sled/pulk/rooftop storage combo design

Is it just me or does this look like it would be pretty easy to convert into a pulk or snowmobile towed gear sled ? Travel storage would be good then take the thing off the roof of the truck, attach to snowmobile or self and head into the woods. My wife and boys will be snowmobiling without me and I'd like a gear sled to carry emergency gear for them, plus if I can use it as a pulk, that'd be great.

I'm thinking a couple replaceable skis/tracking rails attached to the bottom and the harness configuration and off we go. Any comments ?

here's one designed for snowmobiles with a hitch receiver;



I could have a separate attachment for a pulking harness.

If you are using the carrier on a flat snowmobile or groomed trail you might be ok with skis and having the poles attached in the front. However, if you plan to pull the carrier on hiking or ungroomed XC trails you are going to have some problems with the skis and pole setup. I was one of four pulks at Zealand Hut this past weekend and all but mine had their poles in the front and they all kept dumping their pulks, while mine are attached on the sides and I had no problem negotiating rocks, trees, and stream crossing. I also removed my metal fins on the bottom because it caused too much drag and didn’t give me anymore control.

I bet you'd get it to work great behind a snowmobile- but I think you'd have problems trying to pull it yourself in deep snow. those cartop carries are definitely wider than the average packed out snowshoe, and you're going to end up wasting a lot of energy trying to drag it though a snow canyon that is narrower than the pulk.

DSettahr said:

I bet you'd get it to work great behind a snowmobile- but I think you'd have problems trying to pull it yourself in deep snow. those cartop carries are definitely wider than the average packed out snowshoe, and you're going to end up wasting a lot of energy trying to drag it though a snow canyon that is narrower than the pulk.

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Yep! On Saturday I followed a group to Zealand who all had 30" tubbs and made the trail very wide so the pulk had no problems. One person did have a very wide child's carrying pulk and had issues.

Having cut up a few of these in my time (to send evidence of their destruction to the manufacturers, in exchange for return authorizations), I have to say that I doubt they'd withstand the rigors of the trail, particularly at cold temperatures. When a cartop carrier is attached to the roof, it isn't exposed to anything like the forces that a pulk or toboggan is. I think you'd have great difficulty in devising an attachment that wouldn't fail at the most inopportune moments.

good point. wouldn't want a good car top carrier left in pieces on the trail with all the gear strewn about. Can you say "Yardsale" ?
I'm going to look for 1 or 2 decent used ones and experiment. I see these things at tag sales pretty often.

If you're willing to abandon the cartop concept, take a look at the Otter Outdoors Sport Sled (currently on sale at Cabela's for $27.99, the price of a Paris Expedition Sled). It can equipped for your snowmobile use with the Sled Hitch With Pins (on sale at $43.99).

The sled is only 22 inches wide. It gets a thumbs up at Toboggans, Snow Sleds and Pulks.

My first thought was to get a sled for the snowmobiles. Then I wondered how I'd transport that. The truck roof is obvious. Which is when I realized that would look alot like a car top storage unit.

Maybe instead of making the storage unit a sled, I'll make a sled the car top unit. Capiche ?

sardog1 said:

Having cut up a few of these in my time (to send evidence of their destruction to the manufacturers, in exchange for return authorizations), I have to say that I doubt they'd withstand the rigors of the trail, particularly at cold temperatures. When a cartop carrier is attached to the roof, it isn't exposed to anything like the forces that a pulk or toboggan is. I think you'd have great difficulty in devising an attachment that wouldn't fail at the most inopportune moments.

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Agreed--the cover part of my ski box is pretty flimsy when open.

Doug