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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on March 8, 2013 at 7:24am

The frame looks similar to an old Rhode Gear trailer that I have.

They don't have a bottom board but rather there are straps (you can see the vestiges of these black straps near the insides of the wheels) that reinforce the bottom floor which is just a slightly  heavier fabric than the rest of the trailer.  I'm pretty certain you will not be able to buy just the fabric for this, or if you could it would cost you more than buying a whole used similar trailer.

If this were mine I would get some 1/4" plywood and make a bottom board of my own, and put some new straps between where the remains of the old straps were mounted.  These are fairly necessary to reinforce the frame as the frame alone isn't strong enough not to splay outward when weight is on it.  I would probably put two straps  from front to back as well to reinforce the thin plywood.  Maybe even thin metal strap like 18-gauge x 1" and go around and back again 2 times each way in a cross-hatch pattern to pull the inner hoop tight and give the deck plenty of support.

Then I would probably leave it open.  An open trailer pulls a lot better as it isn't a parachute in the wind of motion (and especially going into a headwind.)    Or one could get a brass grommet kit and a lightweight tarp and fashion a cover with a flap in back for access. 

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on March 8, 2013 at 8:41am

Yes, I agree, not really structural although it might increase visibility somewhat.

The one thing I really like about having the yellow kiddie trailer over a flatbed is that I think most folks assume I have a Child on Board and are much more considerate around me on the road.  It's a striking difference.  Even though I'm wider and slower and need to take the lane much more often I get almost zero bad entitled/aggressive cager behavior directed towards me when pulling it.  Take the trailer off and run one more errand and it's like throwing a switch.

I can only believe that this is due to people reacting differently due to the perception of a child in the trailer.

This is a major reason why I've left the fabric on.  That, and I sometimes will leave groceries or such in it when I run into another store for other errands.   I often go to Dominick's and then on to Aldi's right next door on Clyborn and I'd feel a lot better about leaving $100 worth of groceries in an enclosed trailer rather than on a flatbed exposed as I dash in for some Winking Owl,$1.99 milk, and other cheap things that Dominick's charges 2x or more for. 

h' 1.0 said:

In addition to what James said, the top (non-horizontal) part of the frame does not seem to add anything structurally-- I'd remove it.

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Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on March 8, 2013 at 1:10pm

Hi, Roach-

I don't have the same exact frame but here's what I did for my conversion. I used a section of plastic shelving for the bed to save on weight.

Strip the trailer down to the frame and add a support bar or strap (or two) for added stability. (Picture #2 is the underside.) I used hose clamps at 5 points and a couple of screws for the support bar.

I use a plastic bin and heavier bungee cords to carry the recycling and groceries.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on March 9, 2013 at 4:28am

I bought this modified trailer from a seller on Craigslist. It looks like the same model as yours and James. It has a few simple modifications and works perfectly for my needs. The previous owner used conduit to construct a deep trailer bed and designed it to work with a giant tuperware container (secured with bungee cords). It's simple and super effective. I especially like having an enclosed storage when it's nasty out, and while leaving it parked. I use a bungee net on top of the tuperware for overflow capacity or for moving awkward items.

Sorry for the crummy pictures, check it out:

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on March 9, 2013 at 4:48am

What kind of tires are you trailering-types using? Is there a good return on investment when using nice tires?

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Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on March 9, 2013 at 5:01am

Mine are the stock Kendas. They seem to be doing fine but I would like to have an extra tube or two just in case.

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