Re: Hybrid trailers

["Dennis Hawkins" <n4mwd@amsat.org>]

I'm not sure if I understood your post or not, but I think you were 
talking about using a standard ICE truck to pull a large trailer that 
had been equipped with an electric motor to provide power assist so 
that a small truck could pull it.  If that is so, then read on.

I toyed with the idea of replacing a camper trailer axle with a RWD 
differential and adding an electric motor.  The idea was to have an 
electrically assisted camping trailer so that my little Honda CRX 
could pull it.  I never got past the design stage because even though 
an electric motor on the camper wheels would provide for excellent 
accelleration, the horrible aerodynamics of the camper itself would 
make it virtually impossible for the CRX to maintain it at cruising 
speeds.

Thus, the project died before it got off the drawing board.  This 
isn't to say it won't work for you, but it's not going to work for a 
40 HP CRX.

Dennis.


On 31 Mar 2001, at 0:00, MR23 (Christopher M. Meier, Mpls, MN) wrote:

> A coworker has one of those large RV trailers, 

> Today I suggested he think
> about making a hybrid unit, where the RV trailer is
> converted to be a pusher-electric

Dennis Hawkins (n4mwd@amsat.org)