ocsawdust

I've had a burly flatbed for getting close to 20 years. Something similar for a couple years before the burly. A late afternoon leftover from a garage sale, free if I took it away. The freebie was worn out, the canvas faded and torn, but my plan was for my dog so the canvas and most everything was to be removed. It was the best way to get into a trailer, cheap. I only replaced it because I asked a friend about getting the wheels replaced to get rid of the rust look. The decision to replace was a bit after failing to get the wheels relaced. The axle was attached on only one side and the wheels needed to be laced by a machine which was not around. Dropping $200 bucks I think was easier because it was not an experiment anymore. I loved bringing my Mila on rides and she loved coming along.

The flatbed was the choice because it had the least to remove. The canvas was left flat and a plywood deck and sides was put in place. It stayed that way for almost 15 years. Simple. It was pretty weathered having been outside so much and replacing the plywood just kept getting put off. Still have the Baltic birch sheet of plywood that was for the refit. For a quick cleanup look I spray painted it silver and called it the silver stream and rode in the LA ciclavia. Fun times.

Well, Mila passed almost 2 years ago and I'm still using the trailer a lot. Sometimes it's more work to take it off. Also, since I took the plywood off it got real light and with no wood to rub together it was amazingly quiet. I love that! Noisy bikes drive me nuts. Over the years the only things that I did not like with the trailer was that it was maybe 1/2" to wide ( some frequently used doorways made it tough to get through fast) and it's width on some area roads. I live by the beach and some areas are a tight ride sharing the road just on a bike let alone a trailer. Those are the only things. I have always wanted a bob trailer and really considered them as the ultimate trailer, yet I never pulled one.

Well, I got a bob ibex for a great price. And have been pulling it around the last couple of days and I have to say, it's not what I thought. The flatbed clamps on to the left rear triangle and the hitch moves up down and left right freely. The only thing I feel from pulling it is weight. The bob, the weight on the axle and turning you sure can feel the weight and the torque moving around. And when you stop, trying to balance the weight takes a bit getting used to. Trying to back up it fell over on me a few times already. Not sure how much weight I had on it but I probably had it maxed out. Not saying anything bad about the bob, I just had put it high on a pedistal.

I'd like to hear from some trailer pullers about your uses and such. The seat post hitch, I'd like to hear about it. After the bob pull I can't imagine having trailer weight up so high. I have a build I've been thinking of for some time. Hitch will be similar to a bob, trailer will be like the flatbed. The bed will accommodate a larger deck for other uses. And I'm toying around with a double axle ( removable add on) or maybe a set of front wheels that pivot which will look more like a wagon.

I'd like to hear what some of you have to say.

Thanks
John

fietsbob

had and sold a BoB Trailer , just not a great utility trailer, same load issue wasn't good for Costco Runs.

Ibex the spring shock can be reduced in height say with a simple Elastomer . half as tall as the shock. that will lower the rear end

Friend has one they have elk hunting carcass haul out uses.. his rigid one was just Modified the other way 406 wheel more ground clearance for the 29er rig

I have a end of the worker owned CoOp era Flat bed with a Truck tarp bed.. 2 406 wheels .. C of G could go down with 2 16" wheels .
(thought of 74 wide folding bike front wheels with a 100mm axle in them to do what Burly did with a dished wheel widen the track between tires..

the Burly, Now a Private company uses a Philippines Island lower cost labor force and Imports them
single side 16" wheel they have a Square tube socket on each side for a 2 wheel caster set .. to do that cart like Stroller option

go to pictures: maybe Jack Taylor Trailers can be found Jack Taylor Cycles - Photographs

https://www.google.com/search?q=Jack...2F%3B500%3B374

Already being in the frame building business they sorted one out..

My Carry Freedom City trailer also uses those 12.5" tires. it uses its frame to sling a hammock like bag to put your stuff into , to lower the C of G.

as My Folding Bke companion Trailer, It, Itself, Folds Flat, wheels within the frame.

CliffordK

I've got a couple of kid's trailers. Not sure of the brand. One has wheels attached on one side, the other has a hoop around the trailer and wheels attached on both sides.

It seems as if the one sided wheel connection is a bit loose, especially with heavier loads. The two sided connection works well. The fabric on the trailer is wearing out though. I took the superstructure off of one of the trailers, but worry about no fenders.

Both of those trailers have a clamp onto the chainstay, and a spring for flex. They have a problem with surging when loaded with 100+ pounds.

My favorite trailer is my homebuilt. Aluminum frame. Straight-pull hitch based on a Heim joint (which doesn't quite have enough flex for the needs, but would be better if I actually put a kickstand on the bike). Wheels are rear wheels from 16" Schwinn Stingray bikes. Unfortunately I was backed up to a deadline when it was built, and it never quite got finished, but it still is a strong trailer, capable of hauling more than I can pull (500+ lbs).

I have a covered one in the planning stages, but not complete (see the load on the trailer).



The design was to have a second row of frame for fender protection and two tailgates which would fold flat to make a flatbed.

Juha

I have a Trayak for towing my sea kayak. It has a seatpost hitch that doesn't allow the trailer to roll over freely - I believe current models come with a hitch joint that rotates in that direction as well.

We also have a Nordic Cab for the kid. The hitch attaches to rear axle, left side.

If I'm towing something, I can easily feel either of the trailers. It's fairly difficult to compare them, they are so different in geometry. I'll say that the seatpost hitch is not a bad idea at all. The Trayak is fine tuned to the kayak's measurements, so the load is automatically balanced correctly on the trailer. I think that's really important with all trailers. Seatpost hitch also allows unlimited turns both left and right, which is kind of a necessity considering the length of the loaded Trayak. Nordic Cab with the rear axle hitch attachment turns right easily enough, but there's a limit in radius in that direction. I quickly learned that U-turns with Nordic Cab are really simple, provided you remember always to turn left. The hitch also prevents me from using my left rear pannier (but the trailer more than makes up for that lost luggage space).

A couple of points regarding manouverability (this is where our cycling infrastructure plays a role too, so may not be valid elsewhere): Trayak takes a bit of advance planning in traffic, it's really easy to block a crossing MUP when waiting in traffic lights, for example. Even the Nordic Cab is too long to fit in most our traffic islands, so I've learned not to rush to a late green light with it. Trayak has limited departure angle due to the long tail of the kayak, and although it's very rare to reach that angle in normal traffic conditions, it's something to be aware of and watch out for. Nordic Cab has no such considerations.

Off the top of my head, I'm not sure about either trailer's payload, but I know both of them can carry more than I care to tow.

--J

Zedoo

I have a modified kid trailer with braced corners and a grate stuck in as a floor after the fabric ripped. It works until there's something big like a washer or dryer. I could use a second trailer a few inches wider for big loads, or a stronger platform that doesn't need vertical bracing.

drumbent

Years ago I built a few using conduit bolted together, shown here and here. My two current cargo trailers use recycled kids trailer frames with new boxes, shown here and here. (On this second one I just replaced the increasingly-rusty steel frame with an aluminum one, which has the added benefit of being lighter.)