Oh! Quite a few replies but none seem to know for certain, looks like this is a bit of a grey area? - seems like everythings ok until you get pulled over! Think I best make enquiries at my local cop shop.
Ok lets start at the begining.Hopefully this will answer some of the questions posed by members.
Last August a mate of mine bought a trailer tent, to give it a test out we headed of to Skye for a few days, weather was great, while the rest of the country was hit with monsoons.
On my return home I got to reminiscing about camping/fishing trips of days gone by. With these thoughts still on my mind the following month I bought myself a new bike...
Viking
Urban
Trail.
My last NEW bike was bought for me by my dad when I was about 12yrs costing a whopping
£26.10 Shillings (My how times and prices have changed) - (Need to get a photo of old racing bike to post)
I fitted out the bike with a 12V 6watt Dynamo I got off ebay (cant seem to get this working properly?) and a pannier rack (again ebay). I was looking for a saddle bag for the back (call me old fasioned) but they dont seem to make them any more? so I had to settle on a pannier.
After a few weeks my thoughts returned to fishing/camping trips etc. Humm! Rods tied to bike, rucksack full of fishing tackle - camping stove - tent - sleeping bag - food & drink - warm clothes ----- this list is endless? I then thought all that stuff could be put in a trailer and would save weight on the bike. So I started looking at bike trailers and there price Humm! quiet expensive some of them and not to my likeing!
After many restless nights sleep I thought BUILD MY OWN. So I begain looking at websites dealing with trailers.
I best tell you all now before someone post's any trailer links/pics! I have looked at thousands of websites & pictures of trailers, there's not many trailers I haven't seen - if any! - I dont count sheep when I goto sleep
Humm!Anyone spot the similarity?
-
Yes! The yellow trailer above is the latest one iv'e seen (about 3 weeks ago) and is what my trailer is based on, but more on that later.
The Quest was onFirst of was wheels. Duering our sunday trips to Blochairn fish/fruit (car booty type) market I started looking for wheels, I picked up a kiddies bike for £7 - 16in wheels.
Next up was the trailer its self, I remembered I had a large angle iron frame tucked away at the side of my shed. With frame and wheels in hand I took a trip around to see my mate Peter - He likes tinkering with stuff, plus he has a welder
A couple of hours later I had a frame with wheels attached. Next I cut a piece of plywood that I got from another mate (Pat) and bolted it into frame. Then came the Hitch/towing problem! I dont like the bar at the side ofthe wheel, nor do I like the long under the seat type bar. Anyway I didn't have any tube or a bender if I did but Peter did have flat bar. So this is what I/we came up with...
Towing Arm. 
This took about 3 to 4 weeks! not the making of the tow arm but finding something that would emulate a towball hitch like that on a car.
Eventually after all sorts of nuts/bolts/bent tube/swivel fastners/castor wheels were tried a friend of a friend got me this...
Universal Joint. (think its a landrover steering linkage?
A large bolt ground down so it slips into the joint and nut and bolt to keep it there, all attached to a aluminium angle plate this how it looks when attached to any trailer iv'e made? -
yes the present trailer is the seventh trailer iv made.
Swizz69
Nice work btw. Only concern i'd have is how you've hitched it to the bike - if its heavily loaded it might try to steer the bike a little, whereas one hitched to the axle pushes & pulls right where the bike pivots so has less of an effect, and also puts the load on the bike right where its being supported by the wheel.
I think if the load is spread across the main axle there wont be to much of a problem. Iv'e tried out a couple of runs, only last night I brought home a load of offcuts of plywood from a skip about 2 mile away.
The Univesal Joint may have seen its last haul as im waiting on a towball type hitch arriving...
Im getting a bit ahead of myself, where was I? aah yes - 7th trailer.
