On the DIY Kauai channel we build a variety of things to support our active lifestyles here and also to take advantage of our abundant natural resources. We are currently building a solar powered electric boat, some electric bikes, solar cookers, bike trailers and more.
I enjoyed trying your eTrikeBike! It takes a moment to learn to ride, especially if you're used to two-wheeled bikes. 🚲💨 Very practical and fun! Awesome video sharing all your insights! #eTrikeBike #FunRide #CyclingLife
My ebike only does 15 miles per hour. It has fat tires but adds to traction. It has the wrong tires because it doesn't grip the pavement. It's new tires but the wrong tires.
@@26snoopy82 I remember seeing a folding e-trike online somewhere... that is a lot to ask for a vehicle...there will be some compromising... I am able to load a schwinn into a minivan, two in the back of a pickup truck. Best of luck to you!
I spent some time searching again and can't find the video. If I remember correctly, his name is Randall and he is a veteran living in TX. The original article may be gone from RU-vid...
Because I live in Hawaii I had to purchase from China via Aliexpress. I you live in the US mainland you have more options such as Amazon, EBAY, etc. Search for e-bike conversion kit. Best of luck to you!
Thanks for the video. I just converted a similar Sun Trike with an Amazon 750W, 36V motor. But it makes a grinding noise under load. When I lift the wheel the noise goes away. Now the Company says they aren't suitable for a Tricycle. Only a bike. They didn't elaborate why. Is it maybe because a trike has more resistance? Is that why you use such a big motor and 52 volts on yours? This build is for someone that has no need to go fast so I thought 750 would be plenty.
If you are going up a hill or putting big demand on it, make sure that you are pedaling Demanding too much torque from the motor can be an issue. pedal!
I keep seeing things about these campers and I can’t find one. Their websites are down. They don’t seem to be created anymore. There doesn’t seem to be a trace of a single one on Amazon or eBay. I’m very confused on how these don’t exist but I keep seeing videos about them. I feel like somebody’s playing mind games with me cause I really really want the outdoor one outback By mody
You guys on the mainland are lucky! Getting them to Kauai is a challenge which is why I have had to order them from China with expensive air cargo shipping.
So im thinking of doing the same to get back and forth to work since i live nearby and itll save on gas but i was curious, is there a way to have two motored wheels on the back and connect it all to the same throttle with extra batteries?
You really inspired me to think about converting my trike. Thank you for putting this up. A lot of companies want to make this conversion really complicated so you get discouraged and buy an electric trike.
I liked your tips, but I got a tip for you if you don’t already know it. Double 00 steel wool on your handlebars. You can shine them up like new in five minutes. Thanks for the informative video.
All these bike camper designs are cool but as someone who's almost been homeless I'd like to see more designs aimed at long term living rather than a few days camping! Of course the designs would vary based on individual needs and area but it would be cool to see what people come up with.
@@DIYKauai yss was a, he’s the first one I seen doing this but even his designs can leave room for improvement for long term living but then again that gives the individual space to make it suit them.
I bought the trike used for $200, the motor and battery cost me about $1300 because on Kauai we have to get them imported from China and pay $$$ for air freight. You can get the drivetrain quite a bit cheaper on the mainland.
Thanks so much for this, I want to build a bike camper so badly but I want it to be lightweight and affordable I think this may be the perfect solution for me. Thank you
I’m a huge fan of Paul Elkins and all his DIY projects. He’s incredible and so innovative. I think out of all of these campers my favorites are Elkins and Elkins inspired campers and the tearbox campers, but all of them are so cool.
To make the whole thing stronger, I would double pipe it, where you put a smaller pipe inside of a larger pipe. Then for extra security and peace of mind, i would suggest bending over a piece of metal where you flattened the pcv pipes to put the wheels on so that the weight is supported by metal fittings instead of bearing down on the pvc itself, that way you should theoretically never have to worry about the pipes breaking at the wheel connection like what happened with your first build.
Several people have made that comment and it misses the point of this build. What you are suggesting is to build an internal frame of metal to transfer the load too. In the tropics, metal and wood are points of rapid failure. When I upgraded this design to 2" schedule 40 PVC and then fiberglass reinforced the main stress points it works fantastically and can regularly transport over 100 lbs. I even carried a 200 lb. person up a hill with it. The trailer has been used daily by homeless people for several years now without failing.
Me too, lol... project has hit a few materials snags... limited supplies here on the island of Kauai... new video in a week as siding is going on now...
Great vid thinking of doing one of these. Been looking at used meridians and only see 1 speed trikes. Is that an issue? Seems like you'd want the 7 speed for a 1000w etrike conversion? Thanks
@@DIYKauai oh I see makes sense. I wasn’t sure if you had a 7 speed if you could do a sort of pedal assist but I could that probably wouldn’t work since it’s front wheel drive anyway. Thanks looking to build one of these for my wife
I took the rear hubs and laced them into 20inch rear rims so it lowered the back. Put on a banana seat. Large front basket. Filled the rear basket with 4 huge batteries in parallel. Could go almost 100 miles. It could hit corners preeeety fast without rolling. Got stolen. Miss that thing
You should consider adding suspension to the trailer so the batteries don't have to deal with as much vibration. I'm doing the same thing with my bike but I got hundreds of 18650 cells from work 😊
