Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)My wife and I own a company with offices in the downtown area about a mile from the house. Our Scottish Terrier comes to work with us each day - she is the "Mascot" of the entire block. We wanted to start biking to work on nice days, and looked at a 2-seat kid trailer from the local Target store. Those units are nice, but have a soft canvas floor. It would never work for dogs without substantial alterations. So we found this unit on-line and bought it from Amazon partner store "Best Value Home Products."
The unit arrived a week later and was defective. The factory had welded a left-hand axle retainer on the right-hand side, so one wheel couldn't snap into it's proper place. It took some searching to find a phone number for the vendor, (you have to go to the "returns" page) but they DO answer the phone. Most of the process had to be handled by email, and they don't appear to check email more than once per day. However, once they were convinced that we really had a defective unit, they DID send a new unit without waiting for the old one to be returned, and they sent a "call tag" for the return shipping. That is why I still feel that they offered good service. Most merchants just won't do that.
Before I scare you, let me say that I'm really happy with my purchase, but there are two problems with these units that you should know about in advance: 1.) The product stunk to high H**L of Chinese rubber when it came out of the box, so be ready to store it outside for a week while it off-gases. 2.) The clamp that attaches the unit to your bicycle must be made for a Chinese bike, so if your bike tubing is made of 3/4" iron pipe, it should attach just fine. Also, the carriage bolt in the clamp unit does not match up well with it's notch, and tends to spin. My ancient Schwinn Traveler needed a clamp retro-fit because the carriage bolt is not threaded far enough to clamp down on thin tubing, and you can't just go to the hardware store and replace the carriage bolt because the threads are not standard. Nine thick washers from the hardware store placed between the clamp and the tightening knob fixed this problem easily - you'll likely need to do the same, so be ready to spend an extra 45 cents on this unit when it arrives. Like most things you buy today, the instructions were written by somebody whose first language was not English, but you'll figure things out just fine. And since the axle construction was improved since the manual was written, just remember that the 3 washers go between the wheel and the retainer E-clip. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
As I said, I'm happy with the unit. The quality of the unit is pretty decent, It is pretty well thought out, and it pulls amazingly easily. There is a leash anchored on the inside to keep your pooch inside, the floor is solid, and the pad is thin but quite adequate. If you omit the dog, you could retrieve 4 - 6 bags of groceries using this thing. The screen fabric seems tough enough, as the first time we passed another dog, she tried to claw through the screen mesh, and I see no damage. The first day we biked to work, we went out to lunch and came back to find that she had jumped into the bike trailer and was sleeping there, so she obviously likes it.
I don't know that the more expensive pet trailers would prove any better than this unit for hauling the dog around, and I doubt they are better constructed (once you deal with the clamp issue). Yes, you'll likely make a trip to the hardware store, but that seems well worth the $40 to $100 savings over another unit. As for size, it's roomy for my Scottie. I think this unit would comfortably transport a schnauser or Sheltie, but I don't think a lab or collie could enjoy it.
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Red Pet Bike Trailer Dog Stroller Cat Carrier Bicycle
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