Camper Trailer

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Guys

Please may I have your advice?

The camper trailer (below) has been developed by our Australian Wisper partner in association with Tent Cot USA.

I think it's superb but do you think it is worth introducing to the European market?

The tent part folds away in about 3 minutes, and the cantilevered twin wheels take a lot of the stress out of the tow connection to the bike which is a back axle mounted ball and socket coupling much like a caravan's.

Thanks for your help.



Best regards David

 

[flecc]

I've wondered about this since your first mention David. I know these are popular in Australia and the USA, but I'm still not sure about how the more conservative British will take to them.

I think of it as a 50/50 situation as far as the acceptance goes, leaving other factors as more decisive. And I think the prime other factor is weather, these last two summers probably leaving the whole UK camping market a bit depressed now.

I'm a very cautious person where marketing decisions are concerned, sometimes shown to be over-cautious, so I wouldn't want you to weight my opinion heavily, but if it were me I wouldn't introduce it at this point. I'd want to see a more favourable situation for UK camping as a whole, with respect to both the weather trends and sustained popularity.

Mainland Europe could well be more favourable, and I would be much less nervous about marketing it in France and Germany for example.
.

 

[Tiberius]

Hi David,

I have to say that, although I've towed things tens of thousands of miles behind a van, I've never tried towing with a bike. The questions I'd be asking are:

Weight
Dimensions when packed
Rolling resistance
Is there spare luggage carrying capacity
What are the relevant regulations
Will it carry spare batteries
Can it have assistance fitted to make a pusher trailer

Nick

PS. How fast can it go downhill

 

[Hooligooner]

I am a music festival goer and, after finding Reading Festival increasingly hard work, I've decided that next year I'll try Towersey Festival near Thame for my August bank holiday kicks.

This festival is on the Phoenix Trail well within range of a good pedelec from me here in High Wycombe, so I have been toying with the idea of buying a trailer and cycling there (friends of mine help with the set-up so recharging the battery shouldn't be a problem). This has led me on to ideas of cycle tours round camp-sites with electrical hook-ups.

So the simple answer is yes, I would be very interested.

I think you'll have to be careful about your price point. I have seen bike trailers at under £60 and even pop-up tents come in at under £50 so anything over about £150 is getting into niche market territory. How much extra load space does it have after the tent is folded away?

 

[eddieo]

As a a camper for over 30 years and for the last 10 in a motorhome my observations are these.....

For a start are electric bikes considered practical as touring machines? it look over engineered with 4 wheels and I appreciate in Australia probably advisable to sleep of the ground, but all this adds weight, always the primary concern whatever kind of camping you do.....

IMO a light weight trailer with a pop out tent would be more practical and cheaper

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thanks

Thanks Flecc, Nick, Hooligooner and Eddieo

I agree with your sentiments Flecc and I too was thought to be cautious. The problem with taking anything new like this on is it will obviously take time and resources from Wisper bikes so I am going to be giving this a lot of thought before taking them on. I have a stand at IFMA in Cologne next week and will be showing them there to get a reaction.

They weigh about 25kg although the Trail Rat which is a single wheeled version (wheel at the back) weighs only 14kg with two tents with titanium stretcher frames.

The Vital statistics are

Bed Size: 228 cm L x 81 cm W x 101 cm H
Trailer Size: 110 cm L x 83cm W x 22cm H
Storage Capacity: 120 ltrs
Weight Bed: 9 kgs
Trailer Weight 14 kgs

Rolling resistance has been carefully considered and the wheels have been designed to take cassette bearings the tow weight is about 8kg.

It fits withing the EC and US regulations for bike trailers although it seems as long as you are not putting children in the trailer the regs are quite open.

The Trail Rat version is having a battery and motor fitted this week and the Bush Trekka shown has a solar panel accessory that will recharge a battery in 9 hours. (Australian sun!)

Re Nicks question "How fast can it go downhill?" about 120mph after that it tends to snake a little!!!

Re the price point it is expensive at about £600.00 but it is a great bit of kit.

Best regards David

 

[Tiberius]

Hi David,

One of the reasons I asked about batteries and a motor is that that could be a way to get a long distance machine. And of course, a camping tourer would have to be a long distance machine to be attractive. But then you would be looking at quite a weight of batteries and a fairly powerful motor. Hence the question about regulations; I would not be surprised to find something like that was classed as a locomotive.

Nick

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Long distance rat run

Hi Nick

We are still looking into it, it all seems a bit vague as usual.

I am pretty sure we can put a 350w combination or single motor as it is a 3 wheeler and of course we can put at least 3 batteries in if we want to, giving one a huge 36v 42a or 1512 ah. Even with the added weight of the Trail Rat trailer we calculate it would give you a good 120 miles in pedelec mode.

