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Canadians get clever with trailers
Tony Hoar's bicycle-towable homeless shelter/ambulance, and a new-to-me heavy cargo trailer builder in Ontario... Tony's Trailers targets casualties and the homeless...
Tony Hoar of Tony's Trailers has been working for some time now on an affordable cycle trailer which folds out to form a bed - but which can be towed around during the day. As we discovered a few issues ago in 'Binners Bikes', a cycle trailer can be a real boon to the homeless, who may not have anywhere secure to leave things when out and about. Tony adds "We are also trying to get the authorities interested in this as a temporary solution to the
homeless problem, here and in the hurricane areas of the States."
Personal belongings, inc. tent and sleeping bag, can be towed (or pulled as a handcart) around in the waterproof box:
Then, when parking up for the night, unfold the trailer and extend the 'wings':
Then erect the tent:
The design is still evolving: "We tried cutting down a 2-person tent to fit the cot but it was too small and a lot of work! But by adding the 'wings' the 2-person tent fits fine with no modification needed to the tent. In future the 'wings' will not be needed as I have designed a telescoping built-in support. The tent will be velcroed to the edge of the cot so that after opening up the trailer it only requires putting in the 2 tent poles and a spacious waterproof shelter is the result. It still remains a one adult-person shelter, or for some smaller kids."
Some features:-
- Goes up or down in about a minute.
- Will carry 200lb easily.
- Weighs 30 lb including the cot and tent and extra sides.
- Pneumatic tires.
- No tools needed.
- No maintenance.
- Wheels have sealed bearings, and push-button quick release.
- Materials powder coated steel and aluminum all from North America.
- Packs flat for shipping.
- Cheap to mass-produce.
- Made in Canada.
Another development can be used as a very mobile stretcher, again either pulled on foot or by bicycle. The sun canopy could be much appreciated in hotter areas:
Cargo Sport Utility Trailers
Seen recently on the workbike mailing list was the Cargo Sport Utility Trailer, which comes in varous lengths up to 64" (about 1.6m), as pictured above - or longer in 'custom' form for carrying canoes etc.
They certainly have a nice hitch system, quite similar to the Bikes at Work model (see review in VV13), in that it puts the attachment point way down low: this is their optional 'heavy duty' model:
They're based in Ontario, Canada, and have an impressive range of custom utility trailers for particular purposes - Andrew Angus of Cargo Bicycle Trailers says:
"I build Cargo Bicycle Trailers in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. I started building these trailer in Halifax, Nova Scotia where I ran a juice business on bike trailer. I bought a Harvester Mobile Solar Electric System and mounted it on a bike trailer. I stored the battery and inverter and charge controller in the trailer along with the vegetables and juicer. We would bike down the to farmers market and start juicing right on the trailer so it was a mobile, bike and solar powered juiceing business. It worked really well and we did it for a year before I moved to Ontario."
"Now I don't make juice all that often but build the trailer. I have created a lot of new models and have a tonne of ideas that I am working on. I build trailers for carrying canoes, running a garden care business or a solar powered sound stage. There are a tonne of different uses and more ideas all the time!"
Posted on 0- 2005
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