Singlewheel trailers - experiences and modifications

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
mercalia
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

indyP wrote:As a new and first time trailer owner I very much appreciate the time and effort gone into above posts re the QR problem. My Jago trailer, bought off Amazon, turned up today and first thoughts are that it's pretty impressive for the price I paid. Obviously it's no Yak, but at only 2kg heavier and a fraction of the price it was a no-brainer for first one. The jago does have same weak QR skewers, which I expected, so will look at changing them at some point, but that apart the trailer feels ok and should be up to the task of what I want it for; mainly shopping and a short tour of Wales this summer. There is the option of using the new nuts that attach to M5 axle bolt, but they weigh a fair bit so will keep to QR. The rear wheel isn't the best though; one or two loose spokes, chrome rim looks nasty, and bearings feel very very rough! It spins up ok but will look to change at some point. I'm probably going to leave it as it is for now and then change things as and when - probably rear wheel and QR first.


well if u intend to use the skewers that came with the trailer you should revisit my experience on previous pages about its failure at the join of the rod with the lever. A death trap. SO you should make sure yours is ok.

You can only use the M5 axle bolt versions if you have a suitable rear wheel? wont work on a QR wheel.

Seems like your wheel not very good unlike mine, which is passable.

trailer 002.jpg


One thing you should consider is loctite the lightly sprung spring loaded lock bolt on the two sides of the trailer attachment.

trailer 003.jpg


you can also see I changed the bolt at the top to a longer one to protect the release bolt ( it was any way too short and didnt lock into the nut well- I'm not the first to note this)

Yes I agree they are not bad for the money - goodness know what they cost the sellers, 10 quid? - I see them going for £50 or so
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sabrutat
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by sabrutat »

Great thread: last autumn I did a ten week tour of Scotland and the north of England with a Jago trailer. The QR skewer is a definitely a liability, though I managed to make it home by securing it very gingerly. The only failure I had was the pivot rod that attaches the trailer to the trailer arms, the bottom hook snapped off, luckily when I wasn't riding, so I had to affect a repair with a couple of tent pegs, duct tape and a bungie cord to get home. The tyre wore through pretty quickly too. I figure 1,500 miles at the most.

Rather than buy spares, I bought an entire new trailer at Xmas, and the skewer on this one is even worse built than the last one. I'm definitely going to buy and modify a BOB Yak skewer instead, as you've so ingeniously demonstrated. I'm also replacing the rod that snapped with a thicker threaded rod and locking nuts with washers. A metre of rod is only a couple of quid from B & Q, which should give me three spares.
mercalia
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Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

sabrutat wrote:Great thread: last autumn I did a ten week tour of Scotland and the north of England with a Jago trailer. The QR skewer is a definitely a liability, though I managed to make it home by securing it very gingerly. I'm definitely going to buy and modify a BOB Yak skewer instead, as you've so ingeniously demonstrated. I'm also replacing the rod that snapped with a thicker threaded rod and locking nuts with washers. A metre of rod is only a couple of quid from B & Q, which should give me three spares.


a cheaper option is to do what I did - use the 2 screw ends of the skewers u have and get a threaded rod and make your own very cheap skewer? in fact many. works ok as long as u dont do the ends up super tight -no need to really as the skewer should not suffer any load bearing forces -just stops the wheel from falling out, as long as u have vertical drop outs
indyP
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Joined: 29 Jan 2012, 10:28pm

Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by indyP »

mercalia wrote:
indyP wrote:As a new and first time trailer owner I very much appreciate the time and effort gone into above posts re the QR problem. My Jago trailer, bought off Amazon, turned up today and first thoughts are that it's pretty impressive for the price I paid. Obviously it's no Yak, but at only 2kg heavier and a fraction of the price it was a no-brainer for first one. The jago does have same weak QR skewers, which I expected, so will look at changing them at some point, but that apart the trailer feels ok and should be up to the task of what I want it for; mainly shopping and a short tour of Wales this summer. There is the option of using the new nuts that attach to M5 axle bolt, but they weigh a fair bit so will keep to QR. The rear wheel isn't the best though; one or two loose spokes, chrome rim looks nasty, and bearings feel very very rough! It spins up ok but will look to change at some point. I'm probably going to leave it as it is for now and then change things as and when - probably rear wheel and QR first.


well if u intend to use the skewers that came with the trailer you should revisit my experience on previous pages about its failure at the join of the rod with the lever. A death trap. SO you should make sure yours is ok.

