Revelations of minimizing withdrawal

[bullfrog]

Yeah we have two folded both fit in the back of our Toyota Sequioa behind the 3rd row seating even with mine having a milk crate on the rear rack as a basket. Holds a five gallon bucket (tackle box) and has a rod holder mounted. It basically folds in half, the handle bars fold level with the frame against it and the petals fold up. It comes with a strap but I usually don't bother. It is a little akward to deal with but worth it as it is pretty heavy for a standard bike rack and we didn't want $3,000 worth of electric bikes out in the open not to mention getting soaked on a bike rack anyway.

 

[QinReno]

Thanks. My idea was similar, keep it inside the van at night between the front seats - less chance of getting stolen. Put it in the back area of the van when driving.

 

[bullfrog]

You will need an inverter to charge the batteries as they only offer an AC charger.

 

[QinReno]

You will need an inverter to charge the batteries as they only offer an AC charger.

Thanks, I know. I have an inverter now, but I'll probably need to add some more solar if I want to use the e-bike more than once a week. I'll have to work that all out.

 

[bullfrog]

Depending on terrain you will be surprised how many miles you can go with petal assist. I have a hard time running the battery down even using it like a motorcycle in steep hills it takes sometimes two hours and never goes below 13 MPH with a 200 lbs. rider like me. The gearing can be changed with after market parts but I haven't because sweating isn't one of my favorite things to do. As it is using it as a bicycle I'm in high gear and hit 14 or 15MPH max. At level 3 assist just keeping the petals turning with no resistance or hills in 500 ft it is going 19.5 MPH which is what I have set for top speed. You can set it up to 24MPH but then you become a motorcycle in a lot of states. It will go at least 2 hours in this mode and still have battery left but I'm saddle sore at about the 2 hour mark and have gone about 40 miles about 30 miles more than I usually care to. I have an inner tube cut to make a liner outside the normal tube and 4 to 6oz of Stan's letax sealant in both normal tubes as I take mine through the desert a lot so the extra weight probably affects my milage per charge negitively. The bike has some cheap chinese bearings that I will eventually replace but so far so good on the big down hills I have hit 35MPH and do get some wobble as the sealant probably causes an out of balance problem. It is a tall frame for a 20" bike if your inseam is 26" or less you will have to lean the bike at rest. That is about all I can think of, if you have questions ask!

 

[RoamerRV428]

Do you feel lighter, freer, happier without all those things? I did, when I downsized massively in 2013. There have been a few books I regretted giving away, but they are easily re-purchased if I really want to own them again. There's always more stuff down the road.

oh absolutely, such a hard part of my life to sell off but I did and don't regret it one bit now
You are so right, there is more good stuff on the road if needed, but heck, I don't even want those things in my life anymore.  I window shop everything, love the looks/craftsman items and more I see, admire and walk away, not to clutter my life at all with a purchase, but I can look and admire and smile from the great things I see out there but I sure don't want anything coming home with me now.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Yeah, maybe when all those piles of crap start falling on your head, the Universe is trying to tell you something. LOL. I would hate for one of my tall bookcases to come over (earthquake or something) when I'm sitting on the floor! I am envisioning my little apartment when I have only 1 bookcase left.

I visited my sister and niece and the niece's 2 boys in Santa Fe last winter. The house had piles of crap everywheres. The 2-car garage was so full of crap you could hardly walk in there. Since then the niece got married to the new husband, and he's moved all of his crap in too. I can only imagine.... What a great life.

a lot of people have hoarder instincts.  scary since I am a minimalist type always and when I hit too much clutter around me I get antsy, I can't do clutter but so many can.  My MIL is a hoarder, ugh.  A bad one to boot and we tried so hard to clear her out and succeed a little but then more crap comes in...hey to each their own at some point and ya turn your eyes in a different direction causer she swears she can't live without her crap around her, where I am so polar opposite, I can't live with crap around me LOL

 

[RoamerRV428]

not wanting to leave a mess for your descendants or heirs to clean up. 

very true on this one.  My MIL is a hoarder and we jokingly say 'we will take a match to it all' but can't cause there is money buried all over inside that house in tons of cans, mugs, piles of clothes and money in pockets, OMG it will be a friggin' nightmare to handle.  We are not looking forward to it one bit but we are now going over and making sure piles of true trash are being handled, and she hates us for that, but tough

 

[QinReno]

If you find something like this, 428, be sure and tell us, . "How Much is Enough?".
- https://www.google.com/search?q=breaking+bad+storage+unit+money&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X

 

[travelaround]

I can look and admire and smile from the great things I see out there but I sure don't want anything coming home with me now.

