Making A Towable Case For Travel...
 

Been working on turning my old 62" linear inch Samsonite Oyster suitcase into a bike trailer like the Bike Friday one.

I've been using 3/4" threaded PVC pipe. I had to glue the short part that connects the tow arm to the trailer chassis. So far I've spend just about $60. The PVC pipes and connectors are about $2.50 each, and the trailer hitch, including the axle mount was only $11 shipped. I bought the suitcase used for $15 a few years ago. I already had some nuts and bolts to connect the chassis to the suitcase.

I haven't tried putting the trailer parts in with the bike yet, and the wheels will be another matter. But I think I can make this work.

Stay tuned.

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I used a piece of PVC pipe to support my handle bar bag. The pipe broke.

To be specific, I used a second stem, in my case an adjustable stem to lower my handlebar bag. The PVC pipe was between that stem and the bracket for the handlebar bag.

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Three years later, the PVC pipe sheared in between the bracket on one side and the stem.

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On other bikes I had used a piece of metal from a donor handlebar to connect the bar bag bracket to a second stem. But lacking that I tried to use PVC. I was fortunate to be less than two miles from home when it broke.

Good luck. I hope you do not have the same experience I had. In your case, if your trailer separates from the bike, the trailer could travel to places you do not want it to travel too, since much or most of the weight in the trailer would be on wheels.

Interesting. Will there be larger wheels attached to the frame you are building or are you relying upon the suitcase wheels?

Four years ago I bought my first bike trailer which has the same hitch as the one I just bought. There is a strap to prevent losing the trailer if the hitch pin falls out (very small chance). The bigger risk is the pipe breaking or failing. And if that happens, yes, the trailer may roll on a ways. I'm not sure how sturdy this will be, but it won't have to carry much weight...carry-on bag and a backpack.

Not the suitcase wheels...they will be too small. My utility trailer has 20" pneumatic bicycle wheels with spokes, but they are too big to pack with this 16" folder (Dahon Getaway), or the 20" Boardwalk. I will test the suitcase with cheap solid rubber wheels. I think 10" wheels would be able to stand up in the suitcase and also act to keep the sides from pinching in. Thin 12 or 14" wheels may be able to lay flat on top the bike. I think 8" is as small as I want to go. Also, if this works and the suitcase trailer is sturdy enough, I will upgrade to wheels with bearings. Ideally, 8" pneumatic dolly tires with bearings are only $9 at Harbor Freight, although some of those seem heavy and I'd want to keep the who package under 50lbs.

If the frame is sturdy enough, I could bolt a tote on it and have a smaller, lighter trailer versus my large utility trailer.

Kick scooters, wheels are lightweight and sturdy, and of high quality while sometimes offered very cheap.
If 8" outer diameter is enough...

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These wheels won't be reliable if the user rides often when its raining or when the roads are wet, even worse on dirt road: the bearings have no protection at all against water and dirt entering in them and with such a small diameter they receive much more water and dirt than usual bicycle wheels.

So called waterproof bearings are actually not waterproof, they just have a little better protection.

And most bearings are not rustproof, so when water enter, they rust what destroy them very quickly (there are stainless steel bearings and ceramic bearing but they are not common and expensive).

The problem of water and dirt entering the bearings is a very well known problem of kick scooters and also inline skates (who have now much bigger diameter wheels than in the past).

Jipe Good to know about weather protection. I don't plan on using this often, or even at all. It's just a low-budget project. Although so was the yellow 1989 Getaway I bought for $50 and it turned into a fast, favorite all-weather-but-snow commuter.

I've made some compromises to keep this light...The next step is attaching wheels, and I have an idea for half-axles that will distribute the weight inward from the end of the axle. Or a long clevis pin that would be simpler and lighter, but possibly not as sturdy.

If you ride only on dry, paved roads, such exposed bearings won't be a problem, but water will kill them quickly. And unpaved roads if wet is even worse.