REASONS TO BUY
Easy of use
Smooth rolling
REASONS TO AVOID
Plastic wheels
Not compatible with thru axle modern bikes
Retrospec Rover Hauler Review
This is an easy to assemble and use bike trailer that will get your picnic to the park without any drama
Credit: Retrospec
By Brian Martin ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ June 11, 2021
RELATED: The Best Bike Cargo Trailer of 2025
Our Verdict
Retrospec isn't necessarily a household name in the bike trailer market but what they lack in clout, they are making up for by undercutting the competition's prohibitive costs. The Rover Hauler proved to be a capable around-town cargo trailer option that worked well from grocery runs to hauling random trailside rubbish during a greenway cleanup. The two-wheel boxy design isn't the greatest for overall efficiency or bike touring, but it does offer ample space for a large cooler and the necessary robustness to haul when loaded down.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Retrospec Rover Hauler | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best for Heavy Loads |  Best Bang for the Buck | |||
| Price | $200 List $139.99 at Amazon | $300 List $299.95 at Amazon | $190 List $109.99 at Amazon | $150 List Check Price at Amazon | $160 List $109.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Not recommended for epic bike touring adventures, but this trailer is an excellent around-town option | A large carrying capacity makes this trailer quite versatile and unique | This model is a bit heavy, but its an excellent value | An around town trailer that assembles quickly and proved to work well as a grocery getter or while out doing some greenway trail steward cleanup | While this trailer isn't the most refined, it is extremely affordable compared to the rest of the field and will get the job done |
| Rating Categories | Retrospec Rover Hauler | Burley Design Flatbed | Aosom Wanderer | Schwinn Day Tripper | Aosom Elite II |
| Capacity (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Towing (20%) | |||||
| Smoothness of Ride (20%) | |||||
| Versatility (10%) | |||||
| Specifications | Retrospec Rover Hauler | Burley Design Flatbed | Aosom Wanderer | Schwinn Day Tripper | Aosom Elite II |
| Capacity | 80 lbs | 100 lbs | 110 lbs | 50 lbs | 88 lbs |
| Weight | 20.1 lbs | 14.5 lbs | 30 lbs | 18.5 lbs | 34.6 lbs |
| Number of Wheels | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Size (when open, L x W x H) | 27" x 24.5" x 20" | 33" x 16.1" x 30.9" | 57" x 27.6" x 19.2" | 25" x 16.5" x 10" | 35" x 33" x 25" |
| Wheel Size | 16" | 16" | 16" | 16" | 20" |
| Access into Trailer | Top | Top | Top | Top | Top |
| Cover Protection | Weatherproof cover | None | None | Weatherproof cover | Weatherproof cover |
| Attachment to Bike | Forged Steel Hitch | Forged Hitch | Aosom Type 'B' Bike Trailer Universal Hitch Coupler | Forged Steel Hitch | Forged Steel Hitch |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Perhaps like you, we hadn't heard of the brand Retrospec before getting our hands on the Rover Hauler, but name recognition isn't the best indicator of a quality product these days anyway. While the Rover didn't win any awards, we feel it deserves its due “Respec” as a functional low-cost cargo trailer option.
In an attempt to load down the Rover with odd items of varying sizes and weights, we went on a greenway trail cleanup. Hauling old tires, mountains of plastic waste, and even an old traffic cone. Thanks, Rover!
Credit: Brian Martin
Capacity
The Rover Hauler boasts an 80-pound weight capacity which is a pretty wild amount of weight unless you have a decent E-bike. We took Retrospec at their word and loaded the Rover down with north of 80 pounds of equipment including our large cooler, some kettlebells, and jugs of water. We were actually more worried about breaking our bike as this did put some odd forces on the rear triangle. If we learned one thing from our overloading it's the fact that the Rover does a good job when it's loaded down. The overall space is decent as well, allowing us to haul a full-size cooler and lawn chair with room to spare.