It seems like the more I have to spend, the less I want to buy. When I get the van it will be harder to spend because everything I see will be balanced on the need for free space in the van.

 

[QinReno]

Depending on terrain you will be surprised how many miles you can go with petal assist.  I have a hard time running the battery down even using it like a motorcycle in steep hills it takes sometimes two hours and never goes below 13 MPH with a 200 lbs. rider like me.  
....
That is about all I can think of, if you have questions ask!

Hey Bull, thanks for all the info. I would generally plan on pedaling most of the time to get some exercise, but the battery assist would be good for hills. 

If the battery is largely depleted, how long does it take to charge it back up using the charger provided? I assume the charger puts out 2-3A, so 14AH battery would take  about 6-8 hours.

48V @ 14AH is basically equivalent to 12V @ 56AH, and a 100W solar panel puts out 6A or so max, so would take at least 10 hours of "full" sun to recharge the e-bike battery via the inverter assuming the RV battery is full, and if having just one panel.

 

[ByeBye]

I've decided that if I have space, unassigned, it will get filled with something. Hmm...just helped me decide about my camper placement. Instead of looking to maximize storage space I'm going to focus on balanced load, practicality and such logical things. Unless I change my mind 8-P

How much storage space does one guy need??....not that much.

 

[RoamerRV428]

It seems like the more I have to spend, the less I want to buy. When I get the van it will be harder to spend because everything I see will be balanced on the need for free space in the van.

very true.  space to move easily and freely without clutter will be very valuable for sure.  I absolutely get that.

 

[QinReno]

I've decided that if I have space, unassigned, it will get filled with something. Hmm...just helped me decide about my camper placement. Instead of looking to maximize storage space I'm going to focus on balanced load, practicality and such logical things. Unless I change my mind 8-P

How much storage space does one guy need??....not that much.

From the picture on the other thread, it looks fairly straightforward to build wooden storage units under the overhanging eaves of the camper. You could put in larger fresh and black water tanks under the eaves, one on each side for balancing. It's kind of a cool arrangement you have on the truck bed. That truck is big enough, you'll probably not have a top-heavy problem with the camper.

And remember .... "If you build it, they will come" - ie, all the bits and pieces and other stuff to fill in the spaces.

 

[travelaround]

I like the idea of balance in design . . . I'll keep that in mind as I create my plan. Right now, I'm just downsizing. Anything not necessary must go.

Well, necessary plus things I can't give away because they are from family, if you know what I mean. Or my art work - I'm sure that's not necessary, but I'm not going to ditch it.

 

[QinReno]

That stuff can go in a small 5'x5' storage locker, at least for the first year. Sort it out later. Do it in stages. Hit the road sooner and travel longer.

 

[ByeBye]

From the picture on the other thread, it looks fairly straightforward to build wooden storage units under the overhanging eaves of the camper. You could put in larger fresh and black water tanks under the eaves, one on each side for balancing. It's kind of a cool arrangement you have on the truck bed. That truck is big enough, you'll probably not have a top-heavy problem with the camper.

And remember .... "If you build it, they will come" - ie, all the bits and pieces and other stuff to fill in the spaces.

I have two 36x18x18 top mount boxes to go on one side, cheap chinese made but misc stuff will work. Other side I have a nice 48x18x18 box that will mate well w/ a champion generator I got. Proof's in the pudding but should fill it up ok w/ some area for misc stuff.

 

[travelaround]

Hit the road sooner and travel longer.

I might have to. I'm contemplating leaving my apartment at the end of December ... that's three months before my van will be ready, and I'd have to spend that three months living and traveling in my car.

Oh great... the electricity just went out.

Now it is on again. Printers are resetting.

 

[QinReno]

How about renting the 5x5 now, and choosing the stuff you "least" want to part with, and moving it in, until the unit is basically full. Then what's left isn't so dear, and can be sold or donated. If you rent a 10x10, that'll be self-defeating, because you'll be able to put almost everything you own into it.

 

[travelaround]

There's a new storage facility around the corner from where I live. I'll stop by there and ask for a price, since the sign they posted indicates they have a bargain deal offering for the grand opening. Otherwise ... the smallest storage facilities I can find here are 5x10 and they cost just over 50 dollars monthly.

When I moved here 5 years ago I rented one for two months, for about 35 dollars. Prices have gone up!