You can only use the M5 axle bolt versions if you have a suitable rear wheel? wont work on a QR wheel.

Seems like your wheel not very good unlike mine, which is passable.

trailer 002.jpg


One thing you should consider is loctite the lightly sprung spring loaded lock bolt on the two sides of the trailer attachment.

trailer 003.jpg


you can also see I changed the bolt at the top to a longer one to protect the release bolt ( it was any way too short and didnt lock into the nut well- I'm not the first to note this)

Yes I agree they are not bad for the money - goodness know what they cost the sellers, 10 quid? - I see them going for £50 or so



Cheers for the advice.

I looked at the axle earlier and found one of the ball bearings was missing as well as grease being non-existant! it's probably why it was so rough yesterday. It is much 'smoother' now but will have to find a replacement bearing. I also tightened up the spokes which made a difference. Interestingly, the wheel I got is crossed spoke, not radial?

A BOB qr is looking a good option as a replacement, although I may look at cheaper alternative in the next few weeks. I will check the skewer rod everytime I use the trailer, even though my plan is for very light loads until it's changed.
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sabrutat
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by sabrutat »

mercalia wrote:a cheaper option is to do what I did - use the 2 screw ends of the skewers u have and get a threaded rod and make your own very cheap skewer? in fact many. works ok as long as u dont do the ends up super tight -no need to really as the skewer should not suffer any load bearing forces -just stops the wheel from falling out, as long as u have vertical drop outs


That's an excellent idea, I'll look into it.
lebarronblue
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Joined: 20 Mar 2011, 4:46pm

Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by lebarronblue »

I'm looking into putting a metal box on my carry freedom( large) Y-Frame trailer

any ideas

I'm thinking 2 tier box,tent,sleeping bags and mats in the bottom and cooking kit etc in the top(let it be said my partner and I like our comforts while touring)
mercalia
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Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

lebarronblue wrote:I'm looking into putting a metal box on my carry freedom( large) Y-Frame trailer

any ideas

I'm thinking 2 tier box,tent,sleeping bags and mats in the bottom and cooking kit etc in the top(let it be said my partner and I like our comforts while touring)



some interesting ideas here

http://velo-city.org/touring-trailers/

or

http://weburbanist.com/2012/10/15/bike-campers-12-mini-mobile-homes-for-nomadic-cyclists/

much weirder than you are contemplating....
peevafred
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Joined: 30 Mar 2007, 4:04pm

Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by peevafred »

Mick F wrote:I use a Carry Freedom trailer.
I wouldn't be without it. Worth every penny.

Stable, solid, easy to tow, you hardly notice it behind you, clips on the rear axle.


I agree ,it is by far the best way to carry a heavy load. When we cycled to the Arctic we chose Carry freedom band did not regret it,. I think it may be a matter of personal choice single or two wheels but we did not have any problems with the width of the two wheels they are as wide as two full panniers. We did travel on lots of gravel tracks no problem but we did see several German cyclists who where really loaded down and all of them had come of on the gravel. We had no problems.
theDaveB
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by theDaveB »

mercalia wrote: a cheaper option is to do what I did - use the 2 screw ends of the skewers u have and get a threaded rod and make your own very cheap skewer? in fact many. works ok as long as u dont do the ends up super tight -no need to really as the skewer should not suffer any load bearing forces -just stops the wheel from falling out, as long as u have vertical drop outs


How did you get the screw ends off the original skewer ?

Be great if you could buy them screw ends, then you could make a few spares.

This has turned into a great thread by the way. Still got my trailer but not used it extensively yet but want to do a tour with it this year.

