Advocacy & Safety - Slow-moving Vehicle

I think this forum is probably the best to come to for this type of advice.

I had a crazy idea yesterday. Let me first start out by saying that I live with 2 guys, we all know what we're doing mechanically, one is even a mechanical engineer, so he's "qualified". That's not the part I'm worried about.

I have this hideous couch. We don't want it, but neither does anyone else. The cushions are nigh-on ruined. I had a thought a few weeks ago to turn it into a couch-cycle, and go cruising through campus on it. Yesterday, I remembered my dream of roadtripping with my friends, and my other dream of bike touring. My thoughts turned to the couch, but that was simply not grandiose enough. So after a late night, I have some basic plans for an RVcycle, with 3-5 stations for pedalling, a bed in the back, etc.

So, I don't think it will go very fast. It will need to be able to go up hill, after all. And it will be big, bigger than many cars. I figure this forum knows more than any of the others about slow-moving vehicle laws. I think that as long as I have proper lighting, the orange flags, and a dot-yellow "slow-moving vehicle" sign on the back, I should be fine, right? I could think up a way to rig brake lights, but I don't think they're necessary from a safety standpoint, and they would be a hassle.

Like this?
http://www.bikeroute.com/Recumbents/News/Archives/000011.html
Or this?
http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/misc/couchbike.html
How about a rickshaw?
http://www.digave.com/couch/
Another one
http://transportation.hackaday.com/entry/1234000463073455/

Why start with a couch - I know you have it. But it's heavy. You need a light frame. I would start by writing down what I want. how many 1) peddelers 2)Will one or more be sleeping while others are peddeling, 3) what kind of amenities refer?, stove?.

Then design the shape to accomplish the above and be aero and light. Might be an interesting project.

Good luck
Joe

Why start with a couch - I know you have it. But it's heavy. You need a light frame. I would start by writing down what I want. how many 1) peddelers 2)Will one or more be sleeping while others are peddeling, 3) what kind of amenities refer?, stove?.

Then design the shape to accomplish the above and be aero and light. Might be an interesting project.

Good luck
Joe

Oh, I'm not using the couch, it was just a leaping point. The couchbike has already been done, part of my inspiration to move on to bigger and better. Most likely it will be built out of cro-mo bike frames that I sacrifice.

Does anyone know the rules on state highways for slow-moving vehicles? They'll be the way we'll get around, most likely.

I would start with Chapter 7
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/tn.toc.htm

This might also be useful:
http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/laws.html

There's a bunch more just do a search for Texas traffic laws, or whatever state(s) you think you might be pedaling through.:)

http://www.bikeforest.com/cb/index.php

enjoy

You mean like the Busycle (http://www.busycle.com/) or the Rhoades Car (http://www.rhoadescar.com/)?

Thanks for this thread, it came at just the right time! We're taking a vacation soon, flying to a former city of residence with our kids, and several of my wife's friends have jokingly asked if we're renting bikes instead of a car when we get there. So I sent them a few of these links to let them know what we're really thinking about! ;)

You mean like the Busycle (http://www.busycle.com/) or the Rhoades Car (http://www.rhoadescar.com/)?

More like the busycle, but probably (definitely) not as fancy. Also, there'd be room for non-pedallers, since we could theoretically sleep, rest, eat, and pedal in shifts.

http://www.bikeforest.com/cb/index.php

enjoyyeah, that is insane! I wonder what the officer thought when he was pulling it over."what the...?" :D