Hybrid driven axle trailer.

[DesertJK]

I have been following this forum for a long time and researching about every type of trailer out there. The closest thing I can find to what I need is a Micro-lite Vymeron toy hauler with front bunks.
My basic need is that 2 can sleep in the trailer with 2 sport bikes or dirt bikes on board with out unloading anything and without looking like there are people sleeping in it.
My experience with other trailers has been that if it will fit down the road, and you are carefull, you can drag it. So even though the Vymeron is an enclosed toy hauler with a tandem axle, it only weights 1700 pounds empty. This trailer come close to what I want, but not quite. I am still considering a custom build hardside trailer.

I am sure some of you have seen old landrover trailer with a driven axle from the PTO. I have an idea of using a starter generator to create a driven axle hybrid trailer. It seems like a little push from the trailer could help from time to time, and powering the trailer wheels would definatly help backing it up stuff. With some of the new control stuff for electric car builders out now, I could do regenerative brakes and charge the batteries. Since the drive system on the trailer would only be used intermittantly off road, and since in most driving the trailer brakes are used quite a bit, there would always be charged batteries when I get to camp, or more often the race track or staging area.

I already hae a small trailer I can drag anywhere with my Jeep JK Unlimited Rubicon. I want to build this trailer to get me into remote desert areas, over snow covered 2 track, and some tighter forest roads for setting up a base camp. We race and ride in the desert, road race, and are planning on doing rally moto, as well as the pike peak hill climb next year. I like to go light, but want a fully enclosed trailer because there have been a lot of times we have had to sleep in rest areas or city streets.

 

[Hightechcoonass]

charging a battery....it is not worth the trouble...most people use the truck alternator to charge the trailer battery (via the trialer wiring).

I have been following this forum for a long time and researching about every type of trailer out there. The closest thing I can find to what I need is a Micro-lite Vymeron toy hauler with front bunks.
My basic need is that 2 can sleep in the trailer with 2 sport bikes or dirt bikes on board with out unloading anything and without looking like there are people sleeping in it.
My experience with other trailers has been that if it will fit down the road, and you are carefull, you can drag it. So even though the Vymeron is an enclosed toy hauler with a tandem axle, it only weights 1700 pounds empty. This trailer come close to what I want, but not quite. I am still considering a custom build hardside trailer.

I am sure some of you have seen old landrover trailer with a driven axle from the PTO. I have an idea of using a starter generator to create a driven axle hybrid trailer. It seems like a little push from the trailer could help from time to time, and powering the trailer wheels would definatly help backing it up stuff. With some of the new control stuff for electric car builders out now, I could do regenerative brakes and charge the batteries. Since the drive system on the trailer would only be used intermittantly off road, and since in most driving the trailer brakes are used quite a bit, there would always be charged batteries when I get to camp, or more often the race track or staging area.

I already hae a small trailer I can drag anywhere with my Jeep JK Unlimited Rubicon. I want to build this trailer to get me into remote desert areas, over snow covered 2 track, and some tighter forest roads for setting up a base camp. We race and ride in the desert, road race, and are planning on doing rally moto, as well as the pike peak hill climb next year. I like to go light, but want a fully enclosed trailer because there have been a lot of times we have had to sleep in rest areas or city streets.

 

[jcbrandon]

charging a battery....it is not worth the trouble...most people use the truck alternator to charge the trailer battery (via the trialer wiring).

Most folks don't have a big ol' starter motor pulling current from their trailer batteries.

Sounds like a pretty interesting concept. I'll be interested to see how it comes together.

 

[ntsqd]

I recall reading of such a drive system on a trailer that tackled the Rubicon a couple decades ago. I've no idea which of the then in publication magazines carried the story. My memory says that trailer used starter motors against ring gears at the wheels.

Switching 200-600 amps per motor via RC type ESC's is going to take many, many of them in parallel. Would likely be simpler and money ahead to look into DC powered EV controllers.

Would want to do the math, but SOP I think it's iffy as to if you could reasonably get enough gear reduction. Point of reference; the EV that CSU, Chico built had a fixed reduction ratio of ~10:1. Most of the time that you're starting in gear you're starting in first. With this set-up you won't have that reduction and possibly the ring & pinion reduction won't be in the drive system either. Could be a deal breaker, dunno.

A Ford 8" (not 8.8") or 9" would be the easiest axle that I can think of to couple a motor to the pinion gear due to their removable pinion carrier offering a pattern of bolts arrayed around the pinion shaft. GM 14bff's also offer this feature, but are a bit heavy for the job. The 8"s used to be somewhat common in electric service & golf carts. Find one of those and you've got all of the bits to couple a motor to a pinion gear.

