DIY Bicycle Trailer

I made mine back in'98 out of EMT conduit, it's a two wheeler w/ 16" wheels. I
just borrowed a conduit bender and pretty muched "winged it", we used an air
hose fitting for a coupler and aluminum angle for wheel mounting brackets. I
carry an Igloo 48 qt marine-cooler on it.

I made one out of the cooler itself. I got a pair of 12" nylon wheels
with tires
from a surplus place, threaded the inside of the ends of a 20" long
piece of 1/2"
O.D. aluminum tubing, bolted the wheels into the ends, and bolted the
axle to
the bottom of the cooler with some u-shaped bits like the ones which
hold a
sway bar to a car frame.

Total cost: $15 (I already had the old cooler). Never did get the
hitch to work well,
though. And next time I will use a steel axle.

I have posted a picture of the trailer plan in
Alt.Binaries.Pictures.Woodworking

Please could you tell me if this design is a sensible one or a death-trap!

Thanks

"NLee1875" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

holes already drilled every inch or so) and made it to a rectangular

dimension

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

dog food. Hauled my border collie to the hiking trail heads.. Got plenty

of

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

then replaced the 10" hand truck tires with the Winchester kids trailer

tires.

Quoted message said:

Perfect width, super super heavy duty. I carried a disassembled 400# home

gym

Quoted message said:

on this 96" long trailer with no problems. Hauled resort quality pool

side

Quoted message said:

tanning lounge beds stacked two high on this trailer with ease..Not that

you

Quoted message said:

can find these things everyday at the thrift store.. Dab Nab It.. This

thing

Quoted message said:

takes up too much space when not in use.

Trailer #4: Ok.. I need a medium length trailer roughly 60".. with the

similar

Quoted message said:

set up / trailer hitch / tow bar, I used a 20"x 60" excess cargo bed made

of

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

in varies widths / lengths / plating.. Hmm. chrome?

Of course.. a BOB YAK.. Yes I have one.. Used it a couple of times.. Not

heavy

Quoted message said:

duty enough. Had balancing problems when I hauled 10 empty 18gal

Rubbermaid

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

trailer.

If you decide to make your own cargo trailer.. first settle on the bike

hitch /

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said: