Lawn chair build

Joined
Sep 16, 2018
Messages
5
Location
Johnson City Tennessee
Currently I have turned two swagger 250 watt hub motors into a lawn chair mobile with whatever stuff I could find. Now I would like to purpose build a more capable lawn chair as myself at 165 lb has acquired a 100 lb german shepherd passenger who prefers riding on his walks. 800$ to spend. 25mph top speed. In mountains of Tennessee and would like to maintain 15-20 mph on all but the absolute steepest of hills with 300lbs if possible. 7-10 mile range minimum. Will be 4 wheels so 1, 2 or even 4 drive wheels is acceptable if there is advantages to 4 small motors, or 2 medium motors over one big one. I.e. overheating or other issues that having more than one motor is may alleviate. I assume the cost will be more for extra controllers etc. Most trips are 1 mile or less but I would like the option for longer treks. Regulation is not a big thing here in the mountains and I'm on the back roads. Good acceleration is a plus. Brakes either regenerative or some other form is needed. Included in the hub is best option. Cruise control would be nice option. Prefer well built reliable proven motors, controllers, batteries, battery manager. Also if it is possiblewithin budget to have excess potential in system to allow increase in power if warranted with minimal replacement of parts. I'm new and would prefer not to make the novice mistakes. Having tried to familiarize myself over the last week I only know that I don't know alot and many mistakes would ensue. Thanks for any suggestions.
 
You might want to look at my SB Cruiser trike thread for ideas. It was really built to carry Tiny, a 100lb St Bernard, and assorted cargo (groceries, etc).

It's been thru a lot of variations, but it's present one has hauled a piano in a trailer, and easily hauls one dog in the trike itself and another in the trailer. :)

The Raine Trike is a similar but smaller version.

You could probably get everything except a big battery (for range) that's capable of high continuous currents--you'll need that for hill and mountain climbing with a heavy load.

DD hubmotors can be more reliable than geared hubmotors, but the geared motors are more likely to be efficient at slower speeds up slopes. If you used a motor in every wheel, it'd spread the load across them so overheating is less likely.

A drive system that lets you shift gears for speed vs torque would be better, like some of the middrive systems both commercially sold and DIY types. You can even use DD or geared hubmotors mounted in the frame instead of the wheel for this, and use them to drive a chain to the wheel's gear cluster, and shift gears just like a regular bicycle to low gears for startups from a stop or going up hills, and higher gears for cruising along on the flats. Gets more complicated to make, though, and has more maintenance to do on it more regularly than mtoors in the wheels themselves.
 
fechter said:
You might consider getting a used mobility scooter and installing bigger motors.

https://www.leafbike.com/ - DIY Bike Conversion Kit - Selling small diameter hub motors. 300W and up, their 10" is 800W.

Or
https://electricscooterparts.com/motors.html
https://www.monsterscooterparts.com/mobility/mobility-categories/mobilitymotor


Feeling ambitious?
https://alienpowersystem.com/product-category/brushless-motors/
used forklift motors would pull/carry anything! - https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=used+forklift+motor&_sacat=0&_sop=15

Heck even an alternator could work as a motor, mind you I have no idea how much power they would give you. I have an alternator ready to go, but have not purchased a sensorLESS controller.....yet. Very simple to convert, its all over the internet.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xZkNkPe-Hxk/hqdefault.jpg
 
Dang, a lawn chair sounds like the ultimate red neck pickup truck, so it'll need a bed. Big enough on the self driving version for you to be in the back with a brewski, sitting on a---uh, yeah, a lawn chair.
 
Dauntless said:
lawn chair sounds like the ultimate red neck pickup truck, so it'll need a bed. Big enough on the self driving version for you to be in the back with a brewski, sitting on a---uh, yeah, a lawn chair.

Like these guys but electric-fried.
[youtube]lQtoa2y_qKY[/youtube]


OH! The tragedy of english class
https://youtu.be/kwDUSMMSpHc?t=118
 
markz said:
Dauntless said:
lawn chair sounds like the ultimate red neck pickup truck, so it'll need a bed. Big enough on the self driving version for you to be in the back with a brewski, sitting on a---uh, yeah, a lawn chair.

Like these guys but electric-fried.
[youtube]lQtoa2y_qKY[/youtube]


OH! The tragedy of english class
https://youtu.be/kwDUSMMSpHc?t=118

It's the recliner lounge version of chairhttps://photos.app.goo.gl/HDYUe5axHi81w1zb8
 
Dauntless said:
Dang, a lawn chair sounds like the ultimate red neck pickup truck, so it'll need a bed. Big enough on the self driving version for you to be in the back with a brewski, sitting on a---uh, yeah, a lawn chair.

I have a trailer for it for hauling rocks plants etc. Didn't want to make the post too long though.
 
Thank you for the suggestions. I've been in the woods so sorry for the delay on getting back. Would 2 1000 watt motors ran at 48 or 60 volts be enough to take 300 lbs up a pretty steep incline
 
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