The Rover managed to contain a 45-quart hard shell cooler along with our lawn chair with room to spare. The two-wheel design allowed us to haul a relatively uneven load without much drama.
Credit: Brian Martin
Ease of Use
We had the Rover out of the box and assembled in minutes. While there are instructions included, they really aren't needed as the wheels and axle can only be attached one way and it's done easily. Once the hitch is mounted it can live on the bike permanently and won't look too out of place to anyone but the most nitpicky type-A folks. The flap/cover is also easy to secure and remove with two large buckles at the front of the trailer.
Ease of Towing
When it comes to ease of towing, less is usually more. Two wheels are generally much less efficient, heavier, and create more wind resistance than single-wheel trailers. Despite being a dually, the Rover does pretty well in this category. We found it far too rattly and bouncy on chunky dirt roads, but when sticking to paved paths the Rover did a great job with smooth wheel bearings and road slicks for tires. A few drawbacks include the tiny wheels which seem to amplify bumps and potholes and having wheels placed very far back on the trailer chassis. Having the wheels back from the center helps with balance and torq, but the wheels on the Rover seem to be so far back that having a heavy load near the front pulls on the rear of your bike. This was remedied with more careful packing, however.
Overall the Rover tows quite well, though we have one gripe. As this is a longer trailer than some, the wheels are placed so far back that having a heavy load puts a noticeable amount of force on the rear bicycle wheel and triangle. This was most noticeable when we were off the bike walking or pushing.
Credit: Brian Martin
Smoothness of Ride
The Rover is most at home rolling around on city streets and paved bike paths. Even hardpacked greenway trails were managed well but as things got chunkier the smoothness score plummetted. The rigid frame and plastic wheels transmit bumps directly into the trailer contents. Supposing the trailer wasn't fastened with several pin/clip style fasteners, the racket might have been a bit more bearable. This racket and bounce ultimately relates back to efficiency and detracts both from the ride smoothness and overall towing resistance. That being said, the Rover really does roll smoothly on the pavement.
Unloaded the Rover is a rattly son of a gun. When loaded it isn't too bad, though like other similarly priced trailers, attachment points are largely held with thru-pins and clips that do make a racket. Outside of the noise, the wheels rolled smoothly and overall performance on tarmac was great.
Credit: Brian Martin
Versatility
When considering cargo trailer versatility we not only look at what items and mass can be supported but also the uses and terrains the trailer is capable of handling. In the case of the Rover, it does quite well around town, from grocery shopping to picnics to hauling your climbing gear to the gym. Outside of tame urban environments, the Rover is a bit outgunned. The small wheels and rigid frame don't mesh well with the chunky non-smooth world of gravel roads and trails. That said, it does quite well hauling odd-sized and shaped objects including coolers, chairs, or even your dog! (Though it's probably not very safe for your dog to ride around in a cargo trailer).
The Rover has a snug top cover with durable feeling plastic clips to secure it in the front. Bungee attachment points on the inside also allow you to secure larger objects without risking them being ejected.
Credit: Brian Martin
Value
As the Rover is near the bottom of the price range for bike cargo trailers, the fact that it zips around town without much drama does make it a solid value. But the reality seems to be such that at such a low price point quality has to be sacrificed in some areas. The Rover isn't elegant, it's more of a hatchet than a scalpel, but as such, it bashes around the city with little trouble and holds up to some abuse.
Conclusion
The Rover Hauler is a capable cargo trailer at a very approachable price point. It's not designed for unpaved off-road adventures, but for getting around the city, hauling your groceries, picking up trash, or getting your goodies to the park, it's right at home. We were able to haul a lot in this puppy, and assembly didn't even require us needing the instructions. When not loaded or on uneven ground, it can get rattly, but if you just need something for smooth pavement, this is an affordable choice.
An empty two-wheeler with endless options. The Rover was an overall solid performer for around-town goings-on.
Credit: Brian Martin
—Brian Martin
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