Electric Trailer Dolly
Sept 22 - 2010
Tonight I got the ball on and did a test push of the trailer. Slow as I thought it would be but strong. In pic 2 you can see that I positioned the ball slightly forward of the axle but I still have to pull up on the handles to balance. I will have to raise ball or move it forward.
Youtube -- crapy night vid - will do a better day vid when I get bugs worked out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WECLQGh09oI
Oct 3.
It has been a while since my last post. I was sick from Sunday to Tues with that sinus cold. then the rest of the week was to busy trying to get other things done. Got back to doing stuff yesterday. Last Utube vid part 4 showed enough power but slow and no traction. I installed a drive sprocket the same size as the on the winch, this really helped with the speed but the winch took a big power hit. and of cousre this mod did nothing for traction as it was not intended to.
I did some research and it looks like nothing less then a 3000lb winch should be used. I went out today and picked up at utility winch for 129$ from CrapyTire. The specs are good, they had another 3000lb winch for 99$ but the specs were only half of this on for speed and power.
This will effectively double the power... I hope!! Definitely will be a big improvement. The 1500lb winch moved the trailer up the but just barely.
I also picked up some new rims and tires - got the rims for 10$ for the pair and the tires I got new for 30$ from CrapyTire.
So....... now that I have a new winch and new wheels - the wife just says to start over and make it from scratch. I was think of doing another one anyway so might as will get it done now! So far I have about 100$ and 15hrs of time invested, maybe 20 when I add battery rack and paint. I charge myself 10$ /hr for doing work for myself - so if I get 250$ - 300$for this I will be happy.
So that is the plan, I will put this one up for sale after I get it back to gether, add a battery rack and paint it. My trailer is around 1700lb, if i am not mistaken, so I will sell this tug rated at 1200 pounds for level ground.
I may just buy the plans on the internet -- will see - hope to have a new post next weekend when I get back from camping
Latest Ytube vid:
| FrankenTug Electric Trailer Dolly Part5 | |
Cheers
Patrick
Below pic - this tire will now be going on the all new tug! It was fun working on this and I learned alot. This one will make someone a good little tug once battery rack is added an all painted up.
Nov 8 2010
It has been a while for this - I got busy with a 2 moves at work and a 3rd coming up - also was building a blowout booth for work so not alot of time for things of my own.
Last week I started making hub adapters for the new tires to go on the FrankenTug. I had at one point thought of starting from scratch when I got the new tires but time constrants did not allow. The hub adapters alow for the depth of the tire as well as convert 3 lug to 4 lug with the new rims.
I also added a battery carrier and for using with my other smaller utility trailer.
Final results - improved but not what I was hoping for. Works ok on the driveway - but once the trailer hits grass the weight is just to much and the FT looses traction. A super lug tire is diffinitely needed for traction.
I used the FT to move the small utililty trailer in and out of the back yard a few times loaded with stuff like 8 winter tires and it moves fine until I hit the top of the hill and the tires started to slip in the wet grass. But it did make it up.
Nov 22 2010
Well folks, I gave up. Do to time restriction I had to put this poject aside. I took the trailer upto my brothers for the winter. I will revisit this project in the spring. ans sorry, I did not make a 3 video
The two main issues with this design is traction and stability. The traction I think can be take care super lug style tires.
As for the stability! I tug will pull(tip) itself forward or backward under the intense weight of the trailer whent he trailer does not move. I have rear the third rear wheel to stabalize going forward but not backward(thats what the long bar is there for - to step on!). The is also a side load issue - I found when turning sharp down the slope of the driveway that the weight of the trailer and its momentum will tip the tug.
The parkit360 people get around the stability issue with the collar that gets tightened up against the lip of the trailers receiver. Thus their tugs stay aprx 90 degrees to the trailers receiver no matter which direction. I will think over the winter on how to duplicat this feature as it is a very good one.
And again - It is my recommendation not to build out of an old snow blower - two many hurdles to get over as compared to doing from scratch. I found these plans on the internet - looks like a good solid build and I may end up getting them myself -but adding my own tweaks to it :>)
Have a good winter.
