Living Car Free - Trailer (especially Wike DIY kit) questions

Anybody have first-hand experience with the Wike DIY kit trailers (http://wicycle.com/trailer.htm)? I'm trying to determine a few things:

1. How easy would it be to add extra sections to what they show as an example here: http://wicycle.com/kitbigtube.jpg (http://wicycle.com/kitbigtube.jpg), making a trailer that is closer to 72 or even 96 inches long (assuming that each new section is about 24 inches long)? Basically, I'd like to make my own trailer that is similar to the Bikes at Work trailers (http://www.bikesatwork.com/bike-trailers/truss-bike-trailer/), but for less money, and in a way that I can change the length of the trailer depending on need.

2. COULD I change the trailer length pretty easily once I assemble it? I should be able to take off a section temporarily, right? I mainly want my two dogs (45lbs & 75 lbs) to be able to ride together, but might occasionally want to cart some lumber, or even just much smaller loads.

3. The website lists a cargo capacity of 150 lbs. Has anyone pushed that limit? By how much without worrying about it? My dogs come in under that together, but who knows what else I'd like to haul?

4. I've seen on other BF threads here where people recommend two wheeled carts that have BOTH sides of each wheel supported by trailer frame, such as the Equinox (http://www.efn.org/~equinox/) does. Has anybody had wheel problems on cargo trailers that aren't built that way?

5. Anyone had the unique opportunity to compare the build quality/handling of these three (my top choices: Bikes at Work, Equinox [they also make a dog trailer and a bigger dog trailer similar to their kiddie models that look great, but are spendy], and Wike)?

Of course, I can ask Wike directly, but I wanted to hear it from people with direct experience too!

I carry a 60 lb dog in a converted 20 yr old burly that I got for $80. It rides fine and feels good at 25mpg. I ripped the seat out and put a flat piece of plywood down supported by aluminum L bars. The safety belt clips to the back of a harness and holds the dog in.

I rolled the cart once, b/c I left the top off, and the dog was standing up. When I cruised around a tight corner at speed, the dog slid to the outside wheel, and the cart rolled twice. It didn't make me crash, but the dog got road rash.

This set-up may not work for you, b/c the cart has a weight limit of 100 lbs. That is probably over cautious margin of error based on carting kids with a cloth floor. With a reinforced floor, I'm confident that it would be fine with much heavier loads. It would be a tight fit with that much dog, though. I'd look for a cart with a wide wheel base for stability and go for about a 48" or so length (about standard for a big-dog crate). The burley overall width is 32" (probably 30" wheel to wheel). I wouldn't worry about the extra bar outside the wheel as far as stability goes, but it is convenient for getting through doors. You can let the door shut on the trailer, and it just glides along the outer aluminum bar.

Re: wike trailers.
I live in the same town as wike.So last year I bought their cargo trailer.Exellent.
This year I got the canoe trailer. Again exellent,especially their help with the fine tuning for my canoe.
They are the best and most cheerfully accomodating crew I have ever dealt with.Both trailers are A1.
They are also much better priced.
My advice would be to phone or Email them and tell them exactly what you want and see what they
come up with, especially price wise.

Their trailers are a lot like a Leego set. A few pop rivets and the rest are quick releases.
Any way good luck, see what happens.

Hope this helps.

The website lists a cargo capacity of 150 lbs. Has anyone pushed that limit? By how much without worrying about it?

I don't know how much you can ignore that limit, but i'd be worried about the connectors that help keep the tongue (connecting trailer to bike) from twisting off. The longer you make the trailer, the less weight it is going to be able to hold before these parts break. (although if you balance the weight perfectly so that it's carried by the trailer wheels rather than by the bike rear-wheel and trailer wheels, you'll mostly alleviate this problem)

You can use flat webbing rope to reinforce your floor. I did with mine and the dogs just LOVE it. They wouldny even chase the ball at the destination park because they would rather sit and ride around. Spoiled brats. Oh yeah, my puppies are 60 lbs and 30 lbs. Mine is also a converted kids trailer rated at 100 lbs.

