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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 24 October 2005
Your comments ...| From: Terry Tillman (ttilghman@sbcglobal.net) on 2 August 2006 |
| This looks very good. How about making the capacity about 250 or so, for some of us bigger dudes? Also, (don't change the basic tent), but could a tent fabric "carport" be added to the side to put bike under at night or during a rainstorm, or when needing to fix a flat in the broiling sun, OR cooking a meal when it's raining, etc., etc., etc? Like you say, there are tons of things that could be done. Your basic idea looks great. Put me on your mailing list so I can keep up with developments as they occur. Thanks-- |
| From: Arch (@KM) on 2 August 2006 |
Yes, I love the tent/trailer. Apparently the bike paramedics now found in so many cities currently carry everything an ambulance does, except the stretcher. Now, they could have a stretcher as well! (No, I know it can't be towed along as a bed. But it's a neat idea for a weekend tent).
|
| From: Tony Hoar (Posted by Peter Eland for him) on 2 August 2006 |
Hi Terry,
Thanks for your kind words.
I am really pleased how it turned out, it's really comfortable, and the trailer of
course has good manners. The capacity figure of 200lb is for the cargo. The bed with
it's possible seven points of support will take 250lb easily and the length of the
cot is going to be 80 inches on the next one I have already donated one to a homeless
couple and they love it, during the day they lend it to a couple of friends who all
are salvaging, and using a bicycle they can cover so much more ground. I'll send some
pix of it in action. Cheers, Tony |
| From: Tony Hoar (Posted by Peter Eland for him) on 2 August 2006 |
Hi Susan and Peter
Thanks for your comments.
I can't contact you direct for some reason, butv whatever it is I will blame my
computer. However Peter has kindly offered to pass my message on to you. The
Ambulance is a slightly different version complete with suspension. It transforms
quite easily from Wheelchair to Trailer and when the terrain is too rough for a
bicycle, to a Rickshaw. I'll send some Pix and Peter has one of it at the top of a
Volcano (which I can't seem to send as it's too large) That computer again! There is
also one pic for Peter showing how my Homemobile has rendered a bunch of stolen
Shopping carts obsolete. |
| From: Peter Eland (peter@velovision etc) on 2 August 2006 |
| Tony also sent loadsa photos with the above reply. You can see the ambulance design in Issue 18 page 45. I'll get the others he mentioned posted in a new story soon. |
| From: Margo Hannah (margohannah@yahoo.com) on 2 August 2006 |
| What a terrific design. |
| From: Lukasz Swiniarski (lukaszsw@gmail.com) on 2 August 2006 |
Sweet and Simple! My only concern was the lenght of the cart but I see it's already taken care of. We're compiting (as main project exercise) in the Designboom's "shelter in cart" competition here at Faculty of Architecture in Warsaw and most project have the same idea of putting up a tent. Only that may not be such a good solution for Poland as cases of frozen-to-death homeless are not seldom. Anyway most of the students start of with the same idea but when it comes to weight and simplicity your design really leaves them far behind.
Also it's great to hear that your cart was actually put in to good use by it's desired users! |
| From: ted ( 3 - dots ) (tedh@telus.net) on 22 December 2008 |
------ The Mother's project ------
( I might not have all of the details )
maybe Tony can help fill in some of the details.!
---- Victoria BC , Canada ----
A group of Anti-Homelessness Activists in our city want to do something to help. Fortunatly Tony came to one of our meetings , and demonstrated one of his trailers ...!
Ya, we liked what we saw.
The group applied to several Non-profit groups , charities , banks , and a Credit-Union to secure some funding...!
I'm NOT sure how much we got , but I do know that some trailers with bikes were given away...!
( uhhhmmm , some University students helped us to decide who get's the gifts )
ie: outside our group , and beyond the bank ...!
ted...
-------- More ...? ----- or Ps ,,,, -----
one of the people who got a bike , reports to me that their life is better ...!
and they look a lot better ( healthier )to me ...
------- Bottom line time ...? ---------
Maybe Tony or one of the Victoria people can give you more detail than I can ...!
But, I suggest ( like a dumpster-diver )
I suggest you apply to all source's of funds , and secure a few trailers for your communitty...!
ie: don't just take NO for an answere ...
re-apply several times ...!!!!!!!!!!
show the benifits ,,,
and how YOU don't PERSONALLY benifit from the gift ...!
---- thanks Tony ----
(if you can , can you or somebody from Victoria , tell us about the "Mother's Project" ...? )
ted... (ie: fill in the gaps in my foggy memory )
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