 

[805gregg]

I have been following this forum for a long time and researching about every type of trailer out there. The closest thing I can find to what I need is a Micro-lite Vymeron toy hauler with front bunks.
My basic need is that 2 can sleep in the trailer with 2 sport bikes or dirt bikes on board with out unloading anything and without looking like there are people sleeping in it.
My experience with other trailers has been that if it will fit down the road, and you are carefull, you can drag it. So even though the Vymeron is an enclosed toy hauler with a tandem axle, it only weights 1700 pounds empty. This trailer come close to what I want, but not quite. I am still considering a custom build hardside trailer.

I am sure some of you have seen old landrover trailer with a driven axle from the PTO. I have an idea of using a starter generator to create a driven axle hybrid trailer. It seems like a little push from the trailer could help from time to time, and powering the trailer wheels would definatly help backing it up stuff. With some of the new control stuff for electric car builders out now, I could do regenerative brakes and charge the batteries. Since the drive system on the trailer would only be used intermittantly off road, and since in most driving the trailer brakes are used quite a bit, there would always be charged batteries when I get to camp, or more often the race track or staging area.

I already hae a small trailer I can drag anywhere with my Jeep JK Unlimited Rubicon. I want to build this trailer to get me into remote desert areas, over snow covered 2 track, and some tighter forest roads for setting up a base camp. We race and ride in the desert, road race, and are planning on doing rally moto, as well as the pike peak hill climb next year. I like to go light, but want a fully enclosed trailer because there have been a lot of times we have had to sleep in rest areas or city streets.

Park in the flats and ride your bikes to the hard parts.

 

[ntsqd]

I can't haul my kitchen on my bike. :sombrero:

 

[Ozrockrat]

What about hydraulic drives

Have you considered using a battery driven hydraulic pump with 2 wheel motors? Think skidsteer loader but smaller.

No experience but just an off the wall thought.

 

[DesertJK]

Not really even sure I will ever do this, or if I do, if it will work. I thought I would throw it out to the forum and see what ideas came out of it.
I can see this helping if say I was trying to turn the trailer around and had to back up a bank or over a ditch. Push the power button and the trailer can climb up and over an obstacle rather than forcing it over with the tow rig.

I have been bogged down in snow and mud before by the trailer when I was not able to keep momentum, just push the trailer drive button and get a little push.
I have though for a while that a simple electric motor drive would make a lot of sense, but just recently had the idea of it having regenerative braking.

I have had to unhitch a trailer before and push, winch, and persuade it around corners and over obstacles. If it had an e-drive system installed I could have guided the tounge with a rear winch and powered it over the obstacle on battery like a big 3 wheeler.

That brings me to my other idea and question. Has anyone used a big pneumatic tire on the tounge jack so the trailer can roll and be moved better in dirt?

Someone asked why we don't park on the flats and ride to the hard stuff. We do that. The stagging areas for races are very motorhome and big toy hauler freindly. I was thinking of this mainly for when the trailer is used as a mobile x country ski lodge or on trips though the desert the don't really invlove the bikes, or maybe just the trials bikes which only have a 25 miles range or so.

 

[Feileod]

If you are wanting to use this feature for independent movement around camp and the such, why not use a setup similar to the push carts used in automotive shops or buggie pushers at grocery stores. The are pretty simple, stater motor gear/sproket with chain and a really simple free wheel disconnect for moving around the shop, the real bulk of it the frame to hold the batteries.

 

[UpOvr]

hydraulic pump mounted off of the pto of the t-case, hi pressure lines w/ quick connects at the tongue that feed two hydraulic motors on the trailer. maybe use a hub w/ built in reduction like on a lot of light duty equipment...basically would be a wet kit found on many big rigs to run stuff on their trailers. either way it would be $$ unless you had the junk laying around.

 

[66gaza]

You can get caravan/trailer movers that are electric motors that drive knurled wheel that pushes on the outside of the tyre, you can get them that are auto engaged aswell as manual engaged/disengaged they are remote controlled so could be used as you describe and also to move the trailer when it is not hitched.

Gaza

 

[FotoValpen]

Sounds interesting! Good luck.

Maybe my thread can give you some ideas. I have a PTO driven trailer for my Volvo Laplander.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23852

Can you not take a PT case like what I have and do a similar setup with your truck and have a PTO on the rear bumper?

 

[headdamage]

http://www.landrover.vlothuizen.nl/show/list/7041-1.html

 

[GeoScum]

All very interesting and cool. As far as practicality is involved, you don't see all that many driven trailers even in farming, road construction and logging. They exist, to be sure, but there are many down sides to such systems.

 

[FotoValpen]

Downsides?