Burley Bark Ranger XL

[Timberdoodle]

Time for a review of the Saucer Section of the Vomit Comet--the Burley Bark Ranger XL (Part 1)



I got it in spring 2023 and have about a thousand miles on it so far. So I'll do a full walk-around and such with pictures before getting into the narrative.


So, like I've said in other threads in the forum, the Vomit Comet is parked in my living room. the camo dog bed protects the floor from the stardrive's scritchy metal kickstand. I'm about ready to hit that sucker's feet with tool dip to protect the floor because this is mildly annoying. but that's a tangent.

So I use the Bark Ranger almost every time I use the bike because dog, and also, the utility. it's basically an enclosed trailer and rated for a hundred pounds of load. Elias of Berchtesgaden, Lord of Kittenberg was about 90 pounds when I got the bike and trailer, so it can definitely handle that load. He has since lost weight, which is great. probably because we go to the dog park for 2-3 hours every evening using this setup.



So I keep the back handlebar cocked forward for storage space and flip it around for use. I'm sure a lot of y'all are familiar with Burley products. it's all interchangeable. I can use all of the normal burley stuff with this fella



Attachment is the same as all other burleys. BTW you *can* order a plate that works with a thru-axle. that little strip of webbing acts as the retention strap, like the chains on a trailer. I moved it for a better pic.


So here on the left side, there's a lovely pocket with velcro that lets you put a christmas tree light module in it!. BTW that red lever is the brakes, that's my primary complaint on the trailer is the crappy brakes, so don't plan on using them. they suck.


Yay lights!!!


Here's the back with the bar deployed. tons of light mounting options.


this is upside-down, but you can see there are nice webs up top so you can attach more pouches and such. plus, check out the rolled-up weather flap for the back

the front is pretty nice. the screen flap thing is zippered and has nice hooks so you can keep it half-rolled up so that the dog can sit up and do dog stuff while you ride


here's what it looks like fully rolled down. the end of the flap is velcro. good for keeping renegade dogs and cats inside.

 

[Timberdoodle]

Part 2


So this lever in the top can be undone, and you can collapse this bad boy for storage if need be. just pull out the burley flag and pop the handlebars. it collapses by 30-50% in height.



So here's the back view. that velcro bottom flap is really really nice in concert with the zippers. note the two black web straps, one of which my christmas lights are hitched to. those are great mounting points for MOAR LIGHTS



Note: Tractor Supply canvas dog beds are the perfect size to go inside the Bark Ranger. definitely a must-have for critter comfort, because.......


THIS IS THE FLOOR. it's hard to clean, and while it is okay for riding around, get a dog bed, folks. just do it. Also note that Commander LaForge resides in the trailer when I go on extended missions.


here's what it looks like with the storm flap down. it is secured via velcro on the bottom. works great, tbh I wish there was a forward storm flap so Elias would have a bit more protection.


So the wheels pop off pretty easy with just a button push. just like all other burley trailers. you can run it with the Burley Skis or fat tires. I need neither at present here in the Classic City.


for those who don't know, you just press the big yellow button and the wheel sploots off.


here's another good extra feature. I got this from the local hippy food store during a turkey day sale. it's an insulated box thing that fits right into the trailer to keep the ice cream cold and such while riding home from the store


it's pretty nice, and was free.


and it fits in with a ton of room for all of the other shenanigans I need to get at the store.

 

[Timberdoodle]

Part 3!

So, after a thousand miles, I'm happy as a clam and so is Elias. the trailer is fantastic except for the brakes. those brakes will hold the trailer in place *when it is on a totally flat surface, with no weight in it*

any other situation, and it's just making sound effects as the trailer rolls away.

Other safety notes: we have taken the trailer up to 25-28 mph on the straight with no problems, no wiggling or anything. But do not take turns quickly. I took a turn at like 12 mph right as Elias decided to lean outbound, and the trailer rolled onto its side. Remember the load inside that trailer is a dog, who does not care about the dynamics of shifting around and doing stuff. as such, be cautious.

It doesn't have the versatility of a Galaxy class, so I've never attempted saucer separation at high warp. definitely leave that to the professionals and the movies. there are no antimatter emitters so don't try to do the Shelby Maneuver either. But overall, as a method to transport a big dog, or a hundred pounds of groceries, this is frickin' great!

with regard to how the trailer impacts range.... it's actually not bad. I keep the bike in Turbo mode with a class 3 and 400wH battery and get about 16 miles of range out of it in a pretty hilly town. I can still get up to the limits of a class 3 bike with it. it takes a bit longer to get up to speed, but I can still do so. there is absolutely no way I could tow this trailer with an acoustic though.

most of the time, I roll with a spare battery when I'm going into the city with Elias. there was one time when I did not and... lol the bike died about a thousand yards from my house. it was mildly embarrassing, and I definitely don't want to risk that happening 2 miles from my house.

I would, as a rule, reduce your range estimates when towing this bike by about 30% and just plan accordingly

 

[Timberdoodle]

Part 4: Training your dog

So to train Elias to ride in this sucker, I popped off the wheels and handlebar, put his bed in there, and just left it in the living room for a few days. I encouraged him to go in the trailer with treats, and then after a while, I hooked it up to the bike, attached the wheels, and kept it up for a few days in the living room with treats etc to get him used to it being wiggly under him.

After that, we just dove in. he is a smart dog so he just rode along with it and I reached back to feed him more treats as we went along.