Festiva brain-storm of the decade!

[bobstad]

How about a motorized trailer house?

I'd use a beam axle, such as on an Aspire or Festiva; though maybe from a rig whose wheel bearings were more substantial.

Someone would make spacer hubs between the rims and the brake hubs, with motorcycle belt pulleys to connect to electric drive motors from some sort of a hybrid, also with the same size motorcycle belt pulleys; mounted on the frame of the trailer so sprung weight.

With some high-tech rechargeable batteries the trailer would power itself; so no extra weight for the car to tow.

I got the idea after listening to a radio show on NPR about a car using high tech batteries now being developed for the London bus trade, which drove the length of North America from top to bottom; getting about five hundred miles on a charge.

I don't know if this would be very feasible; though the idea of a third wheel right behind the Festiva in the middle which swiveled to keep any weight off the back of the car, would also be handy for moving the trailer around without the car attached. Which with genius could perhaps be designed to be driven on the road all by itself in a pinch?

The things a person does laying in bed wondering how to live on the road with a puppet theater and some companions. Yippie!

[bobstad]

fooey; no one has anything to say?

Guess I'll have to be patient; and hope the slide rule crowd here gets a hint of this on the wind somehow?

The idea is pretty evolved in some ways; sort of a chore to describe after hours working on an old thread's new posts in the off-topic forum today. I emailed a friend the ideas a few days ago; so I'll look those up to add to this thread, fairly soon. A few days or so; along that order at least, a week, two of those...whatever.

Pretty crafty stuff as far as above the trailer's frame; and the details of the mechanics as described in this thread's initial post.

Take care Festivites. Hey, has Festivus com and gone this year? You all need to see my aluminum pole; really long and skinny, a whip like one probably only suitable for use out of doors.

[jamesmc]

It's actually an interesting idea. An immediate issue I imagine would be to make both the engine, and the motor do exactly the same thing, at exactly the same time. Here's an interesting article about a dual-engine Honda CRX. The article says that they had no issues, but they used identical engines with identical transmissions.

It would most likely be easier (and cheaper) to swap in a BP, and tow a normal trailer.

[bobstad]

Sure you understood?

It's actually an interesting idea. An immediate issue I imagine would be to make both the engine, and the motor do exactly the same thing, at exactly the same time. Here's an interesting article about a dual-engine Honda CRX. The article says that they had no issues, but they used identical engines with identical transmissions.

It would most likely be easier (and cheaper) to swap in a BP, and tow a normal trailer.

The motors driving the wheels on the trailer house would be entirely electric; so perhaps I've been unclear, or inaccurate myself about how hybrids work? I thought they had electric motors which drove the wheels while the car's engine created the necessary electricity.

Yeah, I think that is a little more complex; now that I try to imagine more accurately what say a Prius does. The little Hondas also come to mind that get such phenomenal gas milage. I guess their motors drive the car's wheels normally with some sort of electrical motor assisting that?

My concept of the trailer itself is one to be built entirely from scratch, stylized and attractive enough that I'd want to have that well realized; and when not in use, I like the standard Festiva's economical gas milage which any larger motor would likely reduce.

Part of the concept of a self-powered trailer is to not in any fundamental way have the Festiva doing more than normal work as if without a trailer, while the tow rig; so really like one of those articulated city buses which are really long, for instance. I've a machinist/welder friend in mind to create the whole mechanical end once the designs are getting firmed up; who'd probably then contribute a lot of his own creativity.

If the trailer's powered wheels were all-electric; I'd think accurately enough matching them to the car's performance would be a cinch if a person knew what they were up to. Some sort of a rheostat adjusting itself constantly to the car's speed; once accurately calibrated. Is my simpleton's way of expressing things.

Balls, I'm tired; and need to get to a whole bunch of other things, so if I'm not back here real soon I'll try to make sure to do so eventually.

The trailer house itself is envisioned as an ultra-light; eight feet long and six wide, with sort of a hooped structural shape above the belt line. Say like a covered wagon only slightly conical to be aerodynamic, since in line behind the Festiva's roof-rack's somewhat similar if smaller space. The roof-rack would double as sleeping quarters; and one, two or more of the puppeteer's stations. For a dual puppet stage combining screen puppets and marionettes, which would be on the back of the Festiva.

That also could be easily detached, as the trailer house could be unhitched, and either used independent of the car; in certain ways. Lots and lots of day dreaming had already gone into the idea of the roof-rack plan; built onto the two halves of one of those fairly common rolled metal futon frames. That I've long used as a regular roof-rack; which can haul a very large load.

In the final analysis, as far as economy; for a project such as this, the "cool" factor is also worth some weight in an equation. I guess the real difficulty is in finding the two electric motors, one for each wheel of the two wheeled trailer; which would be most appropriate. Then also the best batteries, to drive the electric motors. I envisioned the batteries being charged off the power-grid while the trailer is stationary; just as an all electric car would have to be. Perhaps something more exotic using the Festiva as the power source to charge the trailer's batteries could be imagined; though probably a lot more juice than even a far more powerful alternator than stock could provide. Unless the car were stationary.

[crazyrog17]

You had me until puppets.

[nitrofarm]

What did you just say?

How about a motorized trailer house?


The things a person does laying in bed wondering how to live on the road with a puppet theater and some companions. Yippie!

No offense, but your last sentence.Kind of makes me think that I'm not as weird as my kids say I am :eeeeeek:

[Movin]

regen trailer brakes..solar roof, fold up wind-gen, recyled hybrid car battery, goose neck
roof hitch, turbo 1.3 on CNG / E85, 5sp, 12"narrowed steelies running scooter tires
Trailer would also have to be mini toy hauler, fully equpped with AC all the good stuff
like this 900# one.