Wandertec Bongo Bike Cargo Trailer Large

Product Reviews

I ordered a Wandertec Bongo Large trailer about a month ago and the following review is based on several weeks of using the trailer. Prior to ordering it I had been looking for a quality 2 wheel utility trailer, and considered the Burley Flatbed, but wanted a couple of features the Burley didn’t have. Since I live on a rough dirt road, I wanted 20” tires, which ride better than the 16” tires used by Burley. I also wanted an adjustable tongue so the bed could be leveled regardless of the wheel size on the towing bike. When I saw the Bongo online, I knew I'd found what I was looking for. Not only does it have the larger 20" wheels I wanted, but it also has a well designed bed leveling feature and a much larger payload capacity than the Burley. I’ve been impressed with the simple, thoughtful design and the sturdiness and quality of construction. The frame is built of stout 1-1/4” square aluminum tubing with a 1/8” wall thickness and is nicely welded. The bed is made of high quality 3/8” thick plywood, with a clear varnish or lacquer finish. Multiple strap slots around the perimeter of the bed allow flexibility for securing a wide variety of load configurations. The wheels have aluminum alloy rims, stainless spokes and an unusual quick release hub. Removing the wheel from the trailer only requires pressing a button on the outside of the hub. The trailer tongue is heavy wall aluminum tubing and locks at any angle desired, allowing the bed to be level, no matter what the wheel diameter on the towing bike. I can level the bed whether I’m towing the trailer with my Bike Friday which has 20” wheels or my mountain bike with 26” wheels. The hitch ball mounted on the end of the tongue is heavy rubber, and the hitch socket, which attaches to the rear axle, is heavily built of nicely finished metal. A safety pin holds the ball in the hitch and is secured with a rubber strap. The trailer takes only a few seconds to hook up to a bike. The hitch is quiet when used on rough roads (something I can’t say for a Burley hitch I used to use, which tended to make an aggravating ticking sound). At the same time I bought the trailer, I also ordered from a Rubbermaid 24 Quart Action Packer cargo box from Amazon to hold my tools. For the past 3 weeks I've been using the trailer to haul my tools to job sites (I do sustainable systems design and installation) over dirt roads. The nearest pavement is nearly 10 miles away, so all of my trailer use is on rough roads. Despite the road conditions the tongue hasn't budged from the angle I set it at and neither has anything else. The trailer is rock solid. Probably the best thing about the trailer is that my truck now sits unused for a week or more at a time. A few words about attaching a cargo box to the trailer: The trailer comes with 3 straps with quick release buckles that can be passed over the box to secure it to the trailer bed. This means that getting into the box requires releasing all three straps. The box can also be secured to the trailer bed with bolts, fender washers and lock nuts, but removing the box to carry other loads requires removing the fasteners. Instead, I purchased 3 additional quick release buckles of the same type as came with the trailer and some extra webbing. I separated each buckle into its 2 component pieces, then put a short piece of webbing through each piece. Using a soldering iron, I melted a ¼” hole through each piece of webbing and secured the pieces near the top of the Action Packer box with 1/4" round head machine screws, fender washers and lock nuts. The box can now be attached to the trailer without interfering with the lid. Opening the box takes only a second—just slide the two red lid handles off and lift the lid. The box can also be removed from the trailer in seconds if necessary. The trailer can be a bit noisy if used on rough roads, but the noise can be significantly reduced by placing a piece of 1” thick foam rubber between the cargo box and the bed. I also have a similar piece in the bottom of the box to help cushion the cargo. If the trailer is only used on pavement, this probably isn’t necessary. I also find that reducing tire pressure helps to prevent bouncing on rough roads.