Convertible trailer
 

Ok. So I've wanted a flatbed trailer but didn't what to spend much money or tear up my burley, so this weekend while staring at my burley I had an idea... The burley base has 4 pipe posts that stick up so you can attach the sidewalls to turn it into a kid carrier. Why couldn't I take a piece a plywood, drill some holes in it, bolt a container to it and have a flatbed trailer that could be converted back to a kid carrier in 5 minutes?

An hour and one trip to the hardware store later, here's what I came up with. I have yet to add the reflective tape and paint the plywood, but this morning I easily hauled my laptop, the kid's snare drum and my other things for work.

http://mmm.screaming.org/~sydney/bikes/biketrailer.jpg

that's awesome. I've been thinking about making a bike trailer- I should base it off of a huge plastic tub!

Sweet. Wish I was so handy.

I don't think I'd consider myself handy. I am determined however and I don't mind hauling my project, or the parts that fit, to the hardware store to help answer questions. That's what I did with the trailer. I just pulled my trailer into the local hardware store and talked to this friendly young man and told him I wanted "something that locks down on these pipes to keep this platform still." He showed me options. I told him I didn't want it to rattle and that maybe something like a rubber padding under the board on the pipe might work. He said he might have something along those lines in the plumbing dept, so we went over there. In fairly short order, we were able to assemble what would work. It cost a little more at my local store, but they business, I got to work with someone who knew his inventory, and both of us got the satisfaction of solving a problem.

that's brilliant. and a good local hardware store is a treasure to behold. kinda lke that trailer!

paint the plywood with marine paint, lest it warp from moisture.

thanks for showing your work! i have been thinking about buying one of those barely-used kid trailers off of craigslist and just using it for light cargo--this makes even more sense.