Dave
mercalia
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

theDaveB wrote:
How did you get the screw ends off the original skewer ?

Be great if you could buy them screw ends, then you could make a few spares.

This has turned into a great thread by the way. Still got my trailer but not used it extensively yet but want to do a tour with it this year.

Dave


eh? not sure I understand. I bought a spare QR skewer from ebay & used the non lever end with the one I already have. I dont trust the original QR skewers - see earlier, mine broke, they are a safety hazard. I then got a file out and made a spanner grooves on one of them so I could tighten up one side. I opted for a 17mm spanner I think as not too much work.

my skewer.jpg


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160987903416?var=460158383541&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I've been wondering if an adapter insert could be made/got to be able to use the solid axle bolt on ends u also get with the trailer?

bolt.jpg


any one any ideas?

another idea to use the solid axle bolt u get, is to replace the hollow core QR axlw with a longer one as the normal one dont stick out the ends? - thats 10M I think. Is it very easy to replace the axle by a longer one? doubt that possible to get a longer one for any particular hub?
mercalia
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

Further mods to the cheapo Bob Yak look-a-like

Some one here reported that the rod that connects the trailer to the swinging arm forks broke at the hook.

Its cheap and easy to source a simple and potentially more reliable rod


The rod u need is a 300mm M6 thread rod - easy to get from eg Ebay. I got 3 incl nuts and washers for just over £2 incl postage

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190913308005?var=490189216882&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

The only trouble I had with these people was that they sent 2 M5 and 1 M6 - but they were quick to send 2 replacements and didnt want the incorrect ones back.

What I did was to use 2 nuts locked against one another with loctite. Worth atleast having one just in case the original one breaks?


rod 003.jpg
theDaveB
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by theDaveB »

mercalia wrote:eh? not sure I understand. I bought a spare QR skewer from ebay & used the non lever end with the one I already have. I dont trust the original QR skewers - see earlier, mine broke, they are a safety hazard. I then got a file out and made a spanner grooves on one of them so I could tighten up one side. I opted for a 17mm spanner I think as not too much work.


I get you now, at first I thought you took both ends of one skewer hence me asking how.

Dave
mercalia
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

theDaveB wrote:
I get you now, at first I thought you took both ends of one skewer hence me asking how.

Dave


I think any one with access to simple metal working tackle could easily make them? any here got a son doing metal work at school can knock off a few and earn few £?
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sabrutat
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by sabrutat »

mercalia wrote:Further mods to the cheapo Bob Yak look-a-like

Some one here reported that the rod that connects the trailer to the swinging arm forks broke at the hook.

Its cheap and easy to source a simple and potentially more reliable rod


The rod u need is a 300mm M6 thread rod - easy to get from eg Ebay. I got 3 incl nuts and washers for just over £2 incl postage

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190913308005?var=490189216882&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

The only trouble I had with these people was that they sent 2 M5 and 1 M6 - but they were quick to send 2 replacements and didnt want the incorrect ones back.

What I did was to use 2 nuts locked against one another with loctite. Worth atleast having one just in case the original one breaks?


rod 003.jpg




I'd already planned to do this, but hadn't bought the bits yet. Glad I didn't, because this deal is even cheaper. I've just ordered three 5mm for skewers and three 6mm for the pivot for less than a fiver. Good work!
mercalia
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Re: Anyone use a trailer ?

Post by mercalia »

sabrutat wrote:I'd already planned to do this, but hadn't bought the bits yet. Glad I didn't, because this deal is even cheaper. I've just ordered three 5mm for skewers and three 6mm for the pivot for less than a fiver. Good work!


when u do make your skewers from the m5 rod realise this isnt cro moly steel just ordinary steel so cannt' be tightened up so much on the wheel. will probably break. but it shouldnt need to be as the skewer not load bearing - even the trailer loaded on the end bits onto the frame. I would prefer much tougher steel but couldnt find any for the skewers. So be aware of this. The other soln is to adapt the bob skewer that a previous contributor did.
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