jeff22107

My first homemade trailer, a wooden tank but very rigid and smooth.

BossCat

Thanks for the comments lads. Sadly I think my trailer has a design flaw?
I tried it out with about 2st of shopping yesterday. Firstly I found that with some weight in box it made the front wheel of my bike a bit light. I think if I had a bit more weight in the box I'd have been doing wheelies on the way home? - Maybe the hitch assembly is a bit long, I may try shortening it. Secondly I found the bike to be a bit wobbly, but I dont know if this is the norm as I have never ridden a one wheeled trailer before.

So it looks like its back to the drawingboard.

Tom

dayworks

I posted an earlier prototype with cruder wheels - this is the same frame and box with the production wheels on it. I also included a close up picture of the hitch/joint assembly. This one has worked fairly well although it's vulnerable to twist. The production version will replace the twisted metal strap piece with two pieces of angle iron bolted together with a nylon washer between them. The clamp has a piece of hardwood with a notch cut into it to maintain orientation. The production model will also have a clamping bolt that's threaded all along it's length so I can dispense with the washers. A nicer T-knob will replace the wingnut

rbrian

Looking at it again (sorry it took so long) I think there is indeed a flaw in your design - the hinge just in front of the box. My monowheel trailer, the Edinburgh Bicycle Company Revolution Cargo is vertically rigid along its entire length, pivoting only at the attachment point, on the rear wheel axle. This means that the front wheel of the bike doesn't lift - the load is evenly supported by the rear wheel of the bike, and the trailer wheel. With your hinge that far back, there is a lot of leverage trying to pivot the bike about the rear wheel, and lift the front wheel.

Good luck finding a solution.

BossCat

I understand what you mean about the ridgity rbrian. I have since had a bit of a redesign and had a mate weld it up. Since this was done only yesterday I haven't had time to fully test it but right off the bat I found a flaw?
When turning - When the bike is turning (while walking with bike) at a sharpish angle the whole trailer drops to the ground and topples over? - This is a bit hard to explain without seeing what's happening.

I'll try and get a few photo's taken to let you see and better understand.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just came across this amazing homemade trailer. If any of you are about to embark on making a single wheeled trailer take a look at this one - Nicely constructed, and is one of the best looking trailers iv'e seen.



https://www.instructables.com/id/new_...eted_march_09/

Tom

rbrian

That trailer looks just like my trailer, only twice the size!

I'm not sure what you mean about how it can topple over without seeing pictures, so let's see them.

dcb

I found a ragged instep kiddie trailer on cleanup day, figured I was due for a trailer upgrade. This is the instep with the cloth removed and some leftover trim for flooring:


Hitch is just a horizontal eyebolt on the bike and wingnut and bolt through a hole in the end of the trailer arm to capture the eyebolt.

qmsdc15

bloompedal08

The new trailer, model "BFT"

Gareth

Here is my recently refurbished Bike trailer. I originally made it 10 years ago from various lengths of steel hydraulic pipe.





A quick mock up of the single wheel monocoque type space frame trailer that I am currently working on; again made from (10mm diametre) Steel hydraulic pipe.

BossCat

Nice trailer Gareth, you done a nice job there mate

TC

dayworks

I've starting producing and selling my little red trailer here in Minneapolis. A surprising turn for this adventure is I've been getting a lot of custom orders. I thought I'd share them. One is just plain huge - it's got a 2' x 4' cargo box on it. I advertise that the LRT is like a pickup bed for your bike but this one really is. The other picture is just a custom paint job by the buyer. I had a cargo box that wasn't on a frame yet so she took it home and painted and the we assembled it to the frame. Nothing mechanically custom about it but it sure is cute.

BossCat

Nice Job dayworks, I like the nice shiny red one
Hope you continue to get more orders and build up your trailer business. Close up piccys of the trailers would be nice to see.

