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Self-Powered Trailers Promise Leaner Freight Runs

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Re: Self-Powered Trailers Promise Leaner Freight Runs

#71
post #10

In the US, commercial trailers are used like these crappy sheds, you go get one and the ABS unit is gone, the only thing worth stealing. For any company where this doesn’t hold it’s a big deal. The bigger deal is really RV trailers. You power assist, with simple motors controlled by pulling, and you can pull a huge one with ANY car, you don’t need truck, just modified mirrors. Plus the RV trailer benefits from slow s…

In practice it's of course not so simple. Every truck that passes you (or that you pass) will suck you right in if your tow vehicle isn't heavy enough or you don't have good enough grip. Also, (RV/drum) trailer brakes suck so hard that you really want a vehicle with some additional stopping power other than regular brakes (heavy duty transmission, big engine, and diesel exhaust or compression brake). E-brakes work we…

Yeah, driving semi on tight two lane roads there’s be a whip cracking sound when we passed by other semis close, the two air vortexes colliding.

But I think it’s surmountable. Someone in this thread joked you could put the steering wheel in the RV, which is of course done, so really it’s just a question of RV motion not compatible with car. I could imagine problems with this, if the stopping distance of the RV is higher as it is in loaded semis, you need a feedback mechanism to the car not destroy the brakes of the car, same with pulling. Really the advantages are too high, solar charging, weeks of battery, ability to slow move with no car, but no restraints of being a motor vehicle.

Re: Self-Powered Trailers Promise Leaner Freight Runs

#72

In the US, commercial trailers are used like these crappy sheds, you go get one and the ABS unit is gone, the only thing worth stealing. For any company where this doesn’t hold it’s a big deal. The bigger deal is really RV trailers. You power assist, with simple motors controlled by pulling, and you can pull a huge one with ANY car, you don’t need truck, just modified mirrors. Plus the RV trailer benefits from slow s…

Uh, you still need suspension on the tow vehicle capable of the tongue weight. And enough mass that a gust of wind doesn’t push you over a lane.

This would be based on a different wheel configuration. The control shaft fixed to the car essentially works to steer a pair of front wheels, and may steer back wheels to minimize off tracking.

Re: Self-Powered Trailers Promise Leaner Freight Runs

#73
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In practice it's of course not so simple. Every truck that passes you (or that you pass) will suck you right in if your tow vehicle isn't heavy enough or you don't have good enough grip. Also, (RV/drum) trailer brakes suck so hard that you really want a vehicle with some additional stopping power other than regular brakes (heavy duty transmission, big engine, and diesel exhaust or compression brake). E-brakes work we…

Or flip the narrative and put the steering wheel in the RV trailer and tow your tiny car behind it! Wait...

lol! Good point: Really it’s the integrated vehicle components that make motorhomes cost so much more than towables. In trucking, the triples trailers don’t have front axles, they’re added through converter dollies. That’s really all you need to make this work, a motorized steerable converter dolly and you can use it with any existing trailer. It only needs to be able to steer, maybe through combining different wheel speeds. they are basically moving trailers already this way with robot Dollies in China.

Realistically you can digitally tow the trailer at that point, you don’t even need the connection, just the promise the trailer following your tracks and staying close behind.

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