Bike trailers are perfect for logging stuff around and towing whatever is too stressful to be done by hand. They are also a nice way to spin the kids around by taking them for a drive. A bike trailer is a wheeled frame that has no controls of its own and is usually hitched to a bike or bicycle to increase its cargo capacity.
Here’s a list of DIY bike trailer tutorials that you can use to craft out your own bike trailer, saving money and exercising your creativity at the same time. As with every decent DIY, building your own DIY bike trailer from this list will prove to be budget-friendly while meeting your needs.
You can also modify the tutorials to create a ‘passenger’ bike trailer for your little ones on their bikes, so they can ride together – within the yard of course.
Table of Contents
1. How To Build A Bike Trailer
This cargo bike trailer can be made for about $10 - $20 with just a few materials and tools and 4 simple steps. To learn how to build a bike trailer like this one, you are going to need a tub or cooler, metal pipe, small bolts and screws, wrenches, drill, golf bag caddy, etc. The golf bag caddy is used as a frame. This is one of those easy to make projects. The creator breaks down the instructions for clearer understanding.
2. DIY Cart Bike Trailer
A DIY cart bike trailer made from combining a welding cart and an already existing kid’s cart. It is pretty easy if you already have a cart whose capacity you want to increase, and the technique is awesome as the instructor ensures that the process does not require a professional welder yet is sturdy enough for use.
3. How To Build A Bicycle Cargo Trailer
Learn how to build a bicycle cargo trailer with just a few pieces of wood, two bicycle wheels, metal brackets, and screws, amongst others. The process is outlined in 14 simple steps divided into 3 parts, and a community Q&A section beneath where you’re sure to find the answers to any questions or concerns you might have.
While the dimensions used to craft this can be adjusted however you feel, it is advised that you do not make the bike trailer wider than the width of your shoulders or longer than 3ft; this is to prevent issues with maneuvering it.
4. DIY Bike Trailer
Made out of bits and pieces of sticks, a mountain bike, and a wheelchair, this DIY bike trailer serves not just for cargo but can be used to give the occasional weary hiker a ride. The frame of the wagon is made from hockey sticks and other sticks, wheelchair hubs with rims and its tires are pneumatic tires from a mountain bike. To assemble, you’d need to do a little welding but the end result is strong and durable, plus easy to change should the need arise.
5. How To Build A Trailer For A Bicycle
Learn how to build a trailer for a bicycle from scratch in this tutorial where the tutor builds one for his electric bicycle. This trailer is made from wood (2 by 2 plywood) and set to be about 30” long and 20” wide, there’s a lot of gluing and screwing involved so take your time. Be sure to precut your wood at the point of purchase to limit the amount of woodwork you have to do, as well as ensure that they are perfectly cut.
6. How To Build Your Bike Trailer
This bike trailer is large and suitable for large haulage. It’s also sturdy and quite professional looking. Learning how to build your bike trailer doesn’t cost a lot of money and most of the materials used are basically repurposed scraps from around the house or materials that can be locally sourced.
The making process of this DIY bike trailer is pretty much easy to follow and it won’t require you to spend much.
7. No-Weld Bicycle Trailer Build
Great for beginners or for putting together an emergency trailer bike, this no-weld bicycle trailer build is quick, easy, and is not monstrous to look at. Supplies used in building this include futon frames, 20” wheels, rivets, aluminum pieces, etc. The tutorial is clear and concise, showing illustrations at various points to ease you into the process.
8. How To Build A Bike Trailer
This tutorial on how to build a bike trailer is another no-weld bike trailer for a lightweight and budget-friendly approach to moving around cargo. It utilizes a 1” steel tube and a 1” steel section in its assembly and is great for people who don’t have so many tools or know-how to weld. The hitching tongue is crafted as an integrated part of the trailer frame, making it more sturdy than those usually bolted separately to the frame.
9. DIY Homemade Bicycle Trailer
This DIY homemade bicycle trailer is a woodwork project that is very practical and gets the job done. If your only personal mode of transportation, for now, is a bicycle, this will prove very useful in easing the hassles of logging stuff around. You’ll need your lumber, tires (wheels from an old bicycle were used in this case), and your woodwork tools for this project.
10. DIY Bike Trailer
Made from a hand truck and modeled after a 3 passenger San Diego taxi, this DIY bike trailer can carry a solid weight that exceeds conventional V-breaks. To start with, you’ll need a hand truck, some ½” iron pipes, plastic barrel, ⅝” iron rod stock, 5/16” nuts and bolts, welding tools, etc. This bike trailer can be used to carry things such as drinks and other things that you are concerned about them falling over a regular bike trailer.
11. How To Build A Bike Trailer
Fine for beginners and even those with little or no welding experience. This will show you how to build a bike trailer through well laid down instructions, as well as diagrams where necessary. An old mountain bike frame was cut up to make different measures of tubes and a pair of kids bike forks were used to fashion a wheel connection for 20” wheels. Be sure to keep some paint handy to blend everything when you’re done.
12. DIY Bike Trailer
A DIY bike trailer fashioned out of a kids bike trailer and upcycled to be able to carry more cargo. It is perfect for a hunting bike which is what this instructor has attached it to, however, you can fashion this out even for your daily use bicycle and it would be great to have for camping trips. The axles and plastic wheels used can support up to 100lb of weight which is pretty handy.
13. How To Build A Bike Trailer Out Of Wood
Learn how to build a bike trailer out of wood that looks super professional and is great for large haulage. You’ll need a lot of wood and woodwork tools, wheels, panel pins, screws, nails, glue, metal sheet, etc. the whole process is outlined in 8 simple steps that make it easy to follow and is not time intensive. A towing hook is fashioned out at the end of this tutorial but be sure to follow the instructor’s note on the reinforcement of the hook before hitching it up for permanent use.
14. DIY Bike Cargo Trailer
This DIY bike cargo trailer is simple yet effective. It is small and light making storage when you don’t need it very easy as it can be hung against the wall when not in use – perfect for anyone who is low on storage space or just hates cluttered spaces. This DIY bike cargo trailer is also designed in such a way that it is easily transferable to another bike. It was built from readily available materials around the house, putting its building cost at $0! Even if you were to buy some of the supplies required, you’ll still find that it’s super affordable and practically a steal.
Conclusion
A bike trailer is an easy way to carry heavy stuff around. We’ve come to the end of our article. Have you made a selection of which DIY Bike trailer to make? If yes, which one? Feel free to use the comments section below to drop your views and comments. Thanks for stopping by! You can share this article with your friends or family members that might be interested in making a DIY Bike Trailer.
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