Pull a rv camper with a e-bike!? Possible?

[orange streak]

Hey guys I'm a dreamer, so let's get started, is it possible to pull a rv camper with a e-bike!? I should note that this is coming from a guy with a 7kwh battery on bike frame. Can a e-bike produce enough power to pull a pretty big camper, which is made to stand up in, have a bathroom, a small kitchen, & a bed. Basically water and sewage hookup in a rv park. Imagination can go any where from here including a 4X8' trailer with a camper, and neat tube design campers! Sure the motor would get hot if you don't have the best or more motors to help a mid drive e-bike. Could a motor like Luke's death bike hual butt? Some pics provided. Just for the heck of it, what can you get away with? Make it lighter weight, & no whippy bike campers with out these nessities. Don't plan on going very far of coarse, just want to know the possibilities, live cool, & just have fun with the topic.

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[amberwolf]

I'm sure my SB Cruiser trike could pull one easily enough, though it might be slow getting it up to speed, and the aero drag would mean pretty high power usage at speed.

CrazyBike2 could do it too, but I don't know if I could keep the bike balanced during startup from a stop, given my knees and other problems.

(both already have an automotive trailer ball hitch that would make it easy to test the theory if I knew someone with a trailer like that)

 

[Wheazel]

Ofcourse it can pull one taken it is geared low enough / strong enough in the drivetrain.

BUT, I think its a very bad idea in general. The main reason is the weight.
That heavy trailer will do whatever it likes with the bike at any downgrade.
So bottom line, it would have to be a trailer with brakes, and it would still be risky business.
The whole unit would be very sensitive to wind, and the trailer's center of gravity would have to be at the correct place at all times.
Just a bad idea in general to have a trailer that weights alot more than the tractor.

 

[dogman dan]

I saw on a TV show, a guy in Texas that lives on his bike, which is a gas powered rear wheel, electric front wheel frankenbike.

Towing a frankencamper. The camper is only big enough for his bed, and about 8 feet long. So maybe 3.5'x8'. He's been wandering east texas in this rig for years.

One thought is you could stretch one of these to 6' long. http://www.harborfreight.com/870-lb-capacity-40-in-x-49-in-utility-trailer-62646.html

I've thought a bit, the usual stupid fantasy daydream, about building a longer version of the SB cruiser. One with a 6' long 4' wide bed in back. I was thinking making the camper round on top, supported by bent pvc pipe. Cover with two 4x8 coroplast political signs. About 3 or 4 ' tall at most.

Possibly shorter at the front, helping some with aero, and providing a flat table top to cook on. Sort of boot shaped if you can picture that.

But I'm never doing it,,, My fantasies just changed a lot, since I went to the devil and bought a 400cc gas scooter the other day. Now I'm dreaming of a big tour on that thing.

 

[Mundo]

I always thought this would be cool.....

http://www.amazon.com/Kamp-Rite-Bushtrekka-Bicycle-Trailer-Oversize/dp/B002KKBT9Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

http://www.gizmag.com/midget-bushtrekka-bicycile-trailer/22167/

 

[dogman dan]

That's cool too, but I've camped many a miserable night in a tent. Some kind of hard roof for the win. When it rains at all in the Southwest US, it's coming down an inch in 15 min. But more a problem, the spring winds at 50 mph.

 

[Speady]

This guy is touring spain with his homemade trailer. Similar to the bushtrekka.
The trailer is hydraulic braked, he's got a third brake lever for that.

OK, there's no shower in it, but he's got its own 400Wp solar power plant and a decent storage battery plus 230V outlet
The drive is a BBS02 with an additional small chainwheel bolted on.
More pics: http://www.pedelecforum.de/forum/index.php?threads/mit-solaranh%C3%A4nger-rundtour-durch-spanien.40611
(Thx to didi28 from ebike-solutions)

 

[gogo]

I like the idea of a hard-sided pop-up A-frame camper trailer made with lightweight honeycomb panels.

There's some ideas in this thread:
Subject: Carla Cargo trailer

 

[Eteck]

http://www.livinginashoebox.com/this-foldable-bicycle-camper-lets-you-live-comfortable-on-the-road/

 

[orange streak]

As the best example, I like the camper the motorcycle is pulling behind it. This would blend real well in the parks and be able to possibly fit a bathroom, bed, and small kitchen. Thier are four rv parks in my 7 by 7 mile town & the next towns are only 10 & 20 miles away if its movable that far with some peddle assistance. I concern right now about big tire drag resistance, good trailer brakes are a must, and power to pull it. I would only use a small sleepee setup if I were to travel a lot around use, or use a tent. Love functionality, I even could put a large solar pannel on top to help. Heard about doctorbass pulling a bus!

 

[WoodlandHills]

You could certainly pull one of these: http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/recreational-vehicles/clc-teardrop-trailer.html



And you can build it yourself in a few months, I built one of their boats a couple of winters back and it was fun.