Regards
TC

PS.... Mine is a BIG one

dayworks

Thank you for the compliment. The story of the trailer business is just beginning we'll see where it goes. I have posted close-up before of the standard Little Red Trailer. There's nothing radical about the it for the most part except maybe the price point. The cargo box is made from recycled wood from my main business. I'll attach a closeup of the hitch/joint again. It was the trickiest part to figure out and hence the most interesting. And yes you do have a very big trailer.Attachment 110474

HandsomeRyan

My spankin' new WIKE cargo trailer. I have not had a chance to do anything more than tow it around the parking lot yet but I'll post a full review after I put it through its paces.

bigshew

Looks nice. Remember, all trailers handle great when they're empty, so test it out with a big load.

Oscuro

Picked up a Croozer Cargo a few days ago, first use: Refilling the propane tank for my BBQ. I am going to be sending them an email...

Why call it a "cargo trailer" if it had no real tie-down areas to stabilize the load?





Seriously, I think there should be cut outs in the side fabric walls to use as tie-down locations. As it is, you can only sort of secure something to the front, or back of the trailer, far from where it should be placed.

Otherwise, I do like it. It handles well, and while a bit heavy, is barely noticeable around with my heavy bike.

astronomerroyal

It's a nice looking trailer. I looked up its specs



Weight 11.4kg / 25lb
Weight capacity 30kg / 66lb


which is not a terribly impressive weight:capacity ratio. A bicycle weighs 25lbs and can carry 200lbs. I wonder about its stability as the approx 8" of ground clearance is rather more than is necessary for most hauling.



HandsomeRyan's Wike trailer:

• Max Payload - 125 lbs/50kgs
• Weight in lbs. - 18 lbs

A much greater weight:capacity ratio. I can only imagine Croozer are being very conservative about their trailer's abilities, as it looks like it should easily match the Wike in terms of hauling abilities... Is there some sort of 'false-advertising law' at work here?

bigshew

Here's a suggestion for adding tie-downs to the Croozer. Find a rubbermaid storage tote that fits nicely inside. Drill several holes around the the tote about 2 inches from the top. Attach rope loops through each hole and make a big knot on each side hole to secure. This gives you places to hook on to. I've been using polypropelene rope loops to tie down some big loads and it seems indestructable. The tote might even increase the weight limit of the Croozer.

Oscuro

I know the weight:capacity ratio isn't great, and I already know why:





It uses a thin plastic floor rivetted to the steel frame. My guess this was done as a weight savings measure, while believing that no one really loads 100+ lbs of stuff into a bike trailer.

Good thing for me then, that I have some 1/4 aluminum plate hanging around somewhere should I feel the need to "improve" on the weight capacity of this thing....and looking at it closely now, I think I might. The front rivets have no washers on them, and have already begun to pull through on the plastic.

Now I am not happy. Sending an e-mail to Croozer asking what's up with this.

astronomerroyal

Ah, a flaw in the design (pardon the pun). What do you think about the stability? I thought I had a good feel for engineering a trailer but my first trailer was quite unstable. Ever since then I've been suspicious of trailers that have a bed at the same height as the axles.

I also sympathise about the lack of attachment points. The more the merrier. Bungee cords and trailers go together like strawberry and cream.

Doconabike

Hi,

Thanks to all for posting great photos of your trailers. I borrowed liberally from your ideas.

Here is my attempt at a home-made trailer. It's made from fairly thin-walled mild steel tubing and some old bicycle tires from junker bikes. I used a conduit-bender for the curves and an oxy-acetylene torch from the local university for the welding. The design is intended for hauling heavy loads with no car. Seems to work well so far. My next modification will be to weave some mesh hammocks for carrying groceries.

Oscuro

Stability is fine actually. Even with badly loaded weight such as with a full propane tank right on the front of the trailer. Also good when packed with 3 loads of laundry. Even headed down hill, top gear, no wobbles, shimmies, etc. The front of my LHT feels a little light, but I also have panniers on the back.

bluegoatwoods

Here you go....

The photo has my trailer hooked up to my motor assisted bicycle, but I pull it with my pedal bike when needed as well.

dayworks

I just sold one of my little red trailers to a guy with a motor assisted bike. He was planning to drive the whole set-up from Minneapolis to Sturgis South Dakota! ( about 250 Miles? I'm not sure how that tranlates into Km.) I'm curious abour the long time use of a trailer on a motor-assisted bike.