# Work in Progress



## TopCat (8 Jun 2009)

Since last August, after a trip to Skye to try out a mates camping trailer, Iv'e been bitten by the camping bug!
I bought a new bike and thought about building a trailer for it. Iv'e made a few trailers over the past few months but they have mostly been abandoned due to use of poor materials - Wood / Angle Iron - wheels splayed out when any weight was put on trailer.

I have started work on a new prodject/trailer made with more sturdier materials - 40 X 40mm box tubing.

Here's how it looks so far...


















This is the Universal Joint im using as a hitch until I get something better.






*Size:
L*enght 2200 X 0.95 - to outside of wheels. Wheels are 22in wheelchair wheels with solid tyres (to be replaced with tyres n tubes - to much rattle with solids) and drum brakes.
*L*oadbed 2m X 0.80

I dont knowthe law on what you'd get away with on the UK roads? Anyone know?

The plan is to make a trailer/tent type stucture. A box will be built on the frame, with a removable lid. once the lid is removed 4 poles will be inserted in the corners then the lid will be replaced on poles - hightening the trailer.
Once the lid is on a rolled up tarp/old tent, some sort of fabric! will be unfurled from inside the lid down the out sides of the box and pegged to the ground. One side of the tarp/tent will extend out further - bike can be housed there while I cook/sleep in the box.

Yes I know im mad, my medication hasn't kicked in yet 

TC


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## Joe24 (8 Jun 2009)

Not a bad idea if its light enough?
Although, you could just use a normal tent?
You can buy these cant you? My parents came back from some caravaning and camping show at the NEC all excited, telling me you can buy a 'trailor tent for bikes'
Not sure what advantage it would give you, get you off the ground and onto something firmer a suppose?


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## TopCat (8 Jun 2009)

Joe24 said:


> You can buy these cant you? My parents came back from some caravaning and camping show at the NEC all excited, telling me you can buy a 'trailor tent for bikes'



Yeah I seen these trailer/tent type things, my idea was based on this picture...





Here are a few iv'e seen...





http://www.tonystrailers.com/mobileshelter/









http://www.24oranges.nl/2008/07/21/bike-your-house-around/



Joe24 said:


> Not a bad idea if its light enough?
> Although, you could just use a normal tent?
> 
> Not sure what advantage it would give you, get you off the ground and onto something firmer a suppose?



I get that very answer all the time - Take a Tent. Well I thought on that but i'd be taking a trailer anyway with all my other stuff in it, so why not use the trailer AS a tent. and yes one advantage would be better shelter and off the ground.

I'll have to wait see what the lot weighs once finished but at the moment I still have two more cross beams to weld on. I think I may have to drill largeish holes in the metal to try and keep the weight down.
I'd have made it in light aluminium but sadly my mate can't weld ally and he's free 

Tom C

PS.. This would be the ideal kind of thing...











Its a bike jim but not as we know it


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## Night Train (8 Jun 2009)

Just a thought about your hitch.
If you loaded up your trailer would it press down on the frame behind your back wheel making your front wheel light?

It would be interesting to see how much it weighs in the end.



TopCat said:


>


That looks like a coffin!


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## TopCat (8 Jun 2009)

Night Train said:


> Just a thought about your hitch.
> If you loaded up your trailer would it press down on the frame behind your back wheel making your front wheel light?
> 
> It would be interesting to see how much it weighs in the end.



Im not a fan of those side of the wheel type hitches nor the seatpost type. My thoughts on towing were that of a car & caravan - never seen a caravan towed with an attchment on the back wheel or a pole through the back window attached to the seat?

I dare say if I loaded up my trailer with the load up front my front wheel would be light, same as a front loaded caravan towed by a rear enigne car uphill?
where as if the load is spread across the axle I dont think it would be a problem.

Weight could well be the downfall of this project!

Tom C


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## peanut (8 Jun 2009)

the collapseable bike trailer you are basing your design on in the picture is a box. A box structure has enormous integral strength and bracing. You are going about your design in completly the wrong way.
Take a ruler to represent your long trailer spar and suspend it between two books. 
Place your finger in the middle and see how easy it is to bend it. 

Now turn the ruler on its edge suspended between two books and see if you can get the ruler to bend at all with all your strength..

see the principle ? its the same as roof and floor joists. You need to construct your main spar with a deep section but out of thin light material so it will be strong yet light and resist bending.

Look at using 8-10mm box section aluminium to form either a box chassis or a chassis like race cars
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-cargo-trailer--200-lb-capacity,-$30-for-pa/


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## TopCat (9 Jun 2009)

peanut said:


> the collapseable bike trailer you are basing your design on in the picture is a box. A box structure has enormous integral strength and bracing. You are going about your design in completly the wrong way.
> Take a ruler to represent your long trailer spar and suspend it between two books.
> Place your finger in the middle and see how easy it is to bend it.
> 
> ...



Look at the pictures of my trailer especially the rear box section - On Edge - like your ruler. I did say I still have 2 more sections to add - (One at the front and one near the black tape thats holding up the brake cables at the moment).
I also said - I'd have made it in light aluminium but sadly my mate can't weld ally and he's free.

Once finished it will look something like this....






Tom C

PS.... Seen ALL the instructables trailers plus a million others on the net over the past few months, they'll be *VERY* few trailers out there that I haven't looked at, then again every other day there's a new one pops up.


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## steveindenmark (14 Oct 2013)

What is the advantage over a tent?

I can think of lots of disadvantages.

Steve


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## LegsRsore (14 Oct 2013)

Looking at the materials you have chosen, my guess would be the weight may still become an issue. Have you considered Aluminium? 

There are plenty of suppliers of aluminium frame components (usually called speed frame) where you buy the lengths of aluminium profile plus screws etc and then simply cut to length and screw together. They usually have the corner profiles and bearing kits for wheels etc. worth a look.

Try 'item mbs' or 'Bosch' or even the RS components catalogue.


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## loopybike (14 Oct 2013)

You can also get connecting bungs for aluminum box section, saves welding. Pop rivit the panels onto the box section after it's connected and you have a strong, light structure without welding.


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## Rickshaw Phil (14 Oct 2013)

Since the OP last logged in 11-12-2010, the above suggestions might not get through.


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## loopybike (14 Oct 2013)

Ha ha! I wonder if he made it? Maybe it was so heavy that he is stuck in a valley somewhere, not able to get back up the hill?!!


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