Fun Project - Pet carrier

[sgilbert14]

With my pickup of my Voyager in the Spring I am thinking of building a dog hauler trailer for my two small dogs. Combined weight about 35 lbs. Wondering if anyone has even build one of these and what tips and ideas that they may be able to offer. Here is what I am thinking of:

I am thinking of using 2 Voyager ties and wheels and a custom suspension made from a swing arm type design and a could light duty car shocks.
Frame would be made out hardwood strips and 1/2 marine plywood
Outer skin would aluminum - have a sheet that should do most of the job now.
Door, windows and hatches would be marine so that they are sealed - should be able to get these used of Ebay.
and of course I would pant it to match my 2000 bike

Of course this is all in the stge

[Lucasind]

Sounds like a fun project ! I have not built a "pet trailer" .....I do recall that our AVA friend
"Bruce (trikebldr) " did a pet carrier, you might do a forum search to find it . Here is some other idea's .....Tony

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... in+trailer

[sgilbert14]

tks

[sgilbert14]

This is the one that got me thinking

http://imgur.com/gallery/HrARq

[cranky]

Never pulled a tailor, I'd think if you could mount the carrier
to the back of the bike and eliminate the trailer, it would be
very beneficial.... JM2C

[sgilbert14]

possibly on the shorter day long rides... For longer ones I would use the front of the trailer to store the camping gear and fly rods.. thanks

[cranky]

... I've seen some wings with trailer hitch platforms that could hold a good load.... FWIW

[sgilbert14]

ok being new to all this kind of bike, I will do some digging and see what I find out.. thanks

[trikebldr]

DO NOT PUT YOUR PET IN A TRAILER! It exposes them to too much CO. We did a test for this many years ago and the monitor showed toxic levels of CO too high for safety. Same thing applies for those hitch-mounted carriers right behind the bike. They cause the exhaust to swirl up around the cage and even higher levels of CO are present.
I have seen one trailer application where the bike's exhaust was extended using flexible exhaust hose to pipes that went all the way behind the trailer. kind of klutzy, but effective.
I have a 30lb American Eskimo dog that just HAS to be with me at all times, so she rides right behind me in her kennel which replaces the original trunk. The kennel is mounted to a custom made slide mount using original Voyager slides and latches attached to a plate of 1/4" aluminum, then the kennel is attached to the aluminum. It works very nicely and is easy to swap out at any time with the trunk. my dog is always eager to jump right up on the seat and walk into her kennel. She is my medical service dog and isn't happy unless she is right next to me most of the time. This kennel arrangement puts her cage door right behind me so she can keep track of me while we ride. I also made a nylon cove for the cage in case it rains or is cold.

[trikebldr]

Of course, my bike is the 1300 sixer Voyager rather than the 1200 XII Voyager, but a similar arrangement should be easily made using the same techniques. I have complete pics of the build if you are interested.

[sgilbert14]

wow, the CO issue makes a ton of sense.. that changes everything as far as plans and options.. thanks

[trikebldr]

When you think about it, we all drive in a "tunnel" of exhaust fumes and all that black soot from diesel trucks, but it dissipates enough that we don't see it. Still, it does affect us. I've had my blood checked at the VA after a long drive from St. Louis to Kansas City, and my doctor wasn't happy at all. She put me on oxygen for an hour to purge my blood. I felt fine, but the effects were still there!
Being just three or four feet behind a bike's exhaust would be a much higher concentration of those exhaust gasses. Not to mention, a lot of guys run Seafoam, or other additives, in their fuel, so what effect would they have on your pet?
I'm definitely not an environmentalist, but there are limits to how much pollution we, and our pets, can tolerate "safely". I also treat my pet as well as I would treat myself, and no way would I want to breath what is directly behind my bike at highway speeds. Ask yourself, other than the physical safety issues, would you let your kids ride in/on a trailer behind your bike's exhaust?
I've never tried this, but to do a simple preliminary test, try placing a cheap CO monitor like you would use in the basement of your home in/on a trailer or tape it to your license plate to test for excessive CO levels as you ride. It might not trigger, but if it did, that (to me, at least) would be enough warning not to carry any kind of life directly behind my bike.
Personally, I would use the flexible ducted exhaust extensions if I absolutely had to use a trailer for my dog. I would also use a trailer with a cartop carrier on it, and then mount a standard doggie kennel on top of that to place the dog higher and more out of the exhaust stream. Sort of like the position of my carrier mounted high on the back of my bike where the trunk normally is.
I might suggest that you take some pics of the proposed trailer to your vet and get their opinion of the situation. I think I can tell you what they would say!
Sorry for the preaching, but I just have a soft spot for dogs!

