There aren’t many inexpensive options for something like in this picture. Sure, walking or biking is cheap, but carrying stuff, that’s trickier.

I have a great electric kick scooter (charged by solar), and since the grocery store is only a couple of miles away, I figured shopping without a car would be pretty simple.

I’ve walked there before, but with the heat lately, I wanted a way to carry larger grocery loads so I’d have to make less trips. I don’t really wanna have to use my car. I assumed there would be small cargo trailers made for kick scooters.

Turns out, not really. Most trailers are designed for bicycles or larger motorcycle-style scooters.

I found a few niche options people have built themselves, but they’re either more expensive than I wanna spend or require more fabrication skills than I have.

I’ve decided to try building one myself, but yeah, that’s gonna take some time since I’m new at the whole “just build your own shit” brigade.

As you all know, here in the US, living without a car is possible, but it often isn’t very convenient. The infrastructure and products just aren’t designed with that lifestyle in mind.

(Shout out to my downvote stalker. Right on schedule! Thanks for keeping me in your mind all day. LMAO)

  • garbagebagel@lemmy.world
    0·
    1 month ago

    As a scooter rider myself, this setup seems unwieldy. My back tire already has a mind of its own and turning can be an absolute pain sometimes, I can’t imagine trying to also haul a bunch of shit behind me as well. IMO scooters just don’t have what it takes to do this kind of hauling safely.

    I use a large backpack and will tie smaller bags on either side when I do a big shop, or I just take the bus. Though I understand quick and reliable buses aren’t really a thing in a lot of the US so, sorry for you.

    • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
      0·
      1 month ago

      Good points. I am lucky because my area is very scooter friendly when it comes to smooth sidewalks and streets. Plus I don’t go very fast, so I haven’t had any issues. But you may be right about what a trailer would do. Thank you!!

  • JeSuisUnHombre@lemmy.zip
    0·
    1 month ago

    Just pondering, modify a bike trailer? Whether that be connecting down to the scooter that way, or adding an upright piece to the scooter so the connection sits higher, or even attach it to a belt you wear. I don’t know about what other commenters are saying, but just wanted to throw some ideas out there

  • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    1 month ago

    A 3D printer is your best friend for projects like this imo. You can get a used one that is still decent for like ~200$ usually. Maybe dont use for heavily loaded parts but for everything else its great.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      1 month ago

      3D printed plastic is a horrible idea unless you use special printers and engineering filaments that cost a fortune. Unless you just want to prototype a metal part eventually made by an online service like PCBway.

  • megopie@beehaw.orgEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    I got my mountain bike that I stuck a mid drive motor on, and some hefty saddle bags. Was my main grocery hauler for a while. Moved recently and I’m only a few blocks from a grocery store now.

    My contraption gets a bit too heavy when the saddle bags are fully loaded because the battery is fairly large and back rack mounted. At some point I’d like to get a battery that mounts low inside the frame to lower the center of gravity, and just only put the big back battery on when I want to make a long trip.

    • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
      0·
      1 month ago

      Yeah, I found a friend who is getting rid of their ebike, and it just needs new battery, and he’s giving it to me for free. So I may have solved my issue.

  • RaspberryTuba [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    I don’t think scooters are at all standardized? With bicycles there’s a reasonable assumption that it’ll have things built certain ways that the manufacturer can hitch their trailer to.

  • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    1 month ago

    I think the main problem is that scooters just aren’t designed for this, at all. They’re wholly dedicated to transporting one person with the smallest vehicle possible (while being easy to use, unlike onewheels or skateboards).

    As soon as you go up to a normal bike you can start hauling a perfectly reasonable amount of stuff by just attaching a basket on the front and rear, though yeah bike trailers really should be half as expensive as they are…

    • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
      0·
      1 month ago

      My scoot is pretty heavy duty and powerful. I was really meaning just one or two bags of groceries. Just enough that it’s uncomfortable to fit into my backpack, but nothing super heavy. 2 gallons of milk, cans of veggies, bread, etc. My trip to store is on smooth sidewalks. 1. 3 miles. Flat area.

      I jury rigged up something last night using a friends cloth wagon, and attached it to my belt. And it worked just fine, so I may just stick with that. Just looks silly, so I’m still gonna work on a better solution. Thank you!

  • lemonwood@lemmy.ml
    0·
    1 month ago

    They are expensive, but in Germany, every leftish person dreams of co-owning an electric cargo bike like this within their shared flat:

    I even know two such groups who are living the dream (not in my city though).

  • davel@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    Shout out to my downvote stalker.

    It’s a lemmy.today user, so you may want to take it up your admins. They’re also reporting you for being a “DonaldJMusk astroturfing account.”

      • bloubz@lemmygrad.ml
        0·
        1 month ago

        Who are these people? What’s all this drama on the liberal side of Lemmy (I’m actually interested)

        • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
          0·
          1 month ago

          Did it turn out to be all that you had hoped it would be? Or did it seem like meaningless petty Lemmy drama that was just is a waste of everyone’s time?

            • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
              0·
              1 month ago

              Please show me any news articles in my news communities that I’ve posted that are AI. What news do you think I’m “spreading”? Left news? Because you are a conservative and hate left news? Too bad, I’ll keep posting left-leaning news articles.

              • NewPerspective@lemmy.today
                0·
                1 month ago

                You get me confused with the many trolls following DJM around. One has an AI girlfriend, one is into weed, one calls you Aaron, none of them are me.

                I’m not here to explain credibility to you. I’m here to expose you.

                • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
                  0·
                  1 month ago

                  Why would I care if trolls are following DJM around?

                  Lemmy is full of fixated trolls who follow people around. I know you follow me around, but you don’t scare me if that’s what you think.

                  None of this has anything to do with this FuckCars post, or this FuckCars community.

    • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
      0·
      1 month ago

      Yeah, he’s been following me around for almost a year saying that. It’s been disproved many times, and I don’t even post any content that DJM would even like. So the stalker just follows me around and downvotes whatever I say regardless of content.

      Looks like he was a mod of a former conservative community on here, so he seems upset that I post liberal-leaning articles? Or he hates me because I’m socialist? Or he doesn’t like solar power? No clue. I can’t seem to understand his beef. But the dude will downvote and then rush to send me the “popcorn” emoji in DM’s. LMAO

      Some Lemmy’s just gotta be creepy I guess. lol

  • A_be_seedy@beehaw.org
    0·
    1 month ago

    When I was carless living in a good desert I found the easiest way to go grocery shopping was with a backpack.

  • whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    0·
    1 month ago

    Depending on your capacity needs maybe it would be easier to attach a bag to the handlebars where there’s more stability and control, something like this

    kick scooter with bag attached to the handlebar post

    • PapaSkwat@lemmy.todayOP
      0·
      1 month ago

      I’ll try that, but my brain seems to think that would be less control. But I’ll see what I can do. Thanks!

  • memfree@lemmy.ml
    0·
    1 month ago

    Wouldn’t it be easier to modify a bike trailer than start from scratch? I’ve no experience with this, but I’d presume one of the axle connector models might be fitted with some imaginary custom peg to account for the few inch height difference. Obviously trailers that connect up by a by seat would not work, but what about this sort of model?

    pic

    or maybe just flip the post on a model like this? pic