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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    463

    Chariot Cougar trailer: are there really no spare parts?

    So I haul my baby around in a Chariot Cougar 1, clocking about 10 miles a day, week in and week out. The Chariot has an aluminum arm that attaches to a ball joint on the rear wheel quick release: the ball goes in a socket, a pin goes in to hold the ball in, and a rubber hook holds the pin.

    The rubber hook has broken, meaning the pin (and baby) are held in by gravity and luck. I'm sure it's a 10 cent piece of rubber, but Thule (maker of Chariot) lists "no spare parts" for any Chariot piece. I can also find nothing on ebay or other bike part sites.

    Do I really need to purchase an entirely new arm to get this 10 cent piece, or does anyone know of a better solution. Contacting Thule directly was fruitless.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    near zombies
    Posts
    421
    when you say you contacted Thule, was that via e-mail or phone? I have found their online support useless, but their phone support fairly helpful. At least that has been my experience with the car rack stuff.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Shuswap Highlands
    Posts
    4,345
    I have the bike attachment for our Chariot. It's not in front of me atm, but I'm pretty sure a piece of heavy duty bike innertube would replace the function of that rubber retainer. As you mention, its only purpose appears to be to prevent the pin from rattling upward and out of the ball/socket joint. Or perhaps replace the pin with one that accepts a hairpin-style cotter pin.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    821
    Thule worked like that for us with the bike rack. They wanted us to buy a whole new rack when we needed 1 part. Something about they don't think it's safe to sell certain spare parts due to their safety/liability concerns. It took calling in multiple times and finally getting up the chain to a VP. He sent us a new rack and told us to destroy the old one. Was not an easy company to deal with, but the squeaky wheel gets attention with them.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    SLC
    Posts
    6,257
    I've been looking for the ski adaptors, nowhere to be found
    I'm so hardcore, I'm gnarcore.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    LV-426
    Posts
    21,123
    Quote Originally Posted by powder11 View Post
    if you have to resort to taking advice from the nitwits on this forum, then you're doomed.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Shuswap Highlands
    Posts
    4,345
    Quote Originally Posted by Particle View Post
    I've been looking for the ski adaptors, nowhere to be found
    If you are looking for the cougar adaptors then whichever shop sells the kits should have them. I think the ski kit comes with the cougar version, then are swapped out for the higher end model. At least that was the case when we found the ski attachment but needed the (stock) cougar adapters.

    Damn, just tried top refer to the parts from the new thule/chariot site and the new site absolutely sucks!

    Just checked out El Chup's link - thanks for that!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    n to the h
    Posts
    842
    Quote Originally Posted by El Chupacabra View Post
    sounds like it. Or you could jury rig something with inner tubes/nails/screws, I would imagine, if you have a bit of time.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    n to the h
    Posts
    842
    ski kit is the bomb for taking the little ones out on the nordic trails.

    Did not realize it cost that much. We bought ours years ago.

    Geez. But it is money well spend to get out there, and get the kids out!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    463
    Yes! That's it exactly moby. Thanks.

    We got the ski kit at, of all places, Kohl's.

    For contacting Thule I tried email, twitter, Facebook, etc. Nothing. Based on that I decided to cut my losses and not fool with the phone ...

    The tire tube sounds like a good fallback option. I don't know that the metal pin would work -- a la Burley -- because how how far back the pin seems to "sit" in the arm. But if I see a friend with one I might try and swap it just to see if it would work.

    Thanks everyone.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Not in the PRB
    Posts
    32,776
    I had terrible experience with Thule via email, but better CS when I got them on the phone.

    Chariot ski attachment works well, it seems, but is ridonkulously expensive for what it is. We bought it from REI, never used it, and returned it (just the ski attachment) 6 months later and bought a KinderShuttle for xc skiing with the kiddo.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Your Mom's Bed
    Posts
    416
    Cloud,

    Don't be a pussy and just call them.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    1,484
    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    Kindershuttle FTW
    I wear crocs for the style, not the comfort.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    1

    Thule phone support & parts

    Quote Originally Posted by Plinko View Post

    Don't be a pussy and just call them.

    Getting in a little late on this, but Plinko is right. I've bought hundreds of roof rack parts from Thule over the phone. They're really nice folks, and most of their parts are very cheaply priced. As it happens, I just bought the little rubber thing you're talking about for my own Chariot; it was like 10 bucks.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    where the rough and fluff live
    Posts
    4,147
    echoes of paula's ski lovers

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