Made a Cargo Trailer today
12-02-18, 06:32 PM
#1
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Made a Cargo Trailer today
I bought a cheap kids bike trailer and made changes to it to better suit my needs. I made a video of those changes if anyone cares to watch. Just hoping it can help or give others some ideas.
12-02-18, 06:53 PM
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12-02-18, 10:31 PM
#3
Cycleway town
Great stuff - i'm in the process of converting the daughter's trailer into a cargo trailer, using a bed. Though steel, the bed weighs nothing, it's very thin. It's 76x37 ins so it'll have to be chopped down slightly (same width to cover the wheels, but shortened a little to about 5ft). It's retaining the suspension i designed and fabricated for it - alloy leaf/scissor springs, giving it 5ins of travel for just a couple of hundred grams. There's lots of trickery here to make the riding experience flawless - such as the hook-up, where i used a coaster wheel from a tool trolley as the swivel joint, and a mountain bike suspension damper to it, so the trailer doesn't snatch on the bike. Whatever the terrain, even if i ride straight up a kerb, it doesn't snatch or pull or limit to anywhere the degree it did with factory hitches.
Along with the new e-tandem, it's gonna be a bit of a Santa's sleigh in it's maiden week...
I have some green canvas and rope for a hood, i'll use the mesh and original frame, i'll update in a couple of weeks when it's done. We need more trailers on here!
Along with the new e-tandem, it's gonna be a bit of a Santa's sleigh in it's maiden week...
I have some green canvas and rope for a hood, i'll use the mesh and original frame, i'll update in a couple of weeks when it's done. We need more trailers on here!
12-03-18, 12:34 AM
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Nice trailer project. I was going to say that fenders are important.
I tend to leave the fabric on mine, although I do have one that is 100% skeletal that I take for certain cargo trips picking up bit stuff.
The biggest problem with kid's trailer fabric is that they tend to be designed with a low foot area that risks dragging. But, by leaving the floor of the trailer intact, with some fabric, I just toss small stuff into the trailer without tying it down.
I also tend to like the stroller bar. It tends to hang behind the trailer just slightly, and is good for lashing down awkward stuff.
I tend to leave the fabric on mine, although I do have one that is 100% skeletal that I take for certain cargo trips picking up bit stuff.
The biggest problem with kid's trailer fabric is that they tend to be designed with a low foot area that risks dragging. But, by leaving the floor of the trailer intact, with some fabric, I just toss small stuff into the trailer without tying it down.
I also tend to like the stroller bar. It tends to hang behind the trailer just slightly, and is good for lashing down awkward stuff.
12-03-18, 08:52 AM
#5
Senior Member
I bought a cheap kids bike trailer and made changes to it to better suit my needs. I made a video of those changes if anyone cares to watch. Just hoping it can help or give others some ideas.
DIY Bike Trailer
DIY Bike Trailer
12-03-18, 07:49 PM
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Great stuff - i'm in the process of converting the daughter's trailer into a cargo trailer, using a bed. Though steel, the bed weighs nothing, it's very thin. It's 76x37 ins so it'll have to be chopped down slightly (same width to cover the wheels, but shortened a little to about 5ft). It's retaining the suspension i designed and fabricated for it - alloy leaf/scissor springs, giving it 5ins of travel for just a couple of hundred grams. There's lots of trickery here to make the riding experience flawless - such as the hook-up, where i used a coaster wheel from a tool trolley as the swivel joint, and a mountain bike suspension damper to it, so the trailer doesn't snatch on the bike. Whatever the terrain, even if i ride straight up a kerb, it doesn't snatch or pull or limit to anywhere the degree it did with factory hitches.
Along with the new e-tandem, it's gonna be a bit of a Santa's sleigh in it's maiden week...
I have some green canvas and rope for a hood, i'll use the mesh and original frame, i'll update in a couple of weeks when it's done. We need more trailers on here!
Along with the new e-tandem, it's gonna be a bit of a Santa's sleigh in it's maiden week...
I have some green canvas and rope for a hood, i'll use the mesh and original frame, i'll update in a couple of weeks when it's done. We need more trailers on here!
12-06-18, 10:04 PM
#10
Senior Member
Nice job and video documentation.
The kid trailer is designed so most of the carried mass (butt) is above the axle.
The platform now permits much more mass forward, increasing the tongue weight.
Does operation with the increased tongue weight affect handling?
Was extending the platform beyond the frame, to the rear considered?
The kid trailer is designed so most of the carried mass (butt) is above the axle.
The platform now permits much more mass forward, increasing the tongue weight.
Does operation with the increased tongue weight affect handling?
Was extending the platform beyond the frame, to the rear considered?
12-07-18, 12:16 PM
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Nice job for sure. Great video too.
12-10-18, 10:55 PM
#12
Cycleway town
For anyone wondering how mine turned out, I finished the chassis..
..then used it for the annual tip run...
Must've been over 80kgs on there because that's how much puts it on the bump stops, and it was planted solid. But it worked well.
..then used it for the annual tip run...
Must've been over 80kgs on there because that's how much puts it on the bump stops, and it was planted solid. But it worked well.
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