Electric Bikes - Thinking of a cargo trailer to carry my batteries and stuff

I have a 48v 1000w rear wheel kit.

Since I am gonna run SLA batteries (4) 12v 20AH SLA = 53lbs :twitchy: I thought a trailer would be nice to haul my batteries around. I could even carry other stuff, a cooler with food & drinks, extra tubes, pump and a small toolbox for on the road repairs. Maybe even (4) smaller 12v 12AH SLA = 30lbs as a battery backup :thumb:

I see these units on ebay for about $100.

# Steel w/solid bottom,
# Trailer weight 35lbs
# Max loading : 180lb
# Size: 29 1/2" long x 24" wide x 14" high
# Tire size 16"(Dia) x 2.125"

http://www.aosom.com/ebay/pic/5664-0005y/1.jpg

That's a nice looking trailer and $100 seems like a great price. SLAs are definitely more cost effective.

Consider placing the rear wheel motor, or two, on the cargo trailer. Unhitch and you still have a regular bike. SLAs are good since the push trailer needs the weight for traction. Just a thought.

How about a Bob or Yak trailer? They much narrower...

Powered trailers are weird - they can jacknife on you if not paying attention.

Hitch mount under the seat provides better turning radius than off the rear axle.

Throw a generator on there too and you would have tri-power hybrid.

Or I can find a used Instep and mod it by putting a plywood top on it. I see them on craigslist for $30 to $40 bucks.

http://www.instep.net/productImagesBikes/167large-1.jpg

Not to poo on your parade but unless you really need to haul more then your batteries why not put the trailer money toward a good lipo4 pack. A 24v 20ah lipo4 pack only weighs around 14lbs. and you can easily carry that on your bike and 1 lipo4 pack will go as far or futher then those 2 SLA packs. I know I've done it. Here's how I carried 2 24v 18ah packs on my old bike before going lipo4. Actually if I use this bike I still carry the lipo4 packs (2 - 24v 20ah) the same way. They give me me a 50+ mile range. Do you need more then that? http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp49/go4it2/PA020018_Small-1.jpg

I would love a LiFePO4 but I have a 48v 1000w kit and a 20ah 48v LiFePO4 battery are about $500+ on ebay. :cry: My wife would filp if I spent that kind of $$$. I think I need to wait till LiFePO4's come down in price.

Yeah, we all know that problem. I just thought the cost of the SLAs + the trailer would be about as much as the lipo4 pack. Keep in mind the life capasity of the SLA vs. the lipo4 isn't even close. I started with the SLA packs and now realize I made a boo boo. Of course it all depends on how much you pay for ether and how you use them. I am very kind to all my packs and they have held up well for me including the SLAs. By teh way my 2 - 24v 18ah packs that I was carrying on that bike is the same as your talking about carrying and they worked fine on the crotch bar. But now i wish I had a small trailed to carry my dog with me.

lifpo packs are the most cost affective packs around. You just have to show your wife the math and hope for the best.

A heavy SLA pack is going to add more wieght to your bike. It will wear your brakes faster and decrease braking performance. It will also decrease your kit performance. SLA doesnt last very long either. When you look at everything and figure in your cost to maintain a heavier e-bike and the cost of replacing batteries the Lifpo packs get even more attractive with the extra long life span. Adding a trailer is going to eat tons of battery. You have to carry it everyplace you go if you mount batteries on it. There is a big difference from going to the store with a trailer in tow and going for a ride. A trailer completely changes the ride of the bike. You can often get stuck riding the sidewalk on streets with streetside parking. Most bike trails are not very trailer friendly either. All to often poles of sorts are installed at trail intersections to keep vehicles out.

What jerseyebiker said. I thought about a trailer for my Rans Stratus LWB bent eBike, then realized I'd need a locomotive engineer's license to operate it :(

I'm still thinking about a Rans Cruze with a push trailer though, should be stealthy and SLA-friendly.

I think I will skip the trailer and get smaller 12AH SLA's and mount on the bike. Something like this...

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww201/bud91016/ebike/Dsci0184a.jpg