Need a heavy-duty cargo trailer. $500-ish (CAD) budget. What are my options?
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Need a heavy-duty cargo trailer. $500-ish (CAD) budget. What are my options?
Hey utility cyclists,
I seek your input. I need a heavy-duty bike cargo trailer, but am on a budget. There exist a few commercially available/ready-made models (from Bikes at Work, Tony's Trailers, Haulin' Colin, Surly, etc.) that meet all or most of my needs, but sadly, are out of my price range -- and being in Canada, the exchange rate and cost of shipping makes it even harder. (Tony's Trailers is out in BC, but I can't afford their stuff.)
I'm after a trailer that:
I was excited to see that Wike (in Ontario, where I live) offers a DIY cargo trailer kit. It seems it can be built to almost any size (within reason) but its load capacity is only 150 lbs. One idea I had was to get the DIY kit and beef it up... though that's where the advice of someone more experienced would come in. I wouldn't know where to add what, or if simply using steel instead of aluminum square tubing would suffice.
I think someone suggested in another thread here that a trailer frame built with the Wike DIY kit should be able to accommodate more that 150 lbs. -- that the only part that might suffer under a heavier weight is the hitch itself -- and that the Bikes at Work hitch should easily be able to handle a heavier load.
That said, the Wike kit uses ABS corner connectors. I know ABS is tough plastic, but how heavy a load can it manage?
Beyond building a frame with the Wike kit and using steel tubing, and possibly pairing it with the stronger Bikes at Work axle-mounted hitch (if it fits), I wouldn't know how to proceed. I'd happily put in the time making something from scratch, if parts and materials are easily accessible, and my limited construction and design skills would be sufficient.
Anyway -- that's a long enough first post. Any suggestions, links, instructions and anecdotes are very much appreciated. Thanks tons!
I seek your input. I need a heavy-duty bike cargo trailer, but am on a budget. There exist a few commercially available/ready-made models (from Bikes at Work, Tony's Trailers, Haulin' Colin, Surly, etc.) that meet all or most of my needs, but sadly, are out of my price range -- and being in Canada, the exchange rate and cost of shipping makes it even harder. (Tony's Trailers is out in BC, but I can't afford their stuff.)
I'm after a trailer that:
- Is 5-6+ feet long
- Is 2-3 feet wide
- Can haul at least 300 lbs. -- though more is better.
- Has an axle- or seatpost-mounted hitch
- Has quick-release wheels
- Has or can accommodate removable plywood sidewalls
- Can accommodate bungee cords/tie-downs
- Can be built for about or less than $500 Canadian (plus my time)
I was excited to see that Wike (in Ontario, where I live) offers a DIY cargo trailer kit. It seems it can be built to almost any size (within reason) but its load capacity is only 150 lbs. One idea I had was to get the DIY kit and beef it up... though that's where the advice of someone more experienced would come in. I wouldn't know where to add what, or if simply using steel instead of aluminum square tubing would suffice.
I think someone suggested in another thread here that a trailer frame built with the Wike DIY kit should be able to accommodate more that 150 lbs. -- that the only part that might suffer under a heavier weight is the hitch itself -- and that the Bikes at Work hitch should easily be able to handle a heavier load.
That said, the Wike kit uses ABS corner connectors. I know ABS is tough plastic, but how heavy a load can it manage?
Beyond building a frame with the Wike kit and using steel tubing, and possibly pairing it with the stronger Bikes at Work axle-mounted hitch (if it fits), I wouldn't know how to proceed. I'd happily put in the time making something from scratch, if parts and materials are easily accessible, and my limited construction and design skills would be sufficient.
Anyway -- that's a long enough first post. Any suggestions, links, instructions and anecdotes are very much appreciated. Thanks tons!
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Not to get too far off course here but when i am short on cash I have a second credit card (I generally keep a ZERO balance on both) that I keep squirreled away for "necessary" purchases that I really can't afford. Yeah, I pay a little interest but I generally get what I want when I need it. Normally I pay off $1000 in 3-4 months if I don't need a root canal in the meantime!
Just a suggestion. The trailer you want, as you described it, is a Bikes at Work. It exists. You just have to adjust your spending thermostat or waste dollars on something you likely will not be happy with.
Cheers.
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Yeah, it's a tough pill to swallow. My Bikes at Work trailer is now about 20 years old. Dollar cost averaging makes it seem CHEAP now. The thing will last forever. Longer than you unless it gets stolen.
Not to get too far off course here but when i am short on cash I have a second credit card (I generally keep a ZERO balance on both) that I keep squirreled away for "necessary" purchases that I really can't afford. Yeah, I pay a little interest but I generally get what I want when I need it. Normally I pay off $1000 in 3-4 months if I don't need a root canal in the meantime!
Just a suggestion. The trailer you want, as you described it, is a Bikes at Work. It exists. You just have to adjust your spending thermostat or waste dollars on something you likely will not be happy with.
Cheers.
Not to get too far off course here but when i am short on cash I have a second credit card (I generally keep a ZERO balance on both) that I keep squirreled away for "necessary" purchases that I really can't afford. Yeah, I pay a little interest but I generally get what I want when I need it. Normally I pay off $1000 in 3-4 months if I don't need a root canal in the meantime!
Just a suggestion. The trailer you want, as you described it, is a Bikes at Work. It exists. You just have to adjust your spending thermostat or waste dollars on something you likely will not be happy with.
Cheers.
I did come across this blog post -- Edit: oops, my post count doesn't let me post URLs, but the page is called 'How To Build A 1000$ Bicycle Trailer For $450' -- in which someone details how they built a trailer similar to a Bikes at Work model (though at 4-ish feet, it's a bit shorter than what I may be after) for less, using a hitch-mounted aluminum cargo carrier. 500-lb. capacity ain't bad.
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Earlier version from the same company made side rail trusses with 3 pieces of aluminum tubing...
2 straight and 1 zigzag bent , in between , with holes drilled in them for a lot of bolts & nuts..
2 straight and 1 zigzag bent , in between , with holes drilled in them for a lot of bolts & nuts..
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Or towing a bike trailer with a car?
Either way, the two may be different enough to be a problem.
As far as "cheap" trailers, they do periodically pop up in the used ads. Nothing close to here, but this one caught my attention.
Surly Bill Bicycle Trailer - $790 (sunset / parkside)
I think I've seen similar trailers for cheaper.
My personal heavy trailer took a fair amount of welding, but is a beast.
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