Utility Cycling - what child trailer to convert?

Any recommendations? Any characteristics to avoid? There is a huge range of prices on these things at places like Ebay.

The very cheapest ones have plastic spokes/wheels instead of normal aluminum or steel. I worry that the bearings in them might be to cruddy to rely on at all.

Are the folding ones appreciably wobblier or weaker?

thanks,

jim

If you're going to buy a trailer anyway why convert one?

Just spend the money on a trailer meant to haul stuff.

Why convert? Because used children trailers are sometimes quite cheap whereas dedicated cargo trailers are rarely sold second-hand.

As for "which one to convert"? I won't give you specific brand names, because it depends what you want to do with it and the number of modifications you want to do on it. Here are a couple of points:

- You would be better off with a trailer that has no structural member at the top. My old 2-children Chariot had its main structural member going through the top section; it meant that I could not modify the trailer to open its top. Bending over to put 20-kg bags of stuff is not exactly a pleasant thing to do, and it's impossible to park a bicycle in that trailer, whereas one with an open top can be converted for such use.

- Front and rear door: You'll probably have to modify or reinforce them, so that what you carry doesn't push its way through the door.

- Floor: Usually a bit on the weak side. I would try to line the floor with some Coroplast... which may be available for free soon after some of your Primaries (it's what election signs are made of). You'll probably need some duct tape on the edges.

Of course, i would never buy a new one just to convert. But I am hoping I can scrounge one up somehow or another. Perhaps, worst case scenario, by buying one off the bay.

Not sure exactly what I would do with it beyond haul groceries. Maybe cruising trash day looking for treasures and the like.

jim

Hit http://bikecart.pedalpeople.com/links.html and try the "home made bike carts" section.

Yippie! managed to find an In-Step brand trailer for $19. It has hardly been used. It is the folding type, and has okay looking wheels. I will post a picture of what it transforms into when it comes out of the cocoon. Now I just to go out at night and steal some election signs to make a floor. Seems like Ron Paul ones would be strong, but perhaps some Kucinich ones would be nice and flexible. Or maybe some Hillary around the edges with some McCain inside that.

jim

From

http://www.daclarke.net/AltTrans/trailers.html

a page on trailers, including a conversion

http://www.daclarke.net/AltTrans/bike2.gif

from the same page, a link about what the author believes to be the best trailer available;

http://www.daclarke.net/AltTrans/donkey.html

http://www.daclarke.org/photos/wintherDonkey.jpg

http://www.daclarke.org/photos/donkeyFull.jpg

http://www.daclarke.org/photos/donkeyPorch.jpg

Interesting, but I'm not giving up my BoB any time soon, I even used it to haul the christmas stuff into the house from the storage space last night. ;)