Regards David

 

[Mussels]

I'm not likely to be touring by bike anytime soon but if I were then I'd be very wary of the size. My limited experience of UK cycle tracks has shown there are many awkward gates and some would need a trailer to be lifted about 4 feet in the air to get over the gate, at 25Kg plus this would be quite a problem.
In about 10 miles of National cycle route route that I use there are about 10 obstacles that would be a big problem with this trailer and at least one that would be impassable, I had to give up on the idea of a kids trailer for the same reason.
I like the idea but it looks impractical even if the cost was low enough.

 

[MaryinScotland]

Why have the cot so high off the ground? I can see it's got support legs, but my immediate reaction to the picture was, I couldn't sleep in that, it would fall over if I tossed and turned. (Or if parked in a windy spot. And if you've ever camped in the Scottish highlands, you'll know that you seek out windy spots, because you get eaten alive by midges in sheltered places.)

You've got the trailer under the cot, so I suppose that's where you store your kit when you're asleep. But is it sheltered enough to keep stuff dry during the typical downpours of British summer camping?

The only time I went camping with a bike, I used my non-powered Brompton with a Cyclone trailer, both of which can be turned into luggage for train transport. The Cyclone bag is about 100 litres, enough space to include a conventional tent big enough for one person and all kit.

It seems to me that the Tent Cot is not really aimed at the kind of camping conditions we have in Britain.

Mary

 

[Footie]

If £600 is too much - Here's a more basic version on the same idea.

Mobile shelter trailers by Tony's Trailers
.

 

[Beanie101]

Why have the cot so high off the ground?

If it was developed in Australia, then snakes and spiders may have something to do with it...

 

[Wisper Bikes]

High as a Kite

Hi Guys thanks for your advice, gratefully received.

The reason for the height is two fold first of all it is an integral part of the trailer and it fitted to the top and secondly it is to keep the sleeper off the ground.

Yes in OZ and other areas with venomous snakes and creepy crawlies it's advisable to be as far away from their habitat as possible. Here in less sunny climes it seemed to me to be a good idea to keep off the mud!

I think we will take a container on and see how it goes, after a lot of research it does seem to be the best available if a little expensive.

Best regards David

 

[ElephantsGerald]

Seems pretty expensive for what it is.

I reckon the biggest problem touring/camping with an electric bike is going to be re-charging.

I guess you could stop at camp sites with electric hook-ups, in which case it'd be useful to have a caravan style electric hookup on the trailer wired up to a waterproof box inside the trailer with a couple of standard 3-pin mains sockets where you could store your battery chargers.

I don't think I'll be buying one though - there are 9 of us when all my children and step-children are camping - it'd be a bit of tight squeeze

Regards,

Elephants

 

[Mussels]

If £600 is too much - Here's a more basic version on the same idea.

Mobile shelter trailers by Tony's Trailers
.

That looks interesting but the basic price is $825US, add on extras (a rather bewildering choice), shipping and tax and it is probably costs the same. I'm also a little dubious about how it will stand up to the wind, I think the Wisper one looks a better bet.
I can't imagine me buying either though.

 

[Saddlesore]

Its a lovely looking bit of kit but I doubt if there is a commercial market for it in this country - great for the continent (any) with decent developed cycleways but not the U.K.
If I were considering doing long distance touring I think it would be using panniers and the YHA network most of which are within single battery distance of each other and a useful recharging point.

 

[frank9755]

Sorry David, but I can't see it!

I believe that camping is actually doing well in the UK, despite the weather. It is probably also quite recession-proof. Also people like buying new gear and there are lots of camping equipment shops that are usually pretty full.

However, this is clearly quite an expensive tent where one of the key features, the ability to get the sleeper off the ground, is not only not needed in the UK but would probably be seen as a disadvantage (because colder). For the price, people might be expecting high levels of water and wind proofing, which it's not clear that this tent offers. My main concern, though is that long distance touring with an electric bike and trailer is a market that does not yet exist, so you'd have to grow it from scratch, and that always takes longer than people think!

I think you'd get greater return from continuing to innovate and refine the Wisper bike range!

 

[eddieo]

Hi Guys thanks for your advice, gratefully received.

The reason for the height is two fold first of all it is an integral part of the trailer and it fitted to the top and secondly it is to keep the sleeper off the ground.

Yes in OZ and other areas with venomous snakes and creepy crawlies it's advisable to be as far away from their habitat as possible. Here in less sunny climes it seemed to me to be a good idea to keep off the mud!

I think we will take a container on and see how it goes, after a lot of research it does seem to be the best available if a little expensive.

Best regards David

But people don't go camping if its muddy........ Think you are getting confused with Glastonbury. I would not think these would catch on, most want to travel as light as possible.

any news on panniers (cost & availability) as my wisper arrived today and I need to get some for the shopping

 

[Broadbeans]

I love the idea of this little trailer tent, but I do prefer sleeping on the ground in a tent! Thankfully there are no Parktown Prawns lurking in the grass in England - or I'd soon change my mind!

:- ) Johnny

 

[SEATALTEA]

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/qf/c/PopularScience/10-1940/med_bed_trailer.jpg

Enough said.