Originally Posted by saddlesores;
...with this here trailer, the weight can be dealt with. just need the proper
gearing and a strong enough rider. the wind is going to be the real
problem, especially side winds. something this large pulled by a bike
is going to be unstable in anything stronger than a light breeze, and
deadly when passed by 18-wheelers at speed.
Hmmm.. I hadn't given the windage (crosswind) much thought. Light weight and a lot of surface area in the wind would make this thing like a leaf in a tornado...
Random brainstorming follows:... (sorry, that's how I think...)
think about doing something with rigid panels that folded - Origami style. Hmmmm...
I'm thinking about pet crates and how they fold up for storage. Those fold flat (well, a couple of inches thick) for storage. Now if you were to make the bottom 'pan' portion a foot or so high before the sidewall hinges, you could use that 1' high lower portion for carrying food, sleeping bag, etc, and have less 'windage area' when towing. That'd also keep the weight down low for stability.
If you were to build using insulated material (again I'm thinking Lexan opaque greenhouse panels), and cover the hinged areas with waterproof fabric... The problem would be the end walls and how to waterproof those seams, although canvas joints with zippers would probably be sufficient. Proof-of-concept/design can be done on a small scale using corrugated cardboard or 1/4" thick crafting foamboard to work though the problems...