Hello
Amazon has a instep two child trailer, for 69.00 shipped. It can be stripped and used for the frame, or just strip the child seat out, and put a board in place!

Cheers.

A Tony's Trailer user here, so no first hand experience of Wike, but a couple of things came to mind.


4. I've seen on other BF threads here where people recommend two wheeled carts that have BOTH sides of each wheel supported by trailer frame, such as the Equinox (http://www.efn.org/~equinox/) does. Has anybody had wheel problems on cargo trailers that aren't built that way?


One side support for wheels is what I have in my kayak trailer. No problems yet, the trailer has been towed for three summers, maybe 750kms in total. There has never been much weight on it, though. The kayak weighs about 26-27kg, and I've had maybe 10-15kg worth of additional gear in there at most.

The trailer is tuned to match the center of gravity of my kayak, so it has just a couple of kgs of hitch weight. I try to maintain that balance when I load extra stuff in the kayak. Some more hitch weight will not hurt, but reducing it is definitely a bad idea.

--J

Anybody have first-hand experience with the Wike DIY kit trailers (http://wicycle.com/trailer.htm)? I'm trying to determine a few things:

1. How easy would it be to add extra sections to what they show as an example here: http://wicycle.com/kitbigtube.jpg (http://wicycle.com/kitbigtube.jpg), making a trailer that is closer to 72 or even 96 inches long (assuming that each new section is about 24 inches long)? Basically, I'd like to make my own trailer that is similar to the Bikes at Work trailers (http://www.bikesatwork.com/bike-trailers/truss-bike-trailer/), but for less money, and in a way that I can change the length of the trailer depending on need.

I would suggest you keep the section between the hitch and wheels as rigid as possible. With that in mind, it's very easy to add a frame section behind the wheels, but not as easy to do in the front part. Unless you have very limited storage room and/or plan not to use the trailer very often, I would suggest you design two frames: a short one, say 30 to 48" long, that you would use all the time, and a long one that you would use only when the need arises. Make sure the short frame is lightweight enough to be user friendly. You could share wheels between both trailer frames.

From what you say, I would make the basic frame long enough for both dogs and narrow enough to fit through a standard door frame (i.e. wheels narrower than 31 or 32"). That would take care of 90% of your riding needs.


3. The website lists a cargo capacity of 150 lbs. Has anyone pushed that limit? By how much without worrying about it? My dogs come in under that together, but who knows what else I'd like to haul?

Basically, the only critical part is the hitch itself. The frame is yours to design. I can't tell you whether or not the Wike hitch is sturdy enough to do the job, but I am almost certain it is. In doubt, the Bikes at Work hitch is much more solid; it will whitstand 300-400 lb, but I can guarantee you it will severely scratch the paint of your frame. And the Bikes at Work hitch is likely to be hit by your left foot, whereas the Wike hitch won't interfere with your foot. Another worthwile point: the hitch of the Wike trailer won't rock back and forth.



4. I've seen on other BF threads here where people recommend two wheeled carts that have BOTH sides of each wheel supported by trailer frame

If all things were equal, it makes for a stronger axle and it protect the wheels from close encounters with a fence, door frame... But there is a price to pay: your trailer will be a bit heavier and about 1.5 inches wider.
That being said, I have used for 4 years a Chariot 2-children trailer and have now replaced it by a Burley Nomad. The Chariot eventually went beyond its useful life and would have needed lots of repairs ($ and time), but the axles were not a problem.




