Author Topic: Luxury camping  (Read 6975 times)

bobs

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Luxury camping
« on: February 12, 2019, 08:42:28 pm »
https://www.widepathcamper.eu/bicycle-camper

Now that I've got an Ebike the next step is to sort out the camping gear.

jags

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2019, 09:04:06 pm »
Ahh no Bob  stick to a good quality 2 man tent. ;)

Danneaux

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2019, 09:15:00 pm »
That appeals to me as a base-camp setup. Establish the camp with the trailer and secure storage, then ride away from there for day rides, returning at night.

Best,

Dan.

Andre Jute

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2019, 10:03:27 pm »
Everyone knows I'm not a weight weenie, but why is it that on that "bicycle caravan" page I can't find its weight?

Danneaux

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2019, 10:27:47 pm »
Andre,

Other sources place the weight at 40-45kg/88-99lb, depending on options.

Best,

Dan.

mickeg

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2019, 10:43:19 pm »
There have been many times when I was pushing into a strong headwind and I am wondering how much my front panniers contribute to my aerodynamic drag.  I will be riding along, using the drops and bending my elbows to get a bit lower, and on a derailleur bike using the granny chainring or on Rohloff down in low range (gear 7 or lower) while on flat ground.  And it is a real struggle to make headway into the wind.

I would hate to pull that trailer on a day with even weak headwinds or moderate side winds.

Does it come with extra line and some big tent stakes so you can stake it down on windy days?

The sink in the photo was an outdoor sink at a campground, I took the photo to show how windy it was, the water stream is blown to the side quite a bit.


« Last Edit: February 12, 2019, 10:47:06 pm by mickeg »

Andre Jute

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2019, 12:58:57 am »
Other sources place the weight at 40-45kg/88-99lb, depending on options.

Thanks, Dan. Now I understand why the most relevant piece of information isn't quoted in the puff-piece.

I take George's implied view: Wind! BTW, brilliant pic, George, makes your point perfectly.

There must be large, flat, windless expanses somewhere on earth, but if so I have never seen them. I've been to all the world's deserts (excluding only the Gobi), which would be most people's first thought of large empty flat spaces, and I was born in a semi-desert, and they're all up and down and windy besides because they're sculpted by the wind. Nor is the sweeping grasslands of the savannah in the subtropics necessarily flat and it is certainly not windless or the rain would never fall.

I know. Maybe you could take that caravan to the North Pole (or the South Pole), travelling with the prevailing wind, and just keep going past the pole and off the ice the other side. Every time I was inside the Arctic Circle, doing research for a book, it wasn't fundamentally all that far below freezing, but the windchill factor would kill you all the same, 24/365.

I therefore reckon that caravan would be not a luxury but required on such a bicycle journey to a) keep the wind off you, and b) to provide shelter during rest breaks. You could load your food and water and cooking implements into the caravan and do without panniers, so not all the caravan's weight should be counted as "dead weight", in fact, you might have to load everything possible into the caravan to keep it anchored to the ice.

Don't invite me on that journey. I'm happy to leave such heroics to the real hard men.

Who's up for a challenge?

***
On George's point about side winds, it seems to me the side profile if the caravan is designed to move the centre of aerodynamic pressure back as a far as possible without intruding unreasonably into the living space; I think it likely that the Centre of Aerodynamic Pressure and the Centre of Gravity of the caravan will be not too far apart horizontally, which is a Good Thing, aiding straight-line stability in crosswinds; they mustn't however coincide because that will create a barbell effect that will jerk the bike around as the caravan swings from side to side around that pivot. Can't guess so easily at vertically separation, which would be the lever length of the overturning moment; perhaps less than half the height of the caravan. Also the corner rounding seems applied by someone with stability in cross-currents firmly in mind. None of this means the thing won't be uncontrollable in a strong enough wind, only that it will probably not be too much of a handful in moderate crosswinds.
***
Interesting find, Bob.

martinf

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2019, 07:40:41 am »
Weight looks reasonable. From experience towing 40 to 70 Kg all-up trailer weight I'd reckon on about 15% speed reduction over my local terrain, not flat but not many steep hills either.

But I reckon it would be easy to tip over in windy conditions with its high side profile, and, as with any two-wheel trailer, care would need to be taken over potholes and similar.

RST Scout

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2019, 06:33:51 pm »
When I first saw this I thought wow! I have to have one. As a single female it appeals from a security angle. However, I’m not sure I could pull 45Kg plus camping/personal gear. The other thing is where do I put my dog? Love it tho.

Janet
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bobs

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2019, 07:06:38 pm »
You need an Ebike and you will manage fine.

RST Scout

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2019, 09:45:26 pm »
Funnily enough I’ve just seen this https://gentletent.com/en/shop/b-turtle/#toggle-id-9 (I hope the link works).
What do you all think. At 30kg it’s lighter than the cycle caravan. Wonder what it’s like in a gale? ::)

Janet
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in4

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2019, 12:21:30 am »
I've heard that this splendid option is available with a set of sails that in turn ;D can be connected to your dyno hub to generate electricity to power your microwave, fridge,electric blanket and coffee machine. Sorry, free hit, couldn't resist ;D Just watched the Boy who harnessed the wind film.😁

Danneaux

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2019, 01:40:24 am »
Janet,

If you're handy, Paul Elkins has plans to make your own bicycle-towable camper-trailer that weighs 27kg. See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiejAhol4Ps
More links below the video on YouTube.

A variation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7auwGhLdTk

There's a number of others in the sidebar at the right of the page...like this: https://youtu.be/sxWlxq8xHaQ

Best,

Dan.

energyman

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2019, 02:45:29 pm »
With the gales we are having in the UK at the moment that caravan thingy would be the last thing I would want connected to my bike Thorn or heavy e-bike or other.
On the ride today I nearly ended up in the drainage ditch when I passed a gap in the hedge !

RST Scout

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Re: Luxury camping
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2019, 05:29:36 pm »
Dan,

Those  blokes are ingenious. I’m pretty handy with a “Heath Robinson” mindset but I’m not in their league. Mind you, it’s got me eying up my shopping trailer and my doggie trailer with interest. ;D

Janet
Scout & Bettina's slave!