Velomobile trailer project

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   Hi all,

I want to share some pictures of a project I just started working on: building a long trailer for my Quest. I know it's not as crazy as building your own velomobile but I need to start self-building with a project within my reach!

In Kanthaus we do a lot of food waste prevention and that generally means picking up relatively large quantities of food that cannot be sold anymore. We generally do this using Euro containers, which are nicely foldable when empty and stackable when full.

These containers can be put on bike trailers, so far I have used the Carry Freedom Y-Frame, which is very nice but quite small, so containers end up stacked quite high up, which is not great for stability. And of course it's not very aero!

So my goal is to build a trailer that is both sturdy, light and specially adapted to transport euro containers. Its frame will be a ladder whose steps are designed to fit the dimensions of euro containers nicely. The trailer will not have any floor, which should make it a bit lighter. The frame will be built with aluminum profiles, screwed together using angle brackets (if I had the skills and tools I guess I would weld it, but it should still be reasonably lightweight like that). XYZ Cargo are a good source of inspiration for the project (check them out, they do recumbents too!).

I am reusing the Y-Frame's hitch system, which is rated for 90kg on the large version of the trailer. And wheels come from Hinterher. They make great trailers too, but if was to buy one of theirs with the same capacity, it would be about 1500€, which feels like a bit much!

I just got all the parts today (except the bolts), so I am excited to share some early pics:

Also we discovered that the alu profiles make for great kaleidoscopes…

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antonin_d Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Visitor (new) Joined: 10 April 2017 Status: Offline Points: 63	Post Options Post Reply Quote antonin_d Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Topic: Velomobile trailer project Posted: 08 June 2021 at 11:57am
	Hi all, I want to share some pictures of a project I just started working on: building a long trailer for my Quest. I know it's not as crazy as building your own velomobile but I need to start self-building with a project within my reach! In Kanthaus we do a lot of food waste prevention and that generally means picking up relatively large quantities of food that cannot be sold anymore. We generally do this using Euro containers, which are nicely foldable when empty and stackable when full. These containers can be put on bike trailers, so far I have used the Carry Freedom Y-Frame, which is very nice but quite small, so containers end up stacked quite high up, which is not great for stability. And of course it's not very aero! So my goal is to build a trailer that is both sturdy, light and specially adapted to transport euro containers. Its frame will be a ladder whose steps are designed to fit the dimensions of euro containers nicely. The trailer will not have any floor, which should make it a bit lighter. The frame will be built with aluminum profiles, screwed together using angle brackets (if I had the skills and tools I guess I would weld it, but it should still be reasonably lightweight like that). XYZ Cargo are a good source of inspiration for the project (check them out, they do recumbents too!). I am reusing the Y-Frame's hitch system, which is rated for 90kg on the large version of the trailer. And wheels come from Hinterher. They make great trailers too, but if was to buy one of theirs with the same capacity, it would be about 1500€, which feels like a bit much! I just got all the parts today (except the bolts), so I am excited to share some early pics: Also we discovered that the alu profiles make for great kaleidoscopes…

Yanto Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 11 July 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1521	Post Options Post Reply Quote Yanto Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 June 2021 at 7:40am
	Welding aluminium is an art and a skill, I think bolting or using clamps is perfectly acceptable.

antonin_d Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Visitor (new) Joined: 10 April 2017 Status: Offline Points: 63	Post Options Post Reply Quote antonin_d Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 June 2021 at 12:06pm
	I am actually considering getting it welded by a professional now, as the weight of the stainless steel angle brackets and bolts is far from negligible… I am trying to get a few quotes from local businesses (luckily I am in a pretty industrial area so there are plenty of those).

antonin_d Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Visitor (new) Joined: 10 April 2017 Status: Offline Points: 63	Post Options Post Reply Quote antonin_d Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 June 2021 at 8:43pm
	I finally found someone who could weld aluminium (it was harder than I thought) and I am pretty happy with the result. After a tiny bit of grinding in the corners, the boxes fit perfectly in the frame: My next step will probably be the fixation of the tow arm, which should roughly be positioned like this:

Yanto Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 11 July 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1521	Post Options Post Reply Quote Yanto Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 June 2021 at 10:11pm
	Looking good Does your Quest already have the reinforced body and hitch fitted?

antonin_d Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Visitor (new) Joined: 10 April 2017 Status: Offline Points: 63	Post Options Post Reply Quote antonin_d Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 June 2021 at 7:53am
	The hitch is already there, not sure about the reinforced body (the hitch was already on it when I bought it second hand)… I am planning to open up the Quest at some point to do some fiberglass repairs at other places, so I was thinking I would check how it looks there on that occasion, and perhaps lay a few more layers there… Of course I would be greatly relieved if you tell me that the hitch would not be fitted on an body without reinforcement :)

Yanto Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 11 July 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1521	Post Options Post Reply Quote Yanto Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 June 2021 at 6:11am
	I'm sure the hitch was (and still is) an option when first ordered so part of initial build and will be reinforced, there's always a chance it was a fit post production though, maybe ask velomobile.nl if this can be checked using the serial number? Edited by Yanto - 17 June 2021 at 6:16am

atlas_shrugged Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 03 November 2014 Location: Cambs Status: Offline Points: 1025	Post Options Post Reply Quote atlas_shrugged Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 June 2021 at 3:34pm
	This is a great project. Would you consider writing an article about this trailer for the EHPV magazine (including dimensions)? I am sure Geoff would also be interested for the BHPC magazine. The use of the Euro Container F-KLT standard allows a great delivery platform for medieval towns and cities with their narrow streets. Currently delivery vans end up blocking both the pavements and the roads. A narrow and ultralight trailer looks like a very useful delivery platform when combined with a local consolidation hub.