More powered bike trailer

[prState]

Random idea:

Bike trailer is filled with SLA batteries (series for 36, 48v?) to power motor on bike

Bike trailer uses seperate motor powered by cheap AA nimh rechargable batteries to negate the weight of the trailer and SLAs.

Result:
1. you don't get the drag of the trailer because of its own motor help
2. cheap AA batteries won't be trying to power the the weight of bike motor and rider, just the trailer
3. cheap and easily available SLA batteries won't weigh down your ride.

Drawbacks -- well you have to make a powered trailer of the kind described and also you still have the reduced capacity of SLAs.


**the reason I was thinking of this is the current realites of using AA batteries (they are so easy to get) and the cheapness of, and easy to get SLAs

 

[flecc]

No need to make one, they already exist!

One is a large load flat platform 20" wheel trailer with a standard Currie Electrodrive motor underslung inboard on the right hand wheel.

The other is a streamlined box trailer for bikes, trikes and recumbents, here seen with a 'bent trike. The motor and battery are in the lower half, the load carried in the top:

 

[giguana]

very nice! can you teleport with it? You might as well power the motor from the hub with the same batteries as the bike, is it for long range? without wanting to offer advice, if I was doing this myself I would just use a single strong crystalite motor ...although it brings up the question-has legislation thought of people with a motorised trailer?

 

[flecc]

That streamlined one is primarily intended to motorise the bike in fact, the trailer function being secondary. It's made by the Dutch Cab-bike company, who make velomobiles.

I think legislation isn't a problem here, since all UK cycle law with one exception refers to "bicycles, tricycles and bicycles with four or more wheels". Therefore, when fitted to a solo bike, that becomes a tricycle, and on a trike as here, it's a bike with four wheels.

The one legal exception is the Bridleways Act of 1964, which only refers to bicycles.
.

 

[kraeuterbutter]

look here: http://www.bobtec.de/img/IMG_0304.jpg
Motor in the bike (trike in this case),
batteries in the one-wheel-Trailer

or: http://www.bobtec.de/img/Extrawheel-E-Trailer_FN-Trike.jpg
same Trailer, but motor (Crystalyte 406) and batts (53Volt, 16Ah !) in the trailer

(wow -> with that battery there should be additional 150Watt of power for 5 continous hours !!
should be good for a bike-tour !)

for me the most beautiful trailer...
only 4.6kg light !!!
and with 28" wheel the roling-restistance should be minimal !
price: ~170 Euro

oh: the weight of the heavy batts is carried by ~100% by the one wheel..
so the wheel should have more traction like on other trailers were half of the weight is carried by the rear-wheel of the bike and so reducing the traction of the trailer-wheel