Got the trailer built

[tyler524]

Those are removable?

The black plate that is mounted to the trailer can stay mounted down but the actual wheel chock part of it (the silver part) has four bolts that attach it to the black plate that come out and allow you to remove the actual wheel chock part of it

[2talltim]

Those bolts have weak heads ,be careful not to strip them

[tyler524]

Those bolts have weak heads ,be careful not to strip them

Yeah, I would buy some new bolts to replace these with that are a better quality.

[redkow97]

i have resisted until now:

If you plan on moving your bike more than a few times a season, and for any distance, this really is the simplest, strongest, safest option available.

Really easy to use, and when you remove the "feet" of the TRS, all that's left is a thin plate, and 4 bolts that are raised about 1/2 inch.

[redkow97]

(although I would advise moving the TRS back by about 4" compared to where I have it in that picture. I have done so since, and the balance is much better, while still maintaining enough weight on the tongue)

[Mykill]

TRS is all well and good but it is basically the cost of his current set up. Probably doesnt seem feasible since he is trying to keep it cheap.

[JStump]

TRS is all well and good but it is basically the cost of his current set up. Probably doesnt seem feasible since he is trying to keep it cheap.

Exactly, don't really care too much about aesthetics right now. Just need the basics.

[redkow97]

it's hardly an aesthetic decision. I only mentioned the plate being the only thing left because it makes your trailer more useful when you're not transporting bikes, and it doesn't interfere with the folding of the trailer.

Ratchet straps compress your forks during travel. The TRS allows the bike full suspension travel over bumps. No danger of blown fork seals.

Every time the trailer hits a bump with straps, the bike's suspension compresses, and the straps go slack for a moment. That means they could come un-hooked and your bike could fall over. It's impossible for a similar accident to occur with the TRS, which holds the bike by the rear axle.

The lack of straps also leaves more useable space on (or in) the trailer. I've loaded 8 bikes (with the help of 1 other person) in under 15 minutes with the TRS. With straps, it would have taken 3 times as long.

The TRS is also much stronger than ratchet straps. I have not seen pictures, but I have read reports on the WERA board of racers flipping their trailer on the highway. they opened the doors to find the bikes hanging upside-down from the floor, and otherwise un-damaged. I would also bet my bike that straps have a higher failure rate than the TRS under "normal use" conditions, and the straps will need to be replaced MUCH more often.

For Pauly's purposes (transporting many different bikes of various makes and models) I would agree that the pin costs of the Pit-Bull system would be impractical, but for those of us with 1 or 2 bikes that we transport frequently, it makes a LOT of sense.

Put it this way, I gave Imprez a ride to the track last summer, and it would have been VERY difficult, if not unsafe, to fit both our bikes on my trailer without at least one of them being in a pit-bull TRS. My bike could ride much closer to the edge of the trailer, and left his bike room to be a bit closer to center, so we even HAD a place to the left of his to anchor the second strap.

The system does run about $240, but I've never seen one sell used for less than $180... Usually more like $200

Like I said, if you're transporting your bike with any frequency, you won't regret the investment. For me, the ability to load on my own (without flagging down a neighbor to sit on the bike, or waking up my wife at 5 AM as I'm trying to leave for BeaveRun) was worth the price on its own.

[redkow97]

^^This. We're not all rolling in student loan cash.

says the guy with a bike that costs 4 times as much as mine!

[2talltim]

says the guy with a bike that costs 4 times as much as mine!

i just realized, my trailer is worth more than my bike:eek: maybe i should reprioritize things...