Each trailer that iv'e made has been a little better than the last, with a stop in between to build a
One Wheeled Trailer(which is still a work in progress). The materials I used all seem to be pretty weak angle iron/wood, as the wheels on the trailer(s) tended to splay out when any weight was put on it. I have since sourced out some stronger/better metal -
Box
Tubeing 40 X 40mm and thicker/stronger angle iron for the dropouts.
Most my older trailers have been dismantled but here's a pic of my
One Wheeled Trailer in the background you'll see my attempt at a wooden trailer, on which is the remnants of a bike and old road sign that went in to the constuction of the One Wheeled Trailer
Oh! while on the above picture you may notice the rather untidy garden? Well I have since done up the garden with a new fence & golden chippings, the trouble was the chippings were always getting kicked onto the path. On one of my jaunts I spied some wood that would do for an edging around the path. I asked the home owner if they were throwing it out? Yes take it they said.
Humm!
How would I get such a long lump of wood home? - Build a trailer
So work went into construction of my sixth trailer (Only made for the wood trip) and my second Step ladder trailer. I'll have to line up all my trailers and take a photo.
The Long Haul Trailer.Trailer is made from an old step ladder (not the rungside) with a piece of wood bolted on to hold the hitch assembly. Two lengths of conduit pipe were inserted into ladder to enable it to extend.
Return home. Trailer Extended carrying an 18 feet and a 16 feet piece of wood!
Note the yellow duster tied to the end of the wood as as warning to motorists.
Present day and the 7th trailer.Had Peter (my mate) weld up the main frame/tale beam/dropouts. Now need to scource out another couple of crossbeams, though I do have angle iron which may do the trick, and already has holes in it which will lighten the constuction.
I think
WEIGHT could be the down fall of this trailer? By the time its finished I may not have the legs to tow it. Aluminium would have been the better choice but you can only work with the tools youv'e got. I'll keep an eye out down at the recycling center, you never know!
The Plan Is.To construct a camping trailer/TENT. Imagine if you will a shoe box. Take the lid off the box and insert 4 poles in each of the corners. Replace lid the on poles then unfurl a canopy/tent from inside the lid down the sides of the trailer. One side will extend out and be held up by a further 2 poles, that side will house the bike at night etc, I'll be sleeping off the ground in my cosy trailer
Give that man a coconut Swizz69
What fascinates me is how you intend using it as a camping trailer. Having such a large load 'bed', just wondering whether you'll be sleeping on it too
Brill project if you are
Stoobs
I'd be more worried about width than length, as the actress might have said to the bishop.
Im sure i read somewhere theres a limit for motorbike trailers of - L 2.5m X W 1m
Gaz
Don't go to South Australia.
On a more serious note there are regulations for reflectors and lighting in the UK.
Got all my Lights - Indicators - Reflectors sorted out. Always wanted to tour around Oz. Of course this would be my dream bike and trailer to do it in...
2Tubs
What are you taking with you?
Mark Beumont cycled around the world and he'd of only needed a 3rd of that for his trip.
But well done on the build, it looks a great trailer for moving stuff, but not sure it's the most suitable tool for camping.
It will be used for moving stuff when the trailer box is removed. Its already brought home a pile of wood and other bits n bobs to make itself.
Danfoto
How are you going to operate the trailer brakes, and come to that how are you going to ensure that you get equal braking on both trailer wheels?
Someone suggested to me something I was already concidering! An over run system, where's as when the towing vehicle slows down and the trailer moves forward the brakes are applied automaticliy. Or I was/am going to have a two into one system that I can opperate with my left bootheel.
I just took delivery (Tuesday) of a trailer (for my shopping trips) just like (my 8th trailer) that but minus the green lid, these past few days I have made a wooden lid for mine. I plan to box it all in. Did I mention I brought home a plie of wood on my big trailer
Right lads its time for a bit of shuteye. Please feel free to comment on the madman that I am
Till the next update/instalment - Ride Safe
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -
Zzzzzz ...!? Damn a wheels come off. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
Zzzzzzz Zzzzzz Zzzzzz
Tom C
