Trailers FOR bikes

[76shuvlinoff]

I originally posted this in the show your shovel thread after I saw easy's trailer pic but I thought maybe it should be out there on it's own.

Now don't go beating me up...

Easy, (or anyone)
That looks good together but not knowing anything about bike trailers, and maybe it's just the angle, but what is the total length with the trailer? Too me that looks long but again, I've never pulled one with a bike.

- Mark

[HogMike]

Don't know exactly what you're looking for, total length?
Depends a lot on what brand trailer,but, I think they are all similar in length. A little longer than a car.
I towed this one for over 50K miles, with NO problems.


[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[easyricer]

The total length is about the same as an F150 pick up truck. When I started playing with it, it was 1 1/2 feet longer.  The smaller trailer I built, for a buddy, is really short compared to this one, but has a much smaller capacity.
Really I'm pretty happy with this one. I'll be building a box to go in it here shortly. It has to all be removable so that I can still use this trailer for hauling the small bikes around as I need to.
EASY

[76shuvlinoff]

easy
From the angle in the pic it looked like it had a long tongue, is that pretty common for a bike trailer? Do you folk see any disadvantage of having one as short as possible as far as handling goes?

[easyricer]

I've had the opportunity to set up several trailers and hitches for customers at the shop so I have had the chance to play with a few of them. One of the things I have noticed with them is that balance really matters. Since our bikes are not meant to tow anything, tongue weight is the biggest factor. If the wheels of the trailer are centered under the load, the bike will not have to be burdened by the load. I hauled our Bike hauler back the the shop a few weeks back. The  wheels on it are set far to the rear of it so that most of the load is on the truck and with a rigid trailer, we take advantage of the trucks suspension to dampen the blows of the road to the trailer. On the bike, it pushed and shoved me around. The bike felt extremely heavy and I could feel the trailer trying to "push" me around the turns.
On the small trailer that I built, it had only about 15lbs of tongue weight with the loaded cooler and the bed packed down. Though we could feel it back there, it did not influence how we rode. This larger trailer, I can feel back there also, but it's minimal. Like using a truck to haul a trailer, you really only have to worry about tight turns, and braking. The bike hauler tested even the motor, clutch, brakes and my abilities to put them to use.
So the way I see it, if the trailer is light or heavy (as long as your bike can handle it) it's how it's balanced on the trailer that really makes a difference. Very much like the load on a big rigs trailer, too much to one end and it will cause you handling issues.
A longer tongue will help distribute weight, a shorter tongue is more maneuverable and agile.
This large trailer I built for hauling loads, it's a work trailer, the small ones are for camping and roadtrips.
EASY

[Old Crow]

The Harbor Freight trailer I pull weighs in around 125 empty.  Tongue weight empty is around 13 lbs.  You really want 10% of total weight as tongue weight.  I figure it weighs in around 350 loaded and I load it so my tongue weight is 40lbs before I add ice to the cooler.  Of course, I have the shocks on the bike cranked to the highest preload and the bike is set up for a solo rider of just under 300lb. 
I've pulled this for about 4 years and only one time got in a scary spot.  I think this was due more to the road surface and contour than the way the trailer was loaded.
I think on Easy's trailer, while the bed is the same size as mine, the tongue is longer.  Then again, my hitch sticks out a bit further than his.

[easyricer]

Well here's my first load. A bottle of Argon and a box of truck window trim. I needed to exchange my bottle and had to deliver these parts. Then picked up my cooler so I can make a mount for it. I pulled it for around 50 miles yesterday. I had one scary spot where the road pitches weirdly in a turn and the bike did the same little dance that my wife's truck did pulling the big shop trailer to the swapmeet.  Was a strange oscillation , while it didn't really  affect the steering any, made the bike wobble side to side a little. I've been pulling trailers with trucks for a long time so I know not to fight it. In town, it pulls fantastic and that is what I made it for. Next, I need to build a box for larger tools and a mount for my tool box on it.
EASY

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]