Enclosed Bike Trailer Mods

[biscuitsngravy]

I've had a 6 X 12 cargo trailer for years but have never modified it (other than a front wheel chock and floor tiedown rings.)

After seeing a few good examples of enclosed bike trailer modifications, I am wanting to dress up the interior of my trailer for my Nomad.

I've found some ideas for cabinets and hangers on the internet (I've good good woodworking skills), but what about floor and sidewall treatments?

Any ideas out there in Kawanow land? BnG

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Dave I would go for marble floors.

Just having a little fun with you. I would just put down a better grade of plywood I guess. Lots of things that could be done I guess.

[ringadingh]

Aluminium checkerplate is a real nice touch, both inside and outside the trailer.
Check out some trailer sites and see what they have done.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by BiscuitsNGravy aka Dave Mills

I've had a 6 X 12 cargo trailer for years but have never modified it (other than a front wheel chock and floor tiedown rings.)

After seeing a few good examples of enclosed bike trailer modifications, I am wanting to dress up the interior of my trailer for my Nomad.

I've found some ideas for cabinets and hangers on the internet (I've good good woodworking skills), but what about floor and sidewall treatments?

Any ideas out there in Kawanow land? BnG

A little shag carpet and maybe a bamboo parquet floor would be great.

[ringadingh]

Bamboo flooring is getting popular here, but can you still get shag carpet?

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

Bamboo flooring is getting popular here, but can you still get shag carpet?

Shag carpeting never goes out of style!

[ringadingh]

I think it has in Canada Scott. maybe some guys still line there minivans with the stuff.

[recumbentbob]

+ some nice choices here

http://www.caldwellcarpet.com/super-...hag-carpet.htm

[fish]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

I think it has in Canada Scott. maybe some guys still line there minivans with the stuff.

Steve want to put shag carpeting in my minivan ::)

[ringadingh]

Larry; I could picture you with a shag lined van.

[markclark57]

On the serious side. . . Mine is a 7x14. I went with two Lock n Load plates (both bikes fit in one trailer), a 4x2 Rigid double lock gang box, and a 14 drawer Craftsman roller cabinet. It already came with 3/4" flooring and 3/8" side walls. All of the wood got Deck sealer previous to it's first official use. Added lots of D-rings for tie downs, and I'm a happy man.
(first two sig pix have tools/trailer in view or reflection)

[macmac]

I can tell one thng to NOT DO, and that is paint the floow with Rustoleum Aluminum paint! Man is that stuff slippery for a long time. It comes off on the soles of your boots too, and you will track it all over the place. (think home floors)

I got truck bed liner spray cans and marked off a runway, as wide as my feet need to be to fix that.

The tailgate on my trailer is a ramp, and I had painted that white with some any white latex wall paint. That isn't as slippery, but it got the run way treatment anyway.

The trailer had tie downs in it, but these were light duty. I bought flush mounted heavy duty mounts and inlaid them myself. I run 2 tie down from each point, not trusting just one.

That's 8 tie downs total. I forget the name, but it is something like soft ties, which are just figure 8 loops off the bike and this keeps the tie hooks away from the paint and chrome.

I learned to duct tape the lower end hooks to the mounts. It seems the bike suspention drops on bumps in the trailer and the lower hooks can come free of the mounts real easy.

I have a El Cheapo J C Whitnet ft wheel chock as well.

The walls are still un-treated luan, but I made stand out rails at 1 inch off the floor, another around 5 feet high, and one splitting the difference.

The rails stand off the wall apx 1 inch, so I can pass line behind them, and or use S hooks on them, and or have a foam camp pad piece I can use a kneeling pad.

Another trick I pulled was to run a by-pass off the trailer interior light, and end it with a ciggy butt socket. That can take anything with a male ciggy butt end.

My bike has a ciggy butt lighter, and I use either the lighter or a voltmeter mainly, but in the trailer I can use both with an adapter I made up of 2 male ends on a wire and charge the battery anytime the Van engine is running.

If the day were to come again to use this trailer like I did, I might add folding bunks above the bike, or they might be adjustable, in the event the bike wasn't in the trailer and in this way the trailer could serve as a tent.

The only reason I have the van and the van's trailer, is I hit winter in Arkansas, and needed a rolling bed room. I had already crossed the USA from NH to cal, to fla, to ok, to ar, then needed a winter camp set up. Since I don't know how to drive a van and ride a bike at the same time the trailer seemed to be the thing to do.

Another thing I will likey do is add a deck just behind the trailer jack, and place the spare there, with a tool box or a cooler. My trailer has the spare mounted on the leftside wall at the rear by the ramp now.

[Top Cat]

You never cease to amaze me Mac.
What do you do in your spare time? ;)

[glwilson]

Dave... one thing I do like about my trailer is the E-Track "rail-system" for tying-down the bike. It is only toward the front on mine; but I wish there would have been some toward the rear also. They are strong and easily adjustable for multiple positions for tie-down.

I am putting them toward the rear of the trailer sometime. Not hard to install and not that expensive.

Scroll-down on this site for the idea:

http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratche...wn-Accessories

I used outdoor carpet on the floor that is taped-down (not glued so I can replace it easier later); which helps on wet-days to prevent slipping. This is on the ramp-door also, but I did leave a strip down the middle for the tire. That area is painted with some reasonably durable paint that has sand in it for traction on wet-days.

If money is not object... then there are plenty of flooring choices online. My worry with these are slipping when wet.

The only other thing I'll add is a small tool-box of some sort.

With the size of your trailer, you could make it into a toy-hauler/camper.

Good luck and have fun. ;)

[chainsaw]

If anyone is interested, with the bad weather around the country and with the hail damage, you can pick up a hail damaged trailer for a good price. I picked up a 6x10 V nose completely done inside, Halmark brand, minimal hail damage, for $1,450.00. Included a one year warranty. Got it at Nite's Equipment in Peckatonica,
Illinois. Near Rockford.