Mobile DJ booth e-tricycle conversion project

[heybudday]

Hello all. New to the forum and e-bikes generally. Seeking some advice on a conversion project.

This trike was previously used to shotgun parts around a cement plant, so the frame is quite heavy duty - roughly 140 lbs. I am planning a conversion project to turn it into a mobile DJ booth, which would potentially carry turntables, DJ CD players, a mixer and smaller monitors. If it's feasible, I'd like to add an e-bike motor with enough torque and power to propel the combined weight with rider. Further I'd like power the bike motor and the DJ setup with a compact fuel cell that can be recharged via pedalling, AC power and solar panels. I may also look at widening the wheelbase in back to accommodate a larger box.

It's an ambitious project that will likely take years to complete. My first step is determining whether a motor exists that can meet this core push need. I'd appreciate feedback and recommendations on motors than can handle heavier loads.

Here are some initial weight specs:

DJ Tricycle specs:

Base weight: 140 lbs.


Technics 1200 turntable: 17 lbs. x 2 = 34 lbs.

Pioneer CDJ 2000: 10.14 lbs. X 2 = 20.28 lbs.

Xone 32 DJ mixer = 9 lbs.


Rider weight: 180 lbs. (average)

 

[amberwolf]

If it's feasible, I'd like to add an e-bike motor with enough torque and power to propel the combined weight with rider.

That's pretty easy. If you are willing to change the fork out for one with either rim or disc brake mounts, you can install any typical hubmotor wheel kit along with said rim or disc brakes, and it'll propel it on flat ground at whatever speed the kit is designed for. (you have to add brakes because the only brake that trike has now is the drum brake in the front wheel, which you'll lose if you replace it with a hubmotor wheel).

Now, if you have specific requirements for speed, or acceleration rate, or need it to climb slopes or hills, etc., you'll need to list all of the conditions it will be operated under, terrain, wind, speed, range, etc., for us to provide more specific information / parts lists / etc.

Further I'd like power the bike motor and the DJ setup with a compact fuel cell that can be recharged via pedalling, AC power and solar panels.

There's some threads with useful information about fuel cells, as well as serial-hybrids that would run a generator from the pedals (rather than connecting them to the ground thru the wheels), and quite a few about solar setups (trikes, trailers, bikes, etc., depending on exactly what you want the motor/power system to do for you and the conditions you need to operate the trike under.

Once we know more about what you want, we can provide some specific recommendations of eitehr parts or system types, or at least which threads to poke around in.

I may also look at widening the wheelbase in back to accommodate a larger box.

The latter is relatively easy, by lengthening the live-axles that turn the rear wheels, such as by welding sufficiently strong tubes over the axles between the points you cut the axles at (or replacing the axles with longer ones), and widening the frame itself, moving the axle-support-bearing points outward to match, etc.

I'd appreciate feedback and recommendations on motors than can handle heavier loads.

Even a very small motor can handle a heavy load on flat ground...it just won't accelerate quickly and probably can't handle slopes or hills. Very large motors could do whatever you wanted...but are bigger and heavier and more expensive and take more power to operate even when not using their full capabilities, and need bigger and more capable batteries that cost more.

Until we know much more specifically what you need the system to do for you and under what conditions, it's difficult to provide appropriate recommendations.

Here are some initial weight specs:
DJ Tricycle specs:
Base weight: 140 lbs.
Technics 1200 turntable: 17 lbs. x 2 = 34 lbs.
Pioneer CDJ 2000: 10.14 lbs. X 2 = 20.28 lbs.
Xone 32 DJ mixer = 9 lbs.
Rider weight: 180 lbs. (average)

You don't list the amp or monitor weights; are those always going to be provided by wherever you are DJing at? If not, you will probably want to include them, as well as the weight of the vinyl and CDs and carrying cases and whatnot that you'd need for each event, to make sure you have enough carrying capacity, range, etc. (all that stuff is heavy, and could easily weigh more than all the other DJ equipment *and* the motor / battery system combined ).

Presumably you will also need lighting, at the least to see what you are doing for nighttime events, and for riding around, and I would guess most likely event-type lighting (like color changing / programmable lights), and thus also need power for those. That can be a significant power draw, just as the DJ stuff can, so if you need to power any of it from the trike and not just when plugged into the wall at an event, you'll want to account for it in your budgets (power and money).

 

[heybudday]

Thanks so much for all of that! Lots to unpack. I sincerely appreciate it.