(The Puffin) New Tiny Trailer

[steve wolverton]

Rack installed!

It actually worked out quite well. I used heavy duty shelf brackets, installed u-bolts to hold the trike to them, and the rear tire rest on the rubstrake of the camper.


The crankset sticks above the camper, but it's not any higher than the bikes that are on top of my SUV rack. I just have to remember to take the trike off before pulling the camper out of the garage.

I guess when I'm not hauling the trike, I could always install a wing back there. Maybe get a few Type-R stickers to put on the camper too.

[billydj]

I like the way you used the garage door opener to haul up that heavy bike to hang on the rack.........nice trick photography....ha ha

billydj.......still looking not building

[DaveandDebbie]

Rack installed!

It actually worked out quite well. I used heavy duty shelf brackets, installed u-bolts to hold the trike to them, and the rear tire rest on the rubstrake of the camper.


The crankset sticks above the camper, but it's not any higher than the bikes that are on top of my SUV rack. I just have to remember to take the trike off before pulling the camper out of the garage.

I guess when I'm not hauling the trike, I could always install a wing back there. Maybe get a few Type-R stickers to put on the camper too.

I don't think I would store it there I would be the first one to try to drive off like that

[Nitetimes]

I like the way you used the garage door opener to haul up that heavy bike to hang on the rack.........nice trick photography....ha ha

billydj.......still looking not building

I dunno, that looks like the only garage door opener I ever saw with pedals.

[asianflava]

I dunno, that looks like the only garage door opener I ever saw with pedals.

That's the manual override feature.

[Greg M]

The project today is to get my homebuilt trike mounted onto the back of my camper. This way I can take all 3 of my bikes camping with me!

Nice looking ride Steve I just got back from the maiden voyage of my homebuilt SWB:
A couple of tweaks, and it's time for paint.

-Greg

[steve wolverton]

Awesome Greg! Sweet looking ride.

I saw your avatar over at bentrider last night. I need to get busy on that site again.

[steve wolverton]

I think my trike rack will work just fine. I pulled the trike off it tonight to go ride, but it started raining.

With it raining, I decided not to go camping and went and bought some aluminum angle to work on the trim. The Puffin grand total is up to:

$1187.43.

That includes the trim, adhesive, and the trike rack.

When I remove the trike, I think I'll attach a small cargo net. This will act as a small gear hammock. I can throw my biking gloves, camelback, helmet, etc. in there and not have to worry about critters running off with them.

I'm trying to come up with other ideas for the rack. It might work well as a lantern stand too. The trike weighs 45 pounds, so it will hold a decent amount of weight.

It also looks like it could double as a kayak rack.

[steve wolverton]

Here's a pic of the rack w/o the bike on it.


I may add a spar for the bottom of the brackets. The upper mounts already have a spar where 2 pieces of plywood join, the bottom one doesn't. I really don't think it needs it, and may talk myself out of adding it. I do have it reinforced on the inside with some wooden backing plates.

I still haven't figured out what else the rack would be good for. Maybe stretch a bungee between it, and launch water balloons over the camper?


I painted the skirt on the bottom (under the bumper) today. This really cleaned up the back of the camper where the sides drop below the trailer. I'll do something like this on the front, and then I should be finished with the exterior for awhile. Eventually I may skin it in white aluminum, but since I'm keeping it stored in a garage, I'm in no hurry, plus the extra weight of the aluminum doesn't appeal to me.

[NightCap]

I think you could make a very nice chin up bar across the brackets.

[steve wolverton]

Not much going on this week on the build as I don't have any time. Work and trainings are keeping me out late, and 13-15 hour days really take a toll.

Tonight I got some aluminum trim placed on the counter and the dropped floor area. I'm going to get some more aluminum (I bought all the 1/2 angle from the HD) this weekend.


Aluminum trim on the front/back of the counter. I'll get more for the sides.

I'm going camping Friday after work. I don't care if it rains, sleets, hails, storms, etc. - I'll be camping.

I think you could make a very nice chin up bar across the brackets.

I'm nervous enough about hanging a 45 pound bike on the back of the camper, I don't think I want 180 pounds of me hanging off it.

[fornesto]

If you find the bottom tire rubbing, you might consider a small piece of foam pipe insulation to stick over it while in transit. $.02

[steve wolverton]

If you find the bottom tire rubbing, you might consider a small piece of foam pipe insulation to stick over it while in transit. $.02

Good tip. Thanks!

[dhazard]

Hi Steve, you might want to call a steel supplier and check the price of aluminum extrusions. I found that I could get 16’ for the same price of a 4’ at HD.
Regards Dan

[steve wolverton]

I just got back from another camping trip. I had to cut this one short due to rain. To date this makes 9 nights that I've stayed in my camper.

I had two people come up and ask me about the camper, and I had 3 people stop and ask me about my trike. I figure more would be asking if Lisa was with me, people approach her more than me.

So the trike rack worked just fine. I was riding around looking at some campers yesterday and noticed all the graphics on them. I really like bdosborn's blue graphics, so I drew up some tonight that I'm going to try. This will involve sanding the camper smooth first. *sigh* It's supposed to rain here the next 4 months it seems, so I should have plenty of time to do it.


Something like this.

Hi Steve, you might want to call a steel supplier and check the price of aluminum extrusions. I found that I could get 16’ for the same price of a 4’ at HD.

Dan, I may do that. I need about 20 feet to finish everything I want to do. I stopped by HD on the way back today, and they were out of the 1/2" aluminum angle.