Powered Cargo Trailer Good Idea?

Hi ES!

1. How do you feel about a powered cargo trailer pushing a bicycle?
2. Are their any inherent big problems with this?
3. What would be the maximum recommended speed for a setup like this?
4. Can you guys give me any validation on this idea and if I should attempt it.

I would like to push my fat bike with a custom made dual hub motor powered fat tire cargo trailer.

The main reason is to carry my older dog with me on the trails, after he gets tired of running around.

It would look something like this but with hub motors and fat tire.

( Random Image From Google, NOT ME OR MY DOG )

Member ecat has this thread.

Dual hubmotor powered trailer build

The idea for this trailer came from a need to pick up and deliver bikes and scooters for my e-bike business without using a car. This is especially important here on Salt Spring Island, as going off island means getting on a ferry, which costs $$$. By using the BC Ferries "Discover" card bikes travel free, even when they are 16 feet long!


Carrying two juiced riders U500 V3 cargo e-bikes. If you are in Canada, and have a bike shop, contact me about dealer opportunities.
trailer w juiced s.jpg (309.8 KiB) Viewed 713 times



The trailer works as expected, and it is surprisingly powerful. If I stop on a hill with it loaded up, I can hardly move the bike and trailer, yet with a touch of the throttle, up it goes, no problem at all. The variable regen also works well, it really is essential for safety.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https%3A%2F%2Fendless-sphere%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Fviewtopic%2Ephp%3Ft%3D75514%23p1140047&share_tid=75514&share_fid=55725&share_type=t&share_pid=1140047

Search ecat and read his thread.

Thank you guys, will read his thread.

amberwolf too

I haven't actually powered my trailers yet, though I have assorted plans to do so with various types of motors.

But there are a number of different powered trailers here on ES, including commercial ones like the Ridekick.

IIRC Rassy had at least one powered trailer, maybe more.

Someone else built one for a campout/festival event in the UK (sorry can't remmeber who).

I'm not sure what to say,, as my dog has gotten older, I just shortened her run beside the bike. Now that she has blown out a front leg knee joint, her run days are over. She hurts herself enough just in the yard. I'm sure she'd love a ride in a trailer, but the way she barks at everything we pass in a car, I would not.

But anyway,, I would suggest trying a powerful motor on the bike first. ( like 1500-2000w) Unless you have St Bernards to carry. Most likely, this also means two bikes, if you still want to ride without a motor.

Two motors on the back of a trike works well, as AW has shown.

My concern is the fact that you want to use this in an off road scenario. On the street, with the right geometry, I think it could work very well, but a trailer pushing a bike and rider through on loose surfaces with many turns seems to me like the kind of thing you'd want to consider very carefully. A heavy powered trailer could push the bike in front of it in some pretty sketchy ways. I'd try powering the bike first as well.

Thank you for your input guys, I will think some more on this.

The good news is that if you build the trailer with the same wheels the bike uses, you can then move them to the bike if the trailer idea should be a bust, and put hte bike wheels on the trailer.

It's easy enough to build the trailer (or modify an existing one) so that it uses a rear wheel on one side and a front on the other, if your axle lengths are different. If they're the same then it's even easier to use same wheels for bike/trailer.

Plus, that then gives you spare whole wheels should something go wrong when not using the trailer, so you arent' down waiting on a wheel build.

Marin said:

This is especially important here on Salt Spring Island, as going off island means getting on a ferry, which costs $$$. By using the BC Ferries "Discover" card bikes travel free, even when they are 16 feet long!

Click to expand...

I took a bike on the Ferry and camped on Salt Spring Island and it was cool. I did not realize there was the Discover card, but I think I paid $10 from Van-Swartz Bay North of Victoria, then rode down the Galloping Goose trail to Victoria. I plan to do it again, so I will look intot he Discover card.

Have you looked at a drive for a 3 wheel scooter. I have one here single motor, wheels bolt directly on the output shafts. It would be an easy trailer build and a lot cheaper. Mine is 48volt does about 38-40 kph. you just would not be able to get as low with it.

I would keep the motor(s) on the bike, but wouldn't have any problem putting the batteries on the trailer.