me!
Looks like I’ll be making a trip to the store this weekend.
We make sure that at least two ties go through holes in the stacker and twist several times to keep the top kart from sliding much. The bottom one isn’t going anywhere anyway.
I didn’t see an answer, but when you use a vertical stand, you’ll need to drain fuel and oil. You just didn’t wait long enough to see the oil.
Fuel needs to be below the line when vertical and you need to break the siphon.
A vertical stand makes sense for me for storage, but not for every trip to the track (you may not want to change your oil that often).
I echo what everyone else has said about the kart stands; don’t transport on a scissors jack, and most use a stacker stand. Another option is a platform for one, and on the floor for the other. An electric kart stand can pick up from both the ground and platform if at the right level, but that’s more work to set up and more expensive.
When transporting vertical is the rear bumper stout enough to handle all the bumps and jostling?? I would have thought it needed to be standing on the axle with supports or remove the rear bumper and have it standing on the tires via some
Sort of support.
my situation is a sprinter so not sure I can get it on
My vertical stand once inside.
Yeah, I definitely don’t plan to do vertical. On my son’s I’ve had it in the garage on a vertical stand to keep it out of the way, but in the trailer I’ll just keep them on the cart. Unfortunately my wife is getting really tired of helping me lift my kart on and off the cart so I think I need to start saving for something I can do myself. From what I have found, this seems to be the cheapest route? Anyone have a better solution? IM HQ Black Semi-Automatic Kart Stand BIG WHEEL with Hand Winch and Hooks **$50 Flat Rate Shipping** | Italian Motors USA LLC
Random aside, has anyone had any issues with the karts being stored in a trailer? My trailer is plenty water tight, but I’m actually more concerned about the heat? I have the vent open of course but it still gets pretty danged hot in there.
Those lift carts are a good option. Another is to keep a watch on Facebook marketplace as you may find a battery operated lift or something similar as well for even less. If you have a sissor-style stand you can do something like this.
I have found you can accomplish the same thing using two long bolts with the head cut off. YOu just want to catch the frame where the rear nerf bar mount is.
