How bad could a (new) £90 trailer be? I've ordered a Homcom folding trailer

[flecc]

The angle relative to the ground of the towing arm on your (is that your Homcom??!!? Brilliant!) larger wheeled bike is encouraging, because it looks like it might be approx level horizontal when attached to my 20" rear wheel, not acutely angled down. They say it'll arrive tomorrow, annoyingly as usual I have no idea when exactly - the's a big steaming pile of compost needing to be moved ASAP! Does it still work, 5 minutes after that photo was taken? I'm encouraged by the EXIF data of that photo, looks like you've had it at least since 4-7-2020 @Mars: Has your experience of this trailer been - - - -ty? Have you had to buy a welding kit yet?

Probably a waste of time yet again answering, if you don't see it through keeping me on Ignore. Talk about spitting into the wind!

However, the trailer Mars has is different, the wheels only supported one side. The one I used and which you've ordered is much stronger with the QR wheels supported on both sides, frame fashion.

I used mine with often huge loads from 2006 on, with no possibility of broken welds. They are very robust.
.

 

[guerney]

The QR axles for the trailer are the minimum length possible, making it fiddly to put the wheels on after it's been folded for storage. I'm going to have to cut and file some of the box section to make the end pieces fit better, so that they're easier to remove and put back on. I might also replace the plastic platform with thick marine plywood.

 

[guerney]

Aaarrgghh! I can't replace the plastic platform with thick marine ply without chopping some of the tubing off, because they've left very little clearance between. Cheap trailers eh?

 

[guerney]

Because they're always printed too damned small for my damned feeble eyes, I scan destructions - here they are for the Homcom trailer-curious:

 

[guerney]

Oddly the instructions state that max weight is 50kg, not the 40kg mentioned in listings. I bet if I got stronger wheels and added a strong board, it would be capable of more than 50kg, which would be too heavy for the QR axle on my bike's rear wheel. The inner width of the dropouts measure 89mm.

 

[guerney]

Is this plastic sheet base going to bow and melt in very hot weather or what? I don't like that it doesn't quite sit flat on the frame. I could undo the screws and file the holes so that it does.

 

[Nealh]

What gap is there between the bars for the base ?
9mm birch ply with a good few coats of nice varnish each side will be plenty strong.

 

[guerney]

What gap is there between the bars for the base ?
9mm birch ply with a good few coats of nice varnish each side will be plenty strong.

It's presently 4.9mm - I'll chop a bit off the bottom of the bars and install a thicker plywood base, if this plastic sheet proves inadequate - I don't see it being a problem for evenly distributed weight. I'll avoid standing on it, as my feet might go straight through.

 

[guerney]

4.5mm thick aluminium is a possible replacement for the plastic, but I can't imaghine that being mega cheap.

 

[guerney]

Yep, aluminium in that size would cost about £130 - I should just carry a can opener and cut some sheet metal off the car of someone I don't like

 

[Mars]

My trailer is still going strong- original cost was £75 from ebay.

It has moved a bog (that pic was taken while waiting in the queue at the recyling centre), sink and pedastal in another load. Heaviest to date was a cut up door and a load of soggy chipboard from old kichen cupboards. Think I exceeded the 40Kg supposed limit with that lot.

PS the incredulous looks give way (after a while) to approving glances. As one of the attendants at the recycling centre remarked "you can fit quite a lot in that!".

 

[Nealh]

My trailer is still going strong- original cost was £75 from ebay.

It has moved a bog (that pic was taken while waiting in the queue at the recyling centre), sink and pedastal in another load. Heaviest to date was a cut up door and a load of soggy chipboard from old kichen cupboards. Think I exceeded the 40Kg supposed limit with that lot.

PS the incredulous looks give way (after a while) to approving glances. As one of the attendants at the recycling centre remarked "you can fit quite a lot in that!".

How much greener can recycling get then turning up on a bike /trailer combo, it certainly adds kudos to the process on a green issue.

 

[guerney]

This trailer could be turned into a flatbed quite easily, by taking off the sides using the allen key provided and sawing off the attachment points for the side bars... after which a great big thick plywood base could be screwed on. But if I did that, I'd have to attach a box for some cargo types.

 

[Nealh]

That's what I do gives me more options.

 

[guerney]

My trailer is still going strong- original cost was £75 from ebay.

It has moved a bog (that pic was taken while waiting in the queue at the recyling centre), sink and pedastal in another load. Heaviest to date was a cut up door and a load of soggy chipboard from old kichen cupboards. Think I exceeded the 40Kg supposed limit with that lot.

PS the incredulous looks give way (after a while) to approving glances. As one of the attendants at the recycling centre remarked "you can fit quite a lot in that!".

It's good to know the welds haven't given way, thanks! If it does start coming apart, I really will buy a welding kit because steel is easy to weld. I'm not sure, but I might be able to bodge on bigger wheels, into those 89mm dropouts... or easier to source wheels. First compost transfer tomorrow. I should smash a bottle of something against the trailer and give it a name...

 

[Nealh]

Hombre.

 

[guerney]

That's what I do gives me more options.

The sides are useful at the moment - until tomorrow my new Hombre is upside down providing coffee table function.

 

[guerney]

The sides are very strong, and could be useful for moving heavy odd shaped cargos, which would otherwise be hard to secure - just so happens I have tree parts which need moving

I might grab some of those aluminium 1-2mm panels used to block out fireplaces, to line the sides with using my snap riveting gun, to form a big box... I'll weigh one to see how much weight doing so would add. For some loads (woodchips for instance), that could be handy to keep items inside the trailer. I couldt make bolt them ons instead, for removability.

The sides look strong enough to strap flat objects on top, which isn't ideal because the trailer would become top heavy.

If I left the connection points for the sides intact, I could use 2X1s to form a frame to elevate a 9mm plywood sheet, which wouldn't add much to the height or weight.

 

[guerney]

Actually I might simply cut some sides to size using 1mm of 2mm thick aluminium sheet, drill some holes and ziptie them together by the ends, so that they easily fold flat when not in use, but when unfolded could be used to line those sides internally - I could just (reusable) ziptie them on when needed, to form box sides.