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[1JohnFoster]

"Real" campers sure look fun, but hard to pull, check this youtube out; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HCY3evE44c



It can't be too hard to rig up an automatically activated brake system so when the bike slows, the trailer brakes. Still wouldn't drive a rig like that anywhere except a flat straight road. Maybe could put a castor wheel on the front (or back) of the trailer - weld on the front end of a motorcycle? Would take away from the look though.

The mini ones seem a lot more practical for longer range/hills/wind/weaker legs/smaller electric drive budget;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BJxTfSqiZ4

Personally I'd like a hardtop popup with soft or fold up sides, so I wouldn't be completely shutdown from traveling if there was a wind.

 

[orange streak]

Ofcourse it can pull one taken it is geared low enough / strong enough in the drivetrain.

BUT, I think its a very bad idea in general. The main reason is the weight.
That heavy trailer will do whatever it likes with the bike at any downgrade.
So bottom line, it would have to be a trailer with brakes, and it would still be risky business.
The whole unit would be very sensitive to wind, and the trailer's center of gravity would have to be at the correct place at all times.
Just a bad idea in general to have a trailer that weights alot more than the tractor.

Agreed good gearing and also a motor chain to handle stress! If I had time in life I would want to get a lightweight trailer made frame with light four moped wheels & two to steer with. I actually love the tube design and can make it really long and 5ft wide for plenty of large room foe bed etc. Just need a lightweight shell. If I had time, I can't say I'm not crazy enough to work with people and try to make one! Lots of planning to make it right with anchors to ground for when it's windy. Every opinion gets me thinking.

 

[orange streak]

People are on different level, I am thinking big! Like 5ft wide by at least 16ft long! Something that you can live in, really like a mini lightweight house. Hear me out, I like to think and find a solution, I take things to serious. Think on making a light aluminum trailer & if not over kill use high pressure bike tire to minimize drag, & even double up on wheels like a bikes at work trailer with dual axles in the back. The front would be a heavy duty pivoting axle, So I'm thinking about total of 10 or 12 small bicycle wheels!, or just use moped mag wheels with thick axels, should be able to handle the wieght? Kind of like these pics. Got to start some where.

 

[ddk]

sum lite (pun) reading
wut other folks have built
http://tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=24&sid=6e989306e16cb2b5d4482994be8aca33
food for thought
http://tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=55&sid=6e989306e16cb2b5d4482994be8aca33

 

[spinningmagnets]

Trailer would need to be ultra-light and very aero...and since nobody rides inside it while rolling, no suspension needed. I'd use 20-inch bicycle wheels. I would make extensive use of "pop outs" so it would have head room and elbow room when parked, but narrow and short when transporting.

I understand the appeal of a hard shell, but...even with e-power added, pulling uphill will make you feel every ounce you didn't shave off. More like a pop-up tent. Would provide protection from insects when sleeping, some privacy, warmer than outside, can cook away from wind and rain.

Make the trailer even slightly bigger and more substantial than this and suddenly a small motorcycle makes more sense.

 

[Eskimo]

Something like this..

 

[spdas]

45 years ago I drove my "Vintage now" normal then, Austin mini Cooper S across Canada towing a gutted VW bus as a camper. Now that I am 66, thoughts of how "living on the edge" that was, scares the crap out of me.

francis

 

[sonnetg]

Maybe try something like this?

[youtube]ZiejAhol4Ps[/youtube]

 

[craneplaneguy]

That last one is the most practical and also the best bang for the buck rig I've seen yet on this thread, I mean I could actually see building one of those. Hard to imagine making it any lighter, most of the others are way too heavy. Insulated no less! Plus a nice bright interior, that guy does nice work. That curved roof cries out for flexible PV panels, and has enough surface area for several hundred watts, very cool.

I had a past home built plane rigged for sleeping in, I had a reading light, sky light for star watching, and cabin speakers for the panel mounted radio. I could turn the knobs (back when radios had knobs) with my toes. 6'3" of flat level bunk about 3' height. No tent needed, the main drawback was I had to pile everything inside outside for the evening, and then protect it from the weather.

 

[Eteck]

sonnetg video

It's a neat video. Would be easier with an Ebike to pull around.
If I were to do something like that, I think I would take effort to make the outside look real high tech and then stencil on the sides "NASA ENERGY LAB PROJECT" or similar, so people won't think you're a homeless bum as you travel on various sabbaticals.

 

[Dauntless]

Hey Dogman, what about if the kayak is over the tent like a hardtop?

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=73525

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=64586

And don't forget the ultimate: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=46792

 

[Eteck]

Dauntless - And don't forget the ultimate: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=46792

They have a bathtub and a small yard, I'm thinking next maybe a swimming pool for the yard.

 

[parajared]

I like that coroplast trailer sonnetg, yeah totally needs some solar panels.

I propose that you build it to look like a dumpster for stealth urban camping

 

[cal3thousand]

I like that coroplast trailer sonnetg, yeah totally needs some solar panels.

I propose that you build it to look like a dumpster for stealth urban camping

That would be awesome, but you would need to be well aware of the trash collection schedule in an area you try to stay, unless you like unnerving wake up calls