Home Built Trailer

killercanuck · Jul 23, 2011

Hey all, I've been working on this for a couple days. It's coming along good. I'm going to set it up so I can tow 3 bikes without the box in place. Not many used bikes for sale close to where I am, so have to cruise 1/2-1hr to find good deals.

Questions are welcome.

Low quality pics from phone, sorry 'bout that. (better than nothing

)

#1-Starting pile $5 of lumber:

#2-Laying it out, wheels like a good 4" of clearance:

#3-All cut to length, assembled with lag screws and deck screws. Wheel blocks mounted. Measure 3 times from the front to mark the center of the holes so the wheels come out straight:

#4-Drill 3/8" holes on center mark with blocks on good and tight:

#5-When you remove the blocks to mount the tires, mark them as you remove them. That will save you some farting around, (trust me):

killercanuck · Jul 23, 2011

More pics,

#1- Wheels mounted, will be adding extra deck screws outboard of the lag screws

#2- Back upright, looking like a trailer, eh?

#3- Box test fit, Yay it fit!

#4- Will be able to fit 6 24s in there... or a load of groceries, heh heh

#5- figuring out the hitch, two castors and one wheel(so it doesn't hop around) will give the trailer full range of motion. up/down, side/side, turning

Will have more pics later when I get it mounted to the bike, and set up the "Bike Towing" mode. See in pic #2 up there, I should be able to get 3 bikes(with the middle bike offset forward) in there no problem.

killercanuck · Jul 23, 2011

More pics coming

Dan · Jul 23, 2011

Looking good killer

killercanuck · Jul 23, 2011

Thanks Dan, it's been fun putting it together. It just started raining on me. Time for a cool-off run in the rain

Ernst · Jul 24, 2011

That is cool! I like the tub design!

killercanuck · Jul 24, 2011

Thanks, I got it finished up and mounted today. I should be able to tow 4 bikes with them staggered and handlebars turned. I went with 2x2's in the middle to keep the weight down, but might have to use 2x4's if they start twisting too much. I put blocks in front of and behind the wheels to help prevent the inner blocks from twisting.

Right turn's can make almost 45 degrees, before hitting, left can go till pedals hit the tongue. The castors work great, I can lift the trailer and rotate it to any pitch/yaw/roll.

Now I just have to wait for the new bike to figure out what colour to paint it. Oh, and a roll or two of reflective tape to wrap around the box so It doesn't get run into, heh heh.

Dan · Jul 27, 2011

Very cool Killer!

noisydad · Jul 29, 2011

The caster-U-joint is brilliant!

Dan · Jul 29, 2011

LOL! I missed that last pic and was wondering WTH is a "caster-U-joint"

Turns out it is a Caster U Joint!

Really is cleaver

James912 · Jul 29, 2011

Awesome ingenuity!

killercanuck · Jul 29, 2011

Thanks guys, I was all over Instructables looking for something sturdy for a hitch. I debated on a seat mount hitch, but then my rack/milk crate would have to come off. It's still handy for store/beer runs.

Some guys(on Intstructables) were using chunks of hose and airtool connectors for a hitch... :/ Which wouldn't hold up with close to 100lbs of groceries(or beer)

There was one guy who used one castor, with the wheel cut in half, with that cut wheel mounted to the frame to absorb some twist... So I thought why not use two?

At the angles the castors are now, the trailer can pitch/yaw/roll any angle it wants to so I don't have to worry about it. In fact, on my way for groceries today, I went a little too fast around a corner and she flipped over on her side!

Didn't bind the bike up any, just had to stop and 'right' her. (won't do that again

) The wheel is just in there to keep the trailer from 'hopping'. It'll do until I can find something for a spacer, maybe a piece of copper pipe? hmm

rustycase · Dec 25, 2011

Well that looks pretty stout, KC !
lol
I guess the weak link is those screws holding the caster onto the 2x4.

I'm gathering parts n' pieces to build a solo tag-a-long so I won't need the 2nd caster for a roll provision. One caster will provide turning and pitch control.
All I got is a cheesy little caster at the moment, but it should be good for testing.

I'm a real 'gutter rider' so a wide trailer would get me in a lot of trouble! lol
Best
rc

killercanuck · Dec 25, 2011

lol, if those 3" deck screws are the weakest of it, then by all means feel free to upgrade. I can tow 100lb+ in that rig the way I have it. So if you want to half-ass it with half the parts, go right ahead.

rustycase · Dec 25, 2011

lol
Yah, that's me!
lol

and the parts is rusty, too!

rc

leadfarmer · Dec 26, 2011

Man there are some smart dudes out there. That U joint is cool. I would leave the wheel in it, because it took me a minute of looking at it to figure out it is 2 castors bolted together.
Leaving the wheel in it, as opposed to copper pipe or what have u, makes it all the more ingenious.

andrewflores17 · Jan 4, 2012

now this is one cool trailer i realy like the coaser wheel but also how it can be a bike hauler or a grocery geter i may bum the tuff box idea from you .

are you going to paint it for water resitance ?

Motorized Bike Guy · Jan 5, 2012

What I did for a trailer was origanally for a regular mountain bike, but it also seems good for my motor bike also. These are some pics of it. Now what i did was rivot a bunch of computer cases together that I got from my neighbor, than as the hitch i used the seat post witch some metal fitted to it with a hole in it for a pin lock system. than the hitch on the trailer is angle iron bolted to the trailer, all you do is line upe the holes and put the pin and lock through. The wheels are also bolted on to the bottom.
This would work great with your milk crate carrier because if you don't want the trailer on all you have to do is take the pin out of the lock and it's dissconnected. The hitch however will still be on the seatpost but if you do it as I did with the bolt it will fold right up.
Works great for me, I've had it up to 30 mph with no problem, and its heavy duty but light. I've had it for about a year and no rust still with it uncovered 24/7. You also however would not need the saftey chain, but if your going to do 30 with it i strongly reccomend it. And I recently put 26 inch wheels on it, so those aren't the current ones.

killercanuck · Jan 5, 2012

looks solid MBG, must make a heck of a racket when its empty though, eh?

Thanks for reminding me andrew, I keep forgetting to paint it... Been too busy lately. I'll probably just use what I have laying around, grey tremclad will keep it solid till spring.

Otero · Jan 8, 2012

Here's one for ya. It has a sulky type wheel setup made from the back half
of two 16" bikes, a peugeot fork hitch attached by clevis pins. and even
a parking brake. No wider than a 'extra wheel trailer with no plastic bags or
netting to snag bushes, and take a larger waterproof payload than a 'bob'
with twice the ground clearance. it tracks beautifully. Note the fake pannier
for concealing engine; it hides a louvered sheet metal cowl that can be used
even while the engine is running.

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