Hitting the beach with the family is a fun way to bond and spend the summer. However, the fun bit can be mixed with some stress, especially when you have to bring a lot of stuff such as chairs, coolers, umbrellas, sand buckets, and other beach essentials such as towels, swimming gears, clothes, and personal items. Having to go the beach and go back to the car again several times can be very taxing and time consuming that is why in cases like this, a beach cart can come in handy.
A beach cart can help save your time and energy as you do not need to go back and forth several times from the car to the beach just to make sure thatyou get all the things that you need. With just one trip or two, you can haul everything without having to carry the load with your bare hands. With a beach cart, you just have push or pull and the wheeled cart can make the hauling job much easier.
The only downside is, not all beach carts are affordable. In fact, most beach carts are quite expensive, so you might want to consider building one from scratch. You do not need to be an expert to create your own. Just follow these simple steps and make sure that you have a few basic tools and you can have your own DIY beach cart that you can use on your next trip to the beach.
Steps to Make a Do It Yourself Beach Cart On a Budget
Step 1. Make plans.
Everything starts with a plan so you should also start your DIY beach cart by working out a design. You need to make it large enough so that it can hold up several items, but still not so large that putting it in the car or in the storage may become a problem. Use a tape measure to determine how large you want it to be. You can use a model or lay out some wood to form the base and the sides and take note of the measurement.
Step 2. Choose and prepare your materials.
The most common materials that people use to create their own beach cart are wood and PVC pipes. Whichever material you choose, make sure that you measure carefully, following the measurements that you have noted during the planning stage. This will involve cutting and drilling holes so make sure that you have the equipment needed to get the job done.
Step 3. Add the wheels and the handle.
Get a good set of wheels such as hobby wheels, toy pram, or toy car wheels that you can use for your beach cart. The wheels will be the base of your cart so they need to be big and sturdy enough to carry the weight of a loaded cart. The wheels should also be able to tread on any terrain, especially on sand, without any difficulty.
Your beach cart also needs to have a handle so that you can push or pull it easily. You can use a PVC pipe or a broken shovel’s handle and attach it to the front of the base. Make sure that you secure everything with a screw or a PVC cement so that it will not fall apart when you haul it on the beach.
Step 4. Add the finishing touches.
Make the most out of your DIY beach cart project by adding optional equipment that you think may be useful, such as a built in cooler or an umbrella for portable shade. You can also add multiple pockets so that you can also store smaller items without losing them. Finish it off with some paint or gloss, depending on the material that you used.
Step 5. Test your beach cart.
For this step, you do not need to go on an actual beach trip to see how it will hold up. Just load the cart up with the usual beach gears and supplies to see how much you can fit into it. Make sure that the handle can support the weight of the cart and the wheels roll properly, without having to exert too much effort in pushing or pulling the cart.
Building your own beach cart may take some time and effort, but once you are done, all your hard work will pay off. Just maximize your resources and look for items and materials at home that you can use for your DIY beach cart. You can also ask for spare materials from relatives and friends to save more money.
Just make sure that they are still in good condition so that you can build a cheap yet durable cart that you can use on your next beach trip. All you need to invest on are time, effort, and hard work and you can have a cart that can be at par with those that are commercially made.