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March 16 The Arcturus CamperCycle Project Finally, after five years of planning and three trial attempts at a frame, the Arcturus CamperCycle is ready to be built. The new version will be a three wheeled vehicle with two wheels up front and one in the back so that it can take on a teardrop shape with maximum aerodynamics. Being a trike also makes it legal as an electric assisted bicycle so there will be no problem driving it on the street. Make no mistake, this is a full sized motor home, not a coffin on wheels, so it will sleep two or more people comfortably and have the same size interior and amenities that any small motor home would have. Before I dig into the technical details, have a look at this huge pile of notebooks from the past few years that have included many of the design incantations of Arcturus. Original concepts had a side-by-side tandem tadpole trike pulling a large trailer unit, and I went as far as building the actual trike before realizing that the weight of the trailer would require a more robust and electric assisted trike to pull it. The truck and trailer idea was scrapped is it just did not seem as cool as an all in one motor home style unit that you could just pedal onto a campground and park. Another version was tried by extending the frame of our KyotoCruiser sociable delta trike by 10 feet in order to build a camper area in the back. Although the base vehicle did work very well, it became clear that suspension was needed on all wheels and something more robust than bicycle wheels would be needed in order to carry the entire weight plus deliver the powerful electric assist to the road. Another version of the delta frame was built using 2 inch square tubing and was designed to use 16 inch trailer wheels and brakes. Again, the design become complex because of steering and transmission issues between the human input and electric power, so a completely new design was needed. Bored one night, I dug through five years of notes to realize that a very early concept was probably the best all around - one that used a Jeep front differential of all things.   You might think a Jeep differential would be overkill for a human/electric hybrid vehicle, but the design is actually perfect. A "Dana-30" differential only weighs about 150 pounds and includes a front wheel drive system with included Ackerman and center point steering, disc brakes on both sides, and a perfect gear reduction system to connect directly to the PMG-132 electric motor I plan to use. By adapting the battery pack directly to the differential, it also carries 75% of the vehicle weight on wheels that were designed for the task, so in reality, the rest of the camper can be made of lightweight high tech composites. The Jeep differential, motor, controller, and all batteries will be a single "power unit" ready to drive, brake, and steer the entire vehicle. As for human input, I plan to have each rider pedal a single home built axial flux generator so that power will be fed directly into the drive bank with very little loss. When parked, the human powered generator can be used to "top up" the battery banks for all night LED lighting when power is scarce. Roof mounted solar cells will also aid in charging the banks when the camper is parked. With the PMG-132 motor running from one of two onboard 48 volt packs, the range of the vehicle will be about 100 kilometers at speeds legal for an electric assist bicycle. Having two battery banks makes more sense as the efficiency of the motor is almost 95% at 48 volts, and a large shunt switch can swap banks to keep them from running too low. Since all of the transmission and drive system is all self contained at the front with the differential, a simple motorcycle swing arm and suspension will be used at the rear of the vehicle.     That's all for now. As soon as the snow melts and I can source a Jeep Dana-30 differential, I will begin working on Arcturus and documenting every single step. I think a full sized human/electric motor home with a range of 100 kilometers is just what the world needs as gas prices skyrocket out of control and waist lines bulge! I also look forward to hearing from the many talented garage hackers out there as this project progresses, so please drop in and say hello - http://forum.atomiczombie.com !

 

CycleBully Electric Trailer

The CycleBully Electric Trailer is a robust multipurpose cargo trailer that can easily adapt to any bike, trike or quadcycle. The CycleBully is aptly named because its main job is to “push you around.” Even loaded with 200 pounds of groceries, the CycleBully will happily propel you and your cycle up to speeds close to city traffic, or blast you up a hill so steep you would normally have to walk your bike up.The CycleBully will also perform all of these chores silently without emitting pollution, and at only pennies per charge. The CycleBully is an easy project to complete, requiring only basic bicycle parts, and any electric hubmotor kit of your choice. Because hubmotor kits are “plug and play”, there is no need to be an electrician or electronics wizard to install all of the components. The frame is very simple, and includes a suspension system as well as a detachable hitch that can adapt to anything on wheels in seconds. As for tools and skills, you will only require a basic welder, angle grinder and a few small lengths of steel tubing. Even a beginner can put together the CycleBully in a weekend or two. Instant download only $ 16.95!

 

DeltaRunner Recumbent Trike

The DeltaRunner Recumbent Trike is a comfortable and rugged all-purpose human powered trike designed to combat the ever increasing price of gasoline, while at the same time giving its pilot a great low impact workout. Because the seat is at a height similar to that of an automobile, the DeltaRunner is easy to get into and puts you at eye level with many motorized vehicles on streets and roads. The DeltaRunner is light, fast, and handles like a dream due to the long wheelbase configuration, 26 inch wheels, and front suspension. The DeltaRunner includes a full range of speeds and a rear disc brake for optimal stopping power. The steering system is comfortable and natural, with nothing to obstruct your legs or you view so you can pedal the DeltaRunner just like you would pedal a regular bicycle. Instant download only $ 16.95!