[sgilbert14]

Love the advice as if we don't love the dogs than why would we want them to come and would any of use want the trip to hurt them.

[trikebldr]

Steve, I assume you would usually have a passenger, which negates the possibility of removing your trunk to mount a kennel carrier as I did. Since I have a sidecar I seldom also have a passenger on the bike. But, I did investigate the possibility of adding the kennel to a mount BEHIND the trunk. It would still be up high, above the exhaust stream, but would make removing the trunk a bit harder.
I'm not at all familiar with the layout of the trunk mounting on the Voyager XII, so you would need to figure that one out. UNLESS, somebody wants to loan me their XII for a while to figure out some sort of mounting system for it. Since Tony (lucasind) now has two of the XII's, maybe he would let one go a while? Hey, I can dream, can't I?
BTW, Tony, for what you paid for shipping that bike from Texas, I would have picked it up and delivered it to you! Could have then spent a few fun days harassing you!

[cranky]

..... why not mount it on a palate on top of a trailer hitch platform.....
Use the receiver, stick in your pet carrier when needed, simple and
leave the rest of the scoot alone.... still no need for a trailer..... JM2C

[sgilbert14]

Wow, this stuff is great. I love designing stuff so now I have a challenge. Come up with something that looks great, keeps the puppies safe and healthy and works for other stuff as well. hmm

[cranky]

... to get Ya started...... http://tinyurl.com/zgde2ox

[Lucasind]

Steve, I assume you would usually have a passenger, which negates the possibility of removing your trunk to mount a kennel carrier as I did. Since I have a sidecar I seldom also have a passenger on the bike. But, I did investigate the possibility of adding the kennel to a mount BEHIND the trunk. It would still be up high, above the exhaust stream, but would make removing the trunk a bit harder.
I'm not at all familiar with the layout of the trunk mounting on the Voyager XII, so you would need to figure that one out. UNLESS, somebody wants to loan me their XII for a while to figure out some sort of mounting system for it. Since Tony (lucasind) now has two of the XII's, maybe he would let one go a while? Hey, I can dream, can't I?
BTW, Tony, for what you paid for shipping that bike from Texas, I would have picked it up and delivered it to you! Could have then spent a few fun days harassing you!

O.K ...Bruce , Now youv'e gone and done it ! I have not yet said that I did buy "Waterwalker's " bike !...........
I did offer 2 retired guys in my neighborhood the same $$$ to run down to Texas and back to get the bike......and they said NO WAY !
It will be a couple off weeks till it gets here anyways ....Don't matter much , can't do any riding now anyway.

[trikebldr]

..... why not mount it on a palate on top of a trailer hitch platform.....
Use the receiver, stick in your pet carrier when needed, simple and
leave the rest of the scoot alone.... still no need for a trailer..... JM2C

Mounting it anywhere low like that will alter the airflow and cause the exhaust to swirl up around the rear of the bike and around the kennel. Even exhaust extensions won't prevent that.

[sgilbert14]

Understand that. I am picking up a trailer for when I take longer trips and am thinking of something that would put them above the turbulence caused by the bike. Who knows, maybe get out the college physics again and do some air flow calculations.