Passenger sled ???

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

I been thinking about something for awhile . As many of you know , my Kristi KT7 will only hold 4 adults in comfort . Sometimes more passenger room may be needed . I can see the same problem in some of the two passenger Tuckers and Imps . I like the idea behind the BV202 but want to be able to drop the passenger sled when it is not needed .
So what do you think about a light weight enclosed passenger sled that could seat 4 ???
Years ago ,we had a Plymouth voyager van. I keep thinking that if a fella cut off the body ,right behind the drivers door , welded in another rear door end piece off another van of the same year and model ,it might make a pretty slick looking passenger transport . The old car frame could be relaced by a lighter ladder type frame and all unnessessary items like muffler, spare tire, rear end ,etc could be remmoved to keep the weight down . With the van seats facing backwards in the rear and doors at each end ,could it work ? A simple tow hitch should move it and attach it to the tow vehicle. A standard trailer plug could supply electric for the lighting .All the rear seats and carpets could be reused .The windows are already tinted ???? A simple track system should work ??????
There has got to be millions of these old dodge mini vans sitting in junkyards that could be picked up cheap!!!

I think when it got completed ,it would look very similar to a KT7 in design .

Am I blowing smoke or do you think it has possibilities ??? :confused2:

Here is a pic of the style van I was thinking about .
I do not know how to use the Photo shop to create a picture of what I want . Maybe someone with more talent can do that .

Eric L · Dec 5, 2006

like this

Melensdad · Dec 5, 2006

Eric, can you put a ski rack on the roof with some long skis so when Al flips it over on a slope he can use it as a sled to get back down the hill? :yum:

mtntopper · Dec 5, 2006

Forget the track system underneath and use highway guard rail shaped into skis. This will help to lighten the loser "cruiser sled" and make it much easier for the "loser cruiser snow cat wannabe" to pull the load. :yum:

Can you imagine 4 BigAl wannabes in the trailer being pulled by that little Ford V4 engine? That would be a strain on a big V8. :confused2:

I am beginning to wonder if you are not an expert at photo shop and that the KT7 does not really exist....

The only real things in your posts are the Dr. Rums. You just keep adding more projects to extend the actual time before it is able to hit (sink into) the snow and prolong the inevitable demise of the "bathtub snow cat wannabe" sinking deeper and deeper until we just have to bury it to hide it from the EPA...

Eric L · Dec 5, 2006

B_Skurka said:
Eric, can you put a ski rack on the roof with some long skis so when Al flips it over on a slope he can use it as a sled to get back down the hill?

Its gonna need "Bar Bouys"

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

You got it backwards ! Attach the two rear halfs together !!! Geez ! What a bunch of knucklemans !!!

Eric L · Dec 5, 2006

BigAl said:
You got it backwards ! Attach the two rear halfs together !!! Geez ! What a bunch of knucklemans !!!

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

mtntopper said:
Forget the track system underneath and use highway guard rail shaped into skis. This will help to lighten the loser "cruiser sled" and make it much easier for the "loser cruiser snow cat wannabe" to pull the load.
Can you imagine 4 BigAl wannabes in the trailer being pulled by that little Ford V4 engine? That would be a strain on a big V8.

I am beginning to wonder if you are not an expert at photo shop and that the KT7 does not really exist.... The only real things in your posts are the Dr. Rums. You just keep adding more projects to extend the actual time before it is able to hit (sink into) the snow and prolong the inevitable demise of the "bathtub snow cat wannabe" sinking deeper and deeper until we just have to bury it to hide it from the EPA...

Geez Bill

I just asked a simple question :pat:

. You did not need to go and turn it into a overweight put down .

Now my feelings are hurt and its only Tuesday .
So now I got to get mad and get even

. I hope you are happy ! :wussie:

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

Eric L said:

Thats better but now it looks like a damn phone booth :pat:

! Lengthen it out a little . Someone farts in something that small and it will blow up ! :fart2:

Eric L · Dec 5, 2006

Oh, you mean like this? Dont you already have a rig that looks like this?

mbsieg · Dec 5, 2006

Gezz, whats say we get a greyhound bus their must be lots of those in salvage yards too, (you know the rest). :yum:

Seriously if you have enough power I think it is a great idea!! :a1:

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

OHH YEA!!!!!
That's what I was looking for . :cool2:

I may just have to start hunting around for a couple of mini vans .
I know that it would not work well off trail but for running down snow covered forest roads it might work well . Maybe even set it up as a mini camper or use as a "rescue base station" for all you broke down SnowCatters :yum:

Eric L · Dec 5, 2006

Al, the first time I saw your KT7 I thought it was something like this that someone had built or photochopped .... seriously :yum:

Eric

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

You know what ? I am going to do it!!!! :a1:

That is the neatest thing I have seen . I bet I can make it work .

Finally I will be able to add that Hot Tub I been eyeing !!!

Melensdad · Dec 5, 2006

Al, are you going to do tracks or skis? Which would offer less resistance? I think tracks would be good for all terrain purposes but I would suspect that skis would offer less resistance when pulling it in the snow.

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

Eric L said:

Well ,The wife just saw the phone booth size one and decided it would be perfect size for the dogs to ride in . Thanks alot Eric

!!! Now I got two to build !!!

bczoom · Dec 5, 2006

B_Skurka said:
I think tracks would be good for all terrain purposes but I would suspect that skis would offer less resistance when pulling it in the snow.

What about stopping?

I'm thinking you're heading down a hill and get into some ice or whatever. A trailer (with the hot tub) on skis may start pushing the tow vehicle.

I would go with tracks and put something like electric brakes off a trailer on it. Then connect an inertial based controller for brake activation.

Eric L · Dec 5, 2006

BigAl said:
Well ,The wife just saw the phone booth size one and decided it would be perfect size for the dogs to ride in

Put the hounds out front in a team, like the Eskimos do... and I think the trailer brakes idea has merit.

Eric

flathorn · Dec 5, 2006

Big Al, I bought about a year ago a Cessna 172 aircraft fuselage that is pretty much complete from the firewall to the rear windows. I had planned on putting skis under it to pull behind either a snow machine or snow cat for hauling extra passengers or freight across the trail to my cabin in Alaska. The seats mount on rails and slide right out to switch to a freight hauler. An aircraft is built about as light as you can get and still have considerable strength. Has doors and windows and windshield.
A number of years ago I towed an 18' flat bottomed jet boat to my cabin with about 1000# inside it of metal roofing and propane. Worked out really well except where it passed me and I ended up facing the opposite direction on a long downgrade. I was pulling it with a Yamaha snow machine. On the flat or slight grade it worked great. Didn't even wear the paint off the little v stiffeners on the bottom. Later piled my family in it to go visit the neighbors.
I think yours would work just fine. Dare to be different!!!!! Byron Miller

BigAl · Dec 5, 2006

flathorn said:
I think yours would work just fine. Dare to be different!!!!! Byron Miller

See I told you guys there were other people like me out there . :cool2:

I am different ! In fact ,my wife says I am nuttier than a fruit cake . Well .... I like fruit cake so kiss my Kristi !!!! :moon:

I really think it would work . After I build one ,everybody is going to jump on my bandwagon... uhhhh. I mean my new sled . I shall create a really cool name to call it and Mtnflopper will not be allow to ride in it . I am going to use it to pull customers through the Elk Herds in Elk City during the winter . I am going to make a cazillon dollars and not give any to Bob S . :5boobs:

! How much is a cazillon any way ???? :confused2:

Byron can have a free ride for agreeing with me . There will be a small handling and overhead fee of $20 but the ride is free :tiphat:

.

flathorn · Dec 5, 2006

I will bring my Kristi and aircraft based sled to help haul your cazillion $ to the bank. For a fee of course. Byron

bczoom · Dec 5, 2006

flathorn said:
I will bring my Kristi and aircraft based sled to help haul your cazillion $ to the bank. For a fee of course. Byron

Oh, heck. I'll bring myself and a seabag. I'll only keep what I can carry and won't charge any fees. :cool2:

What do you think of the trailer brake idea?

flathorn · Dec 5, 2006

On Aircraft skis, I have seen guys take the hydraulic system that is normally the brakes on the wheels and use it to push a rod from a cylinder down into the snow to give some braking and steering control, when on straight skis. Would probably be applicable to a sled to get some braking action on those skis. I don't plan on it on mine as I will not be going to any hilly areas. Just a thought. Byron

mlang2005 · Dec 5, 2006

I'd put tracks on the rear with brakes and skis on the front that steer with the tongue

BigAl · Dec 6, 2006

mlang2005 said:
I'd put tracks on the rear with brakes and skis on the front that steer with the tongue

I have now sent this project to my Research & Design dept. in my brain . It will be hashed over in my mind and a final decision is forthcoming soon :confused2:

. The stick brake is a interesting idea . Reminds me of my homemade go cart days . Yea , That went over like a fart in church !!! I still limp .

Melensdad · Dec 6, 2006

Allen,

Seems to me that if you are using something the size of a mini-van as the body then you have the potential to make a convertible trailer that would be great for hauling 4 people or sleeping 2 people. Or perhaps hauling 4 people and having a back that opens up "chuckwagon style" for outdoor cooking at get togethers.

I've always been a fan of the antique "teardrop" trailers from the 40's and 50's and while I am not suggesting you make a "teardrop" you may want to consider the kitchen concept of a teardrop and incorporate the concept into your plan? Instead of a lift up rear, you could just section off the back 18" to 24" of the rear of the mini-van with a wood partition wall and build a camper kitchen in the back, you'd just open the rear doors to expose the kitchen for use.

You could use propane as a cooking source, and that could also fuel a heater for the passenger cabin to keep the passengers toasty warm. One 20 pound cylinder should be able to handle the needs for a nice weekend trip. For a safe, in cabin, propane heater, take a look at the heaters they use on sailboats and consider one of those.

Here are some photos to consider from some modern recreations of "teardrop" trailers.

Melensdad · Dec 6, 2006

As for SKIS versus TRACKS and that debate, might I suggest you take a look at the Tucker Sno-Cat company for inspiration? There is a website run by Tim Wafer and it shows his Sno-Cat restoration, a very good read for those of you who are not familiar with it. On his site, if you scroll down the page, he shows an old Tucker trailer. http://www.timwafer.com/snocat.html

The Tucker trailer has WHEELS and SKIS.

Now combine that concept with some simply hydraulics (and the inspiration for that came from "flathorn" in his post above) and you can have wheels for 'normal use' and with the help of 4 hydraulic cylinders, you can lower a set of skis for snow use. And for braking while going down a slope you could raise the skis a bit so that both the skis and the tires come into contact with the snow????

Here are some photos from Tim's page, consider something like this:

BigAl · Dec 6, 2006

Bob ,
I thought about the tear drop trailer design but it would look good behind a Bombi B12 or a old round back Tucker . I was trying to come up with a matching body style for my KT7 which is more angled than round . It might look good behind the KT4 though :confused2:

.

If I put a full kitchen in the rear I can already see a number of problems . Unexpected company like you ,Mtnflooper and the rest of those low lifes showing up at dinner time ,drinking all my booze :burp:

,eating all my fried chicken and leaving me with the damn dirty dishes

while you all set around with your friends , farting on the couch, dicussing snowcat crap :moon:

.

I did not sign on as your maid!

.... Oh sorry ... I thought we were married there for a minute and got a little off track ! :pat:

Bad flashback ....

I got to switch back to Decaf ! Sorry .... I'm ok now .

I seriously am going to look into doing something like this . I got to keep it light weight though .

Melensdad · Dec 6, 2006

BigAl said:
Bob ,
I thought about the tear drop trailer design . . .

I got to keep it light weight though .

Well for the KT7 I figured you would use the Mini Van body, I just figured that you could build a kitchen in the back of that like they do with the teardrops.

As for the weight, that is an issue and I'm not sure how big, heavy, etc the whole thing would be. Seems like a Mini Van body structure is going to be pretty heavy so that would be a concern right from the start. You may want to strip the "side impact" guards and other things that car makers put into those things to increase safety. I doubt that you would need all the safety features that are incorporated into a van body.

For the interior configuration, you might consider 2 bench seats that face each other instead of the more traditional 2 rows of seats. One large footwell would take less space than 2 footwells and might be more comfortable and easier to get in/out of if the seats faced each other. It would also make for easier cargo carrying.

mtntopper · Dec 6, 2006

BigAl said:
I did not sign on as your maid! .

BigUglyAl in a little/large frilly maids uniform???????

That would be breaking all of the laws of nature!!!!!!

Passenger sled ???

Gone But Not Forgotten

Attachments

Member

Attachments

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Back On Track

Member

Attachments

Gone But Not Forgotten

Member

Attachments

Gone But Not Forgotten

Gone But Not Forgotten

Member

Attachments

awful member

Gone But Not Forgotten

Member

Gone But Not Forgotten

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Gone But Not Forgotten

Super Moderator

Member

New member

Gone But Not Forgotten

New member

Super Moderator

New member

Member

Gone But Not Forgotten

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Attachments

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Gone But Not Forgotten

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator

Back On Track