Airplanes and Bike trailers
 

Gentle people,
We are in need of a bike trailer that can double as a checked baggage on an airplane.
So max size must be 62 linear inches which is airplane speak for length + height + width is less than or equal to 62.
The wheels and toe bar will need to come off and store in the trailer without any bits sticking out.
It will need to be strong enough to double as a bridge abutment or blast gate for an artillery testing range. If you have ever watched those clowns load your bag while your sitting on a plane you will know what I mean. Optimally it would actually be lighter than air and the inside dimensions greater than the outside. For Dr. Who fans that would mean made with Tardus technology. Allowing for the hyperbole does anyone have any recomendations. We are going to tow it with a recumbent tandem if that makes a difference.
thank you in advance Killam

One thought is using the Bike Friday Trailer plus Suitcase. You wouldn't want to actually get the suitcase from BF, since they include stuff you don't need unless you're backing one of their bikes, but that shows you what model it's designed to fit..

Good luck! the BOB is just slightly over the allowed size, and they made us pay the oversize charges. I wish they woul redesign it just slightly smaller so that isn't an issue!

burley nomad - breaks down flat (hubs add depth to pkg), optional storage bag, optional rack for more capacity

burley flatbed - even more cap, you provide your own dry sacks for storage

both of these have good resale value on ebay

good prices, wide selection:

http://www.biketrailershop.com/catalog/index.php

I think the bicycler evolution trialer (shopper size) will work. They provide the trailers to Bike Friday. Basically a plastic box on wheels. Perhaps not as attractive of a theft target as the suitcase version, and certainly cheaper. Check the size of the action packer carefully, though. Or call-- they are very helpful. I bought one from them on Ebay last year for $135. Somewhat geekey, but it worked great for me on several 3-5 day tours. The hitch connects at your skewer and is super easy to use. All the parts fit into the action packer easily, leaving about 2/3 of the space for other luggage. Solid, totally waterproof, doubles as a table in camp and for lunch, not too heavy, can be used for food storage when there are no bears, what more could you want? I sometimes strap a light weight duffel on top since I often carry gear for my entire family. The shopper has a 100# weight limit, but I try to keep it under 60#s. Yes- I'm carrying 3 people's gear.

The trailer resembles a cooler on wheels, so you will often be asked for a cold brew. On the other hand, you could carry a lot of beer and ice...

http://www.bikerev.com/

see extrawheel.com. dissassembled, the voyager fits easily in a 8" by 26"x26" cardboard box that can hold a lot of other stuff including the trailer.

. great trailer.

Thanks everyone.
The Bike Friday and suitcase is kinda sorta what I had in mind but they admit that it is a bit bigger than allowed by the airlines. However they do say they haven't heard of anyone being charged. The bag that is listed as the carrying bag for the Burley is a bit bigger than the maximum but I haven't found the dimensions for the folded burley. Extra wheel is an approach I hadn't considered but it would require getting the bag/box to ship it in and then finding one to ship it back. That may be a possibility that bares further investigation. The bike evolution would sorta work but when all the doo-dads are inside it doesn't look like there is much room for much else. I could be wrong on that they may just have a poor picture on the website.
Anyway thanks to everybody for the suggestions.
regards killam

update on trailers
 

Hello gentle people,

Just as an update. We eventually purchased a "carry freedom" trailer made in china sold out of Britain imported into the USA with everyone on route getting a bit more in the way of money. It was expensive for us. $450 dollar range. I can't remember exactly. It did fold into a size that made the airline criteria. It seemed fairly well built. It survived banging into various rocks and trees and to being bumped down a large number of steps in train stations. The major failing to my mind was the arrangement of the pack. The strap configuration allowed for more stability but it meant that it was impossible to waterproof the pack. Yes you could put everything inside in a plastic bag but then you had the pack covered in crud and corruption. Additionally the volume of the pack was way too small for bike touring. The website has glowing reports of people who use it to go to work, for which it is probably great. Put your briefcase and your lunch inside and off you go. For two people trying to camp we had stuff tied on top which disabled any advantage from the strap system. Additionally the bag is not big enough to accommodate the cart for shipping which sort of takes away the advantage of folding enough enough to ship. I had to make a box because like a moron I threw away the box it came it. However I had to make a box for the return trip anyway as I wasn't going to trudge around Europe with a carboard box strapped to the bike.
All in all I would rate it a B-. Well made, appropriate size but the carrying capacity and bag just isn't appropriate for touring.
killam

Though I'm responding to an old post, I'll mention that my Bike Friday suitcase's dimensions add up to 61", and I've never been charged. It was made by Carlton and I got it from Bike Friday about 10 years ago when I bought my bike. On one trip, I converted it to a trailer and it was surprisingly easy to convert and was stable to pull.