The present invention is a utility trailer for hauling sports equipment and the like that is easily convertible to a low profile configuration for storage against a wall in a garage bay with a car or other vehicle.
Various types of outdoor sporting activities are becoming increasingly popular. Many of these activities require equipment that will not fit in many transporting vehicles or may cause damage if put in such a vehicle. Such equipment includes items such as motorized bikes, powered watercraft, bicycles, kayaks and the like. A standard rack can be obtained for transporting certain of these items on top of a transporting vehicle, but it is difficult to place the equipment on the roof of the vehicle. For example, a bicycle is very ungainly and relatively heavy that can be loaded on a vehicle's roof, but only with great difficulty, especially if only one person is available. Other equipment is just to heavy or large to place on a roof.
Consequently, utility trailers for carrying sports equipment have become very popular, especially in regions where a great amount of outdoor activity occurs.
The owner of such a trailer often wants to protect it from the elements and from theft, when not in use, or may simply want to reduce clutter around their home because of local ordinances or to otherwise increase the aesthetical appearance of the home. Therefore, there is a desire to store such trailers in garages. However, the trailer, when in a use configuration, will take up an entire garage bay that may be needed for other purposes, such as garaging the family car. Consequently, there is also a need for the trailer to have a storage configuration wherein it has a low storage profile that allows it to lean against a wall of the garage and consume relatively very little space so a car can be parked in the same bay with the stored trailer.
In order to provide such a low profile, it is preferable for the wheels to be removed and for swing arms and shock absorbers, that are associated with mounting the wheels, to be able to pivot tightly or closely against the frame when the frame is stood upward, so as to present a relatively narrow width. Further, it is desirable that the wheels disassemble easily and without requiring wrenches to remove nuts or the like so that a user can easily and quickly modify the trailer from a use configuration to a storage configuration.
Still further, in order that the trailer, when in the storage configuration, is not too tall for the bay in which it is to be stored, it is also desirable that the towing tongue be removable. Normally, a wiring system to provide lights for the trailer also extends along or is somehow run in association with the tongue. In such instances, removal or replacement of the tongue requires a substantial amount of handling of wiring. In accordance with the invention, it is preferred to have a tongue that easily joins to the body of the trailer with a minimum of work and does not require tools for removal. Further, it is desirable that the tongue incorporate the wiring in such a manner that the wiring associated with the tongue is automatically mated with the wiring on the rest of the trailer simply by joining the tongue to the body of the trailer.