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Topic ClosedIs your Tow Vehicle too small?
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2628 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Is your Tow Vehicle too small?
    Posted: 24 Aug 2018 at 2:51pm
Saw this on the interwebs this morning. An interesting concept where the trailer has batteries and electric motors to provide an "assist" for reducing the tow weight. The article claims it can make a 2000 lb trailer tow as if it were a 200 lb trailer.

Only two issues. One is that it's made in Germany. Two is that I bet it will cost quite a few $$$.
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TheBum View Drop Down
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Posts: 1407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Aug 2018 at 3:03pm
Wow, that looks like a lot more to maintain than in our Pods. No thanks.
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Aug 2018 at 3:50pm
No thanks here either. I'm where I want to be.
Mike Carter
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 6:18am
    Someday there may be self driving camping trailers. Your camper could arrive to the campground before you do.
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 1:59pm
I'd be happier if they made one that packs, and unpacks itself. Maybe if it could go to the dump station by itself too. Towing is the easy part, I don't mind handling that.
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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Posts: 1014 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 3:37pm
Awesome concept and changes the whole idea of towable! 

Now how will they deliver 40kw to each motor? That seems to me to be too high a goal.

4kw would be a bit high to obtain.. Yet motor assist on your trailer sounds to me to be a great idea and the way of the future.

80kw would push your TV! 
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 4:05pm
Who knows, if they can power an airplane with solar that allows it to fly around the world, then putting a couple solar powered electric motors to give a push to a trailer isn't far fetched at all.  

The issue to me is how control the power to each wheel so you have the whole thing balanced in constantly changing conditions.  But if they can have a computer program to land a 787 with the pilot looking, that is not a big hurdle. 

And we all know with electronics, the prices plummet as the technology enters the mass market.  It's just a question of time.
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2628 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 4:34pm
I found it interesting that the battery pack was 80KWH, which is as large as the low-end Tesla model S.

Each motor has 375 ft-lb of torque. That's ~~ 750 ft-lb combined, which is no small amount of torque.

I agree that controlling the amount of power and balance of power between the two motors would be a big deal. I shudder to think about those two relatively powerful motors pushing you along while you're negotiating a long mountain downhill...       Cry
bp
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 5:30pm
+1 GlueGuy. Not sure a trailer pushing TV is way to go, not alone downhill but also bad road conditions.
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2628 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 8:15pm
Right. Not to mention under icy conditions. Not that it's a good idea to tow in snow/ice in the first place (I would probably sit that out anyway), but if you got caught in a situation, I would hope there would be a way to disable the system.
bp
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