should I build a pedicab trailer ???

[azbill]

I am pulling my 2 granddaughters (3.5yrs + 5.5yrs) in a common 2 seater childrens trailer
I have been pulling them in one for 4+ years...3 with an engine (well over 6000 miles)
now they are getting bigger and I need suggestions or ideas on how to upsize their ride
I take both to school mon-fri and return home with youngest (I live with them and babysit while mom n dad are working)
should I think of a train type deal (2 trailers in tandem)?
or maybe a scaled down pedicab ?

any links to designs would be cool as well...so i can pick stuff that'll work for my needs

thanks for any help guys

 

[KilroyCD]

I'm not sure a tandem deal might be the way to go, as there's a weight penalty to be paid with two trailers. In my opinion, the pedicab idea has more merit, and would be the way I'd go. Here's another thought, though it might incur the same kind of weight penalty as a tandem trailer arrangement, but how about a building a sidecar for one child, while towing the trailer with the other riding in it?

 

[bluegoatwoods]

You get to ride your grandkids to school everyday?

Man, some guys have all the luck.

When my girls outgrew my trailer I cut out all the fabric covering and the sling seats, etc. Stipped it right down to the frame. Laid some boards across the bottom to make a floor. (This is my cargo trailer today, by the way) For a new seat I used one of those fold up, fabric arm chairs for camping that you can get at Wal-mart for about 10 bucks.
fastened it to the floor and used bungee cords to fasten the girls to the seat.

It gets you a bit more room for growing children. They'll outgrow that, of course, but you might get another year out of it. And then you'll have a fine cargo trailer.

 

[ZnsaneRyder]

Maybe you could build a trailer for them. Build it to hold two adults, so the kids will fit easily. I'm sure with some utility wheels, metal frame, chairs, and more, you can have a nice trailer.

 

[srdavo]

I also recycled My kid-trailer, when the fabric gave out. http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=16664


<-----pics from CL

this gallery page at organicengines.com shows some vague pedicab trailer pics http://organicengines.com/lazy-index.php?file=SUV_and_Pedicab/SUV_mods/

Here's a fun link I found while googling.

I haven't found any plans..yet.

I bet SimpleSimon could sketch up something cool for ya!
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showpost.php?p=182260&postcount=3

http://www.motoredbikes.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=14420&d=1232654997

 

[RATRODER]

Here is a simple design http://www.smallcarplans.com/ptrailer.htm louis.

 

[azbill]

thanks for the ideas guys

copied a bunch of pics from organic engines...thanks dave

nice plans from smallcarplans...thanks louis

my first trailer is already my cargo hauler ( 4 5gallon jugs of water...that's 200 lbs !!!)

they still fit this one...just with heavy coats it gets a little crowded...tryin to think ahead a little

I am just grabbing all the pics I can, so I can take what works and mix 'em up into my own design

 

[SimpleSimon]

The parade trailer plans from small car plans are really about as good as the average craftsman can reasonably expect to get. Keep in mind, that trailer is itself fairly heavy for the size, being built with solid plywood panels.

It would be pretty simple to sketch up something similar that would be substantially lighter, using web strapping for the seat bottoms and the backs (like a lawn chair uses), in either wood or steel EMT tubing, whichever would be preferred. If you have access to a welder or brazing equipment, EMT is the way to go. Obviously the hitch arrangement has to be different due to the vehicle pulling it. For that matter, building it with a folding tonneau top that drops behind the seat would be easy enough.

Build it with 32 inches seat width, and it will accomodate two people quite readily. It will not, however, then fit through most standard doors. Better to aim for a finished width, wheels and all, of 30 inches max, seat height of 13 inches so that the CoG is at axle height.. Of course, you then run into limitations on seat width and wheel well width, but for use on paved roads and sidewalks 26 x 1.50 wheels are adequate.. So, you end up with an effective seat width in the neighborhood of 13 inches - shoulder width being greater, as one can put an outboard armrest above the wheels on each side.

I'd be glad to draw such up, and run the calcs to insure material strengths are more than sufficient, if you'd like. I put up a sketch and explanation of a simple EMT tubing bender device I've used in the past a while back - if you can arc your tubes that actually strengthens the frame, done correctly. Steel is strongest in tension, and resists compression very well - a tube arced in such a way that the principal load is a tension load to the outside of the arc and a compressive load to the inside is substantially stronger than an identical sized straight tube side loaded.

Let me know.

 

[azbill]

sling seats ?

thanks for the info SS
if you wanna throw some sketches my way, any ideas are welcome
visuals especially
I am having the hardest time thinking of the hitch...I want it low and off the back, not a seat post type...needs to be tiltable(for cornering), but no play like a pintle-type hitch

all ideas welcome, I like brainstorming like this

I was thinking some thing like this for seating...with seatbelts
I like the canopy on the second...I live outside Phoenix (desert, 120+ in summer)

 

[Tom]

Yes. That would be really cool. Has anyone done a motorized pedicab before??