Living Car Free - Hauling Groceries With Child Trailor

I saw in another thread about a poster saying that a child trailor would be good for hauling groceries. I thought, What a brilliant idea!!! The burley and ibex trailors are really expensive. Here's my situation. I will be pulling this to only 2 stores. One store is a mile away..2 miles round trip. The other store is about 2.5 miles away or 5 miles round trip. I found a brand new childs trailor online for only $107.00...and it will carry 100 pounds.

I have a trek 7100 hybrid bike. I think this trailor will fit it. Here's the link. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2590808 I know it's a walmart trailor. I would like some opinions on this. Do you think this would be the right thing to order. If not, what suggestions do you have? Looking at it, I know it will catch a lot of wind. However, the stores aren't far away. I wouldn't have to use the trailor all the time. I have a backpack I use for smaller items.

What do you guys and gals think about it? Some input please. BTW, I do have a car. I just don't want to use it anymore than I have to. I would like to become totally car free in the future. I thought this particular forum would be the best place to ask this question.

Why not? Any trailer will do the job.

Have you checked ebay? there are always tons of trailers on ebay for dirt cheap prices. And you won't make the Waltons any richer.

http://todd.cleverchimp.com/bike/budget_bob.jpg

That's just beautiful.

I ran across a Safty 1st trailer that could be used as a flatbed with the seatback folded down

Why not? Any trailer will do the job.

Have you checked ebay? there are always tons of trailers on ebay for dirt cheap prices. And you won't make the Waltons any richer.

I bought this trailer for 80DM ($40) at Aldis in Germany about six years ago. Still hauls the groceries just great. Don't know if they are available in the US or not. If you can find one, snap it up.

The 5 Speed PentaSport hub bike is a zero cost trashday special and also still works great.

Excellent wheel barrow trailer. I wonder if that's how the Yak inventor got his inspiration.

They sell some cool barrow type things at the local hardware store "OSH", Orchard Supply Hardware, which is all over the Bay Area, all you'd have to do is rig up the part that attaches it to the bike. They look just like that thing only grey.

I saw in another thread about a poster saying that a child trailor would be good for hauling groceries. I thought, What a brilliant idea!!! The burley and ibex trailors are really expensive. Here's my situation. I will be pulling this to only 2 stores. One store is a mile away..2 miles round trip. The other store is about 2.5 miles away or 5 miles round trip. I found a brand new childs trailor online for only $107.00...and it will carry 100 pounds.


If you have a Craigslist in your area, or even a message board at a local bike store, check to see if someone might be selling a kid-hauling trailer. I see a LOT of those for sale. Either they don't get used much, or, even if they do, the kids grow out of them. Check garage sales too. It's a great use of a trailer. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies everyone. Lots of good advise. I think I will start searching for a used child trailer at garage sales. I can probably get a better deal this way...and won't have to pay any shipping charges.

If you have a Craigslist in your area, or even a message board at a local bike store, check to see if someone might be selling a kid-hauling trailer. I see a LOT of those for sale. Either they don't get used much, or, even if they do, the kids grow out of them. Check garage sales too. It's a great use of a trailer. Good luck!

That was going to be my suggestion.

Once the kids are out of the trailer, the trailers just hang around unused and I'm sure you can get one for next to nothing.

Here's a good page on trailers for bikes (http://www.ucolick.org/~de/AltTrans/trailers.html)

I really want an Xtracycle really bad. I could have used one last week but instead rented a car to carry some very heavy books. I don't have room for another bicyle!

Convert one of your existing bikes.