1854sailor
Resident Curmudgeon
Someone had to do it...
An e-Golf will NOT let you move while a charger is connected to the power inlet port. I just want a battery pack on a trailer inside a Thule box that I can utilize like a rolling DC Fast Charger... Sure, dragging it along will decrease some range, but having more capacity and the ability to plug in anywhere I want to stop...Whether any of the factory made EV's actually allow you to charge on the go is another matter.
An e-Golf will NOT let you move while a charger is connected to the power inlet port...
An e-Golf will NOT let you move while a charger is connected to the power inlet port.
That guy made that many many years ago, it has plenty of miles on it and he's had no issues. That guy is a master tinkerer!As cool as that setup is, a pusher trailer seems sketchy as hell.
I used to think that, but I've tied notably to come up with a scenario where it could get unpredictable and out of control and I really can't. I'm all ears if you want have thought of a specific scenario where it could lose control.I can see things get squirrelly pretty easily with a rig like that...
I used to think that, but I've tied notably to come up with a scenario where it could get unpredictable and out of control and I really can't. I'm all ears if you want have thought of a specific scenario where it could lose control.
OCTranspo (Ottawa City Transportation) bought a whole bunch of articulated buses a while back, these buses are essentially a 4 wheeled vehicle with a permanently attached trailer. These particular buses have the engine all the way at the back driving essentially the "trailer" wheels. Now, for those perhaps not familiar with Canadian geography, Ottawa gets pretty cold in winter, and they get the occasional snowstorm. And then, hilarity ensues ...I used to think that, but I've tied notably to come up with a scenario where it could get unpredictable and out of control and I really can't. I'm all ears if you want have thought of a specific scenario where it could lose control.
This is entirely different though, sure, the trailer hitch/ball is being pushed on by the trailer in both scenarios, but that is where the similarity ends. The massive difference between backing up a trailer and this trailer pushing the car is that the car getting pushed is going the opposite direction.Dynamically, it seems somewhat similar to the difference between pulling a trailer forward and pushing back it in reverse.
I’ve often wondered what caused that accident. He wasn’t overloaded, no idiot oncoming traffic, perfect more or less conditions, not speeding.
He really is, I ran into him once in Salem and he told me all about it, and lots of stories of using it. It's one of the coolest home projects I've ever seen. The full engine controls and gauges inside the EV were really amazing.That guy is a master tinkerer!
With trailer brakes it can be stopped really quick by applying just the trailer brakes, without trailer brakes you have to give it a bit of gas to "pull it straight", but often times when you have a system that is tending toward chaos, adding more energy to the system is scary and/or counterintuitive, or impossible due to constraints of the road or the presence of other vehicles...From your description, it was almost certainly a very low or even negative tongue weight scenario from improper loading. With a negative tongue weight you get that sort of powerful swaying action that can't be stopped and will eventually spin the whole rig... terrifying.
So rad you met him! He's a legend in my mind! I used to read a lot of his posts on the IDI forum many years ago, he abruptly quit posting there at one point, which was a real bummer.He really is, I ran into him once in Salem and he told me all about it, and lots of stories of using it. It's one of the coolest home projects I've ever seen. The full engine controls and gauges inside the EV were really amazing.
I've had a similar problem with my TDI forgetting to fill-up or waiting for a good deal on diesel. I've gotten into my car needing to get somewhere quickly but only had 1/8th a tank or ~90 miles of range.ever wonder if you have an emergency in the middle of the night to use the car and cant because batt is not fully charged yet BUT.
I have a great fix for range in these over priced golf carts: Rip out the idiotic electric stuff and nstall an ALH drivetrain. Works great in summer and a HELL of a lot better at -30.