I rode it - i liked it!

[AtomicZombie]

Had the LodeRunner out for the first ride, and it was great. Although the wind was crazy today, and I am out of shape, the trike was actually very easy to ride. The full gear range and 20 inch rear wheels made hill climbs super easy, and the boat seat is perfect.

Now I will work on a trunk box that can simply drop on the flatbed for carrying groceries or a large beer cooler and small BBQ. You know, all things that are important to a lazy garage hacker!

So here it is...

For those who want to carry cargo, see eye-2-eye with traffic, climb massive hills, experiment with electric, I give you the LodeRunner...

http://www.lucidscience.com/temp/lrunner-10.jpg

Easy to get into, great for larger riders, and the flatbed can be adapted to carry just about any cargo up to 400 pounds. This vehicle has dual rear disc brakes, an optional front parking brake, and is perfect for a hubmotor or larger DC motor drive in the rear.

All parts are common cycle parts with the exception of the small machined freehub adapter.

Plans will be ready in a few days along with the Marauder Reloaded!

Brad

[dmaddalena]

You da man!
I was just fixin' to start StreetFighter to pull a four wheel "gooseneck" style trailer, but it looks like LodeRunner will be better suited for this task. I'm planning a 1,000# capacity for the trailer, so will probably explore hub motor options.

[trikeman]

For fear of being thought a weight-weenie, I hesitate to even ask how much that thing weighs :D

I often ride one of my bikes to the grocery store, and it sure would hold more than my backpack. I am very fortunate to have 2 grocery stores on my rails-to-trail bike path, both within 10 miles or less. I usually chain my bike to a large light-pole in the parking lot, but I have to life it up onto the grassy area over a curb to get it close enough.

[dmaddalena]

It's still in the design phase, but I figure around 40# for the tubing. Less than 50# is what I'm shooting for. The design calls for 1 1/2" tubing, but I wonder if I could get away with 1"? Cargo area will be 3' x 5 or 6', with plywood deck and I'm hoping to use 4 20" wheels. I'm still working out what wheel configuration would be best, dually, or in line. I'm worried about lateral forces while turning with in line. http://hpv.tricolour.net/organ-trailer.html This guy has in line wheels and claims he has hauled a half ton, but I notice he did colapse his wheels and he only had a load of empties at the time.

I'll be using it to haul much lighter loads than the capacity, mostly within a mile radius. However, once a month I'll need to haul feed, about a 6 mile round trip and all FLAT. The SWMBO is from your part of the country, so I understand the distances you are talking about to the store and the HILLS!

[trikeman]

Since my DW weighs in the mid 50 lbs, I will be surprised if you guys can build a 1/2 ton payload machine that will be that light. Of course there isn't much more steel on the back of the lode runner than my DW. I think you may need to beef up the wheels some to carry 250 pounds on each of them.

We look forward to seeing it.

[AtomicZombie]

Here are the stats...

total weight = 78 pounds
wheelbase = 75 inches
total length = 100 inches
track width = 29 inches

Brad

[dmaddalena]

Brad,
Two questions if I might.
1. What is the distance from the axle plane to the back of the vehicle?
2. What is the distance from the ground to the top of the cargo bed?
Thx,
Dan

[AtomicZombie]

1) From the axle center to rear of the frame is 19 inches.
2) From the ground to the top of the flatbed is 17 inches.

Brad


Brad,
Two questions if I might.
1. What is the distance from the axle plane to the back of the vehicle?
2. What is the distance from the ground to the top of the cargo bed?
Thx,
Dan

[dmaddalena]

Thx. From the pics I had it figured 15" and 20". Missed by 3 inches both ways.
Dan

[dmaddalena]

Here is what I had in mind for a "Gooseneck" trailer for the LodeRunner. After further calculations it looks like 70# will be a more realistic weight than my original 50# guess. If I load for a tongue weight of 100#, then each wheel will need to handle 242.5#. I think I'll build it with 1" tubing and do some progressive testing. Even if I end up with half the GVW I want I'll have a neat little trailer!

I see some new bikes now have 96 spoke wheels. I assume with twice the spokes these should be twice the strengh?

[trikeman]

dmad - I know its only a bicycle trailer, so I am not sure how critical it is, but on a lot of small utility trailers for cars and trucks instead of attaching the two front diagonal members that go to the hitch at the corners, they run them back a bit and weld them at 4 places instead of 2. It makes the trailer stronger. Just something to think about. See the mods in red and the 4 weld points. You would also have to modify the height of the tongue attachment slightly to do it.

http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DeltaWolf/Mod.JPG

[dmaddalena]

Trikeman-good idea. I'll just need to raise the front section of the siderail 3" to incorporate this into the design.

[trikeman]

A lot of light-weight trailer design investigation has been done by folks that build teardrop camping trailers. The Australian government also publishes design rules that help you determine a trailer's load carrying capacity. You can find some links here to get you started:

http://www.angib.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/teardrop/tear84.htm

[dmaddalena]

Thank you sir!:D