Sneak Peek - Delta Hauler

[TheKid]

Having had no sleep last night, I thought it'd be best if I just tack welded all the parts in place. My welds were getting sloppy, and worst of all, my 5" grinder quit. I have no flap discs for the 4" grinder, so I had to use a grinder wheel to clean up the welds.
When I decided to compromise and use the existing DW parts I had, I wanted to keep the spirit of the DW. I did raise the boom and the seat, and the seat is further forward so there won't be too much weight on the wheels when loaded. The cardboard on the flatbed is just to show the size. The bed will be fiberglass, and will extend past the front and rear of the wheels to serve as a base for wheelwells. There will also be a small trunk behind the axle and under the bed. The rear of the bed will be hinged to act as a trunk lid.


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z66/edpol_photos/Delta%20Hauler/000_0241Small.jpg


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z66/edpol_photos/Delta%20Hauler/000_0242Small.jpg



















When I dec

[trikeman]

Well done. As I think you said, it sure looks a lot like Brad's new Marauder, except for the luggage compartment, and the fact that is has 3 wheels.

[TheKid]

Actually, that was in reference to an idea I had last year to build a LWB tadpole based on the Meridian. I posted the drawings, and Brad was amazed. He had the same idea 7 years before. He even built it, and posted an old picture of it. So when Brad said the hauler sounds like the trikes he's designing now, it reminded me of the Meridian tadpole.

[SirJoey]

Lookin' good, bro. Looks like it's gonna be a comfy ride!

[TheKid]

Thanks guys. I just wish it was a bit shorter. That's one large turning radius. Since I raised the seat, maybe I'll be able to trim a few inches if the BB ends up further back. It's over 8' long from the front of the front wheel to the back of the rear wheels.
I may also make the flatbed removable for when I don't need it. I put all the other components on the seat and a test BB and crankset (Which weighs about a pound more than the crankset I'll be using) on the frame to check the weight. Without the flatbed, which will weigh close to 10 lbs with the fiberglass, it feels a lot lighter than the Streetfox, which is no surprise considering the Fox has 3 cranksets and a pretty heavy internal gear hub. When I get more time for mods, I'll correct that situation. The plan is to have a single chainwheel going to a 3 speed intermediate hub, and back to the 8 speed internal gear hub. I'm going to eventually eliminate the suspension, since I don't notice much of a difference with and without the rear suspension. That will make it a little lighter, and eliminate the need for any deraillers or chain tensioners. Most of the bumps I feel come from the front end of a tadpole, with or without rear suspension.
Another option I have for the hauler is to use 1 1/2" foam covered with epoxy and spandex for the flatbed, which would weigh far less than the fiberglass from the boat. At 16 gear inches, low gear should be low enough to carry 50 extra pounds, which is probably the most weight I'll be carrying.

[AtomicZombie]

Nice work, good design. Kudos to ya!

Brad

[TheKid]

Thanks Brad. I may take a chance and add a hub motor. They're illegal in my state, but being officially disabled, I may get away with calling it a wheelchair. The law describes a wheelchair as "Any wheeled vehicle, with or without an electric motor, that a disabled person uses to go place to place". This certainly qualifies. I'm disabled, it has wheels, and I'll use it to go place to place.
They're quite pricey, but I may go for the BionX 250Li. I don't need anything more than a boost now and then, so 250 watts should be adequate. The unit including batteries weighs only 14 lbs. Or I may go for the one with NIMH batteries, which is $300 cheaper and weighs 18 lbs.

[Doc Hollywood]

Well done. As I think you said, it sure looks a lot like Brad's new Marauder, except for the luggage compartment, and the fact that is has 3 wheels.


LOL, that statement reminds me of "My wife looks a lot like Cindy Crawford but she is shorter a little heavier and asian"

Nice design.

[n9viw]

If it's too long, have you considered making it a CLWB instead of an LWB? Take a foot or so out of the main boom, and attach it to the front with a bottom bracket. There, half DW, half Bandito, all parts hauler!

[TheKid]

That's a great idea for those able to ride a SWB.
But alas, for me the BB would be too high. I need a BB that's at least 6" lower than the seat. What I will do, is mount the BB under the boom, which will make it low enough for me to use longer cranks. Both those changes will move the BB rearward, and I'll see how much the boom can be shortened.