5. Anyone had the unique opportunity to compare the build quality/handling of these three (my top choices: Bikes at Work, Equinox [they also make a dog trailer and a bigger dog trailer similar to their kiddie models that look great, but are spendy], and Wike)?[/QUOTE]

From what I see, all three trailer manufacturers have good hitches that attach near the rear axle, a better place than the seatstay. The Wike attachment is easy to carry from bike to bike and extra brackets are cheap. The Bikes at Work hitch probably won't work if your bike uses an Arai drum brake or a disc brake, so you should check that one. And both the Equinox and the Bikes at Work hitches will be almost permanently attached to your bike, so if you want to ride with 2-3 bikes, you'll need extra hitches or 10-15 minutes to move the hitch from bike to bike. The Wike attachment is moved in about 1 minute, especially if your quick release handle is on the right side.

In terms of trailer design:
- I prefer spoke wheels which usually use better bearings. Not a problem for short cargo hauls, but if you ride across the country, you will prefer to have good hubs.
- The "do it yourself" frame of the Wike doesn't appeal to me. So you should either build your own frame and use their wheel and hitch kit, or go towards the Bikes at Work frame.
- The Bikes at Work frame is an overkill to carry your grocery, and probably for medium-size dogs too. Their trailer is made for serious hauling.
- If I compare the dog/children trailers, the Equinox uses an open top design, so you'll be able to carry bulky items without major trailer surgery. It's not as sturdy however.
And is the Wike dog trailer large enough for two dogs?

Thanks for the input, everyone.



Unless you have very limited storage room and/or plan not to use the trailer very often, I would suggest you design two frames: a short one, say 30 to 48" long, that you would use all the time, and a long one that you would use only when the need arises. Make sure the short frame is lightweight enough to be user friendly. You could share wheels between both trailer frames.

From what you say, I would make the basic frame long enough for both dogs and narrow enough to fit through a standard door frame (i.e. wheels narrower than 31 or 32"). That would take care of 90% of your riding needs... And is the Wike dog trailer large enough for two dogs?

Mostly my thinking is that the trailer is primarily for the dogs, so I should get it sized around them, and then get a larger one for heavy hauling later if needed. The flip side of that is, of course, that I haven't tried either of my dogs out in any type of trailer. I'm not really worried about them NOT enjoying the trailer rides, but if they don't, then I want my trailer investment to be functional for other things too.




I carry a 60 lb dog in a converted 20 yr old burly that I got for $80. It rides fine and feels good at 25mpg. I ripped the seat out and put a flat piece of plywood down supported by aluminum L bars. The safety belt clips to the back of a harness and holds the dog in.

...With a reinforced floor, I'm confident that it would be fine with much heavier loads. It would be a tight fit with that much dog, though. I'd look for a cart with a wide wheel base for stability and go for about a 48" or so length (about standard for a big-dog crate).

The converted kids trailer sounds like a great idea (with the cover and all, and even a harness would be a great plus), but you hit the nail on the head. I haven't found one yet that seems like it would be big enough. Their shared kennel is about 30"x48" where they both lie down comfortably together, so I came up with similar dimensions to look for, but I also figured that they would actually be fine in something a little shorter (40 inches long?) if they were sitting up. The covers all cut off that height option though, as one of my guys sits up to a height of about 40 inches, and I have yet to find a kids trailer that is even THAT long!




Their trailers are a lot like a Leego set. A few pop rivets and the rest are quick releases.

The longer you make the trailer, the less weight it is going to be able to hold before these parts break.

That's the part that is hard to evaluate over the internet. That ("a few pop rivets...") sounds a bit iffy to me. Are the Wike trailers themselves more solid than that sounds?

With a lot of good ideas posted, I'm encouraged to think that this is going to be possible. My main weakness is that I'm not feeling creative (handy, maybe, but not design creative) enough to take the Bikes At Work or the Wike do-it-yourself trailers and add some sturdy-but-not-too-heavy sides and padding to the floor to make the dogs comfortable and help steady them as they shift around during the ride. That's why I was also looking at the Equinox (but $750+ for a trailer, holy cow!) Any thoughts on how to take a flatbed trailer and attach some decent sides? I've done lots of internet searching and seen various different plans for trailers similar to what I'm looking for, but they all seem to require welding or different base trailer designs....