N
NLee1875
Guest
December 9, 2004
Here is my two cents on building a cargo trailer.
Spend the extra bucks on the one offered by Bikes At Works trailers and be done
with it!
In my garage and my back yard, I have the following DIY bicycle trailers.
Please avoid the shortcomings I've made.
Trailer #1: Took a old Winchester Kids trailer and made it into a cargo
trailer. Results.. no so good.. The width of the trailer is "too wide" to
travel on narrow busy streets..Cannot easily ride when you need to bail onto
the sidewalk for your safety.
Trailer #2: Homemade using the trailer hitch / toe bar (tongue) from the
Winchester and made a custom frame using perforated angle iron (metal that have
holes already drilled every inch or so) and made it to a rectangular dimension
to accomodate a say, 30 gal Sterilte tote. Hade my friend weld the axle
assembly the frame and used the cotter bin quick release wheels from the
Winchester kid trailer. Success.. Great trailer!!! Perfect to haul up 200# of
dog food. Hauled my border collie to the hiking trail heads.. Got plenty of
thumbs up!! Definitely a "Chick" magnet.
Trailer #3: Using the same Winchester trailer hitch / tow bar (tongue) and
wheels, I have my same friend cut up two hand trucks and weld them together.. I
then replaced the 10" hand truck tires with the Winchester kids trailer tires.
Perfect width, super super heavy duty. I carried a disassembled 400# home gym
on this 96" long trailer with no problems. Hauled resort quality pool side
tanning lounge beds stacked two high on this trailer with ease..Not that you
can find these things everyday at the thrift store.. Dab Nab It.. This thing
takes up too much space when not in use.
Trailer #4: Ok.. I need a medium length trailer roughly 60".. with the similar
set up / trailer hitch / tow bar, I used a 20"x 60" excess cargo bed made of
perferated metal (harborfreight.com part# 41884-0vga or 34313-0vga) as the
trailer bed. As before-- using the wheels from my Wincester kids trailer.
After I made this trailer.. I realize I can get the same type of trailer bed by
using the display (wire?) steel shelving that department stores use. The
strength rating is at 300# or more depending on the brand. These shelves come
in varies widths / lengths / plating.. Hmm. chrome?
Of course.. a BOB YAK.. Yes I have one.. Used it a couple of times.. Not heavy
duty enough. Had balancing problems when I hauled 10 empty 18gal Rubbermaid
tots home from Target store. It seems that a load with a stack height of
greater than 20" becomes a stability problem. Easy job for a two wheel cargo
trailer.
If you decide to make your own cargo trailer.. first settle on the bike hitch /
and the trailer tow bar / tongue.. and work from there.
I now have a home made trailer hitch and tow bar... the hitch using a series of
ball joints and rods. Pretty slick and heavy duty..
All in all, the projects were fun.. but I somehow got carried away..
Much obliged.
Nick Lee
Sparks, NV
carless since January 2000
member of the 5 digit (10,000+ bicycle mles per year) club every year since.
Here is my two cents on building a cargo trailer.
Spend the extra bucks on the one offered by Bikes At Works trailers and be done
with it!
In my garage and my back yard, I have the following DIY bicycle trailers.
Please avoid the shortcomings I've made.
Trailer #1: Took a old Winchester Kids trailer and made it into a cargo
trailer. Results.. no so good.. The width of the trailer is "too wide" to
travel on narrow busy streets..Cannot easily ride when you need to bail onto
the sidewalk for your safety.
Trailer #2: Homemade using the trailer hitch / toe bar (tongue) from the
Winchester and made a custom frame using perforated angle iron (metal that have
holes already drilled every inch or so) and made it to a rectangular dimension
to accomodate a say, 30 gal Sterilte tote. Hade my friend weld the axle
assembly the frame and used the cotter bin quick release wheels from the
Winchester kid trailer. Success.. Great trailer!!! Perfect to haul up 200# of
dog food. Hauled my border collie to the hiking trail heads.. Got plenty of
thumbs up!! Definitely a "Chick" magnet.
Trailer #3: Using the same Winchester trailer hitch / tow bar (tongue) and
wheels, I have my same friend cut up two hand trucks and weld them together.. I
then replaced the 10" hand truck tires with the Winchester kids trailer tires.
Perfect width, super super heavy duty. I carried a disassembled 400# home gym
on this 96" long trailer with no problems. Hauled resort quality pool side
tanning lounge beds stacked two high on this trailer with ease..Not that you
can find these things everyday at the thrift store.. Dab Nab It.. This thing
takes up too much space when not in use.
Trailer #4: Ok.. I need a medium length trailer roughly 60".. with the similar
set up / trailer hitch / tow bar, I used a 20"x 60" excess cargo bed made of
perferated metal (harborfreight.com part# 41884-0vga or 34313-0vga) as the
trailer bed. As before-- using the wheels from my Wincester kids trailer.
After I made this trailer.. I realize I can get the same type of trailer bed by
using the display (wire?) steel shelving that department stores use. The
strength rating is at 300# or more depending on the brand. These shelves come
in varies widths / lengths / plating.. Hmm. chrome?
Of course.. a BOB YAK.. Yes I have one.. Used it a couple of times.. Not heavy
duty enough. Had balancing problems when I hauled 10 empty 18gal Rubbermaid
tots home from Target store. It seems that a load with a stack height of
greater than 20" becomes a stability problem. Easy job for a two wheel cargo
trailer.
If you decide to make your own cargo trailer.. first settle on the bike hitch /
and the trailer tow bar / tongue.. and work from there.
I now have a home made trailer hitch and tow bar... the hitch using a series of
ball joints and rods. Pretty slick and heavy duty..
All in all, the projects were fun.. but I somehow got carried away..
Much obliged.
Nick Lee
Sparks, NV
carless since January 2000
member of the 5 digit (10,000+ bicycle mles per year) club every year since.
