My Sons New Treasure Vehicle

[Oddjob]

My Son's New Treasure Vehicle

My son is picking up his new treasure hunter today. He sent me this picture and said that he just purchased it for his early birthday present for his 13th. I just laughed, he is as bad as his mother and I. He said that he is going to add a custom BOB Yak trailer, I think what he means is that he is taking my custom BOB I had set up for my Moonlander and he is dropping it on to his new velomobile.

My wife said that he brought his portable speaker, Iphone, AT Pro, digger, Go Pro and begged her to stop so he could buy him self a Garmin Edge 1000. She said that she did go and stop so he could pick one up on the way to picking up his velomobile.

She said that he got them to mount everything up at the dealer. She then said that he told her "Ok, I will see you at the house". My wife said that he really did not understand why he could not just ride it home, after all the only drove 480 kilometers to the Netherlands and on a combined bike path and street route it is only like 300 kilometers back to our house in Germany.

Any way I had to talk him down, he was far from happy. He had planed to hunt some sites on his way home. Just a couple he said; I told him honestly dude, when does MDing ever take just a couple sites when you have nothing but time on your hands. He was like yeah I guess your right.

Anyway, this is what he has purchased him self from about 11 months of owning his own MD and planing and working all his hunts. He cashed out all his finds at the 6 month mark and has been searching for the best velomobile to suit his needs.

This one has full turn signals, disc brakes, a Rohloff hub, a 250 Watt assist motor for hills if needed. He said that he just needs to take it in and get the side mirrors replaced with ones on a motorcycle that also have turn single indicators in them just to be on the safe side.

Since he got his own MD when he turned 12 he had been taking it to school and on his way home he had been stopping off at places for a hunt. He says that they are all hunted now and he needs to extend his search by about 30-60 kilometers.

He is really excited to take his new treasure wagon out. I hope the picture shows up.

View attachment 1306112

 

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[Oregon Viking]

V-8 option?

 

[Oddjob]

V-8 option?

No, human powered. Well his has a small power assisted electric motor, but you will not go further than about 15 miles with that and considering that most who ride these are doing at the least 100 per day it is really only good very bad hills or very strong head winds. I have only ever once seen the reason to have such a motor and that was in Switzerland on a crazy hill with a strong head wind. But my son is only 12, he will grow stronger and soon enough see that extra 14 kilograms slows him down more than helps him on hills.

There is a US based company claiming to have a velomobile with a gas motor that can be used as the primary means of power. I think it is dumb really because these are built very light so that you can move out fast. Plus a velomobile is human power, not has. If someone wants gas there are many other things to get that are much faster than some gas powered velomobile.

 

[USERNAME IS VALID]

Cool

 

[TrashureSeeker]

That is a beauty, very clever choice of vehicle for getting around quickly. I wonder how these ride with a yak trailer.

 

[Oddjob]

That is a beauty, very clever choice of vehicle for getting around quickly. I wonder how these ride with a yak trailer.

I will take some pictures of it with the Yak style trailer. He wants to get a Bill Trailer from Surly and have it built out for camping. Only two issues with that, first it would be very heavy as this velomobile already comes in at 49 kilograms, he could have rim motors installed I guess though. Second issue, he is only 13 years old, if he is even half what I was then I would expect him to just roll out for a couple weeks.

His mother already has issues with him going 60 kilometers away and being gone from sun up to sun down.

 

[against the wind]

Congrats to your son on his new "Hunt Mobile "
My primary means of transportation is my Harley.
I am limited to what I can carry on longer trips. For the most part, when I'm hunting in the city, I only carry one detector and my digging tools or scoop.
If your son is going to be pulling a trailer, , I would suggest that he installs 2 red flags at the back of the trailer.
Best of luck to him.

 

[Oddjob]

Congrats to your son on his new "Hunt Mobile "
My primary means of transportation is my Harley.
I am limited to what I can carry on longer trips. For the most part, when I'm hunting in the city, I only carry one detector and my digging tools or scoop.
If your son is going to be pulling a trailer, , I would suggest that he installs 2 red flags at the back of the trailer.
Best of luck to him.

Yes, the BOB Yak trailers we use have an electrical system that plugs in to the main system of the velomobile, brake lights, and turn indicators.

As for flags, they are not required by law and one would think that driving something that is 280 Centimeters long or 318 long with a trailer that people would see you, the velomobile they see of course, but any trailer you hook up is so low that I would not fault someone for not seeing it.

So yes flags are VERY important, we like to use a High Viz Orange with a Reflective VFR wrap on the pole it self. However my son got this bright idea to jack my High Viz Flag off my new Hobie PA17t; the one with the very bright light at the top. LOL

It works and it is an eye catcher I guess you could say.

He has not had a crash yet but it is only a matter of time, I have totaled out 3 so far my self, one because I took a corner too fast and the other two because motorist where not paying attention.

These things will cruise at about 70 KMH if you are fit, we use mostly bike routes unless in the city then we use normal roads. Bike routes are of course the safest way to go and you do not really have to watch out for much, but when you hit the street you need to really make sure that you are high viz and turn off the stereo so you can pay attention that much more to those who are not paying attention.

Its just like riding a motor bike, people do not care, they figure they are bigger and that you need to move for them.

We also use cameras too, they come in handy for those legal issues. Normally when someone causes you to crash they do not have the integrity to inform the police of the truth. Camera says it all.

 

[releventchair]

People do seem to be looking for tanks ,many at least , and not looking for smaller vehicles.
If the electric motor is regenerating that would be a neat mobility device.
Neat anyway .
Reads like you son had enough hand in acquiring it to take good care of it..
Good hunting to him!

 

[TrashureSeeker]

Yes, the BOB Yak trailers we use have an electrical system that plugs in to the main system of the velomobile, brake lights, and turn indicators.

As for flags, they are not required by law and one would think that driving something that is 280 Centimeters long or 318 long with a trailer that people would see you, the velomobile they see of course, but any trailer you hook up is so low that I would not fault someone for not seeing it.

So yes flags are VERY important, we like to use a High Viz Orange with a Reflective VFR wrap on the pole it self. However my son got this bright idea to jack my High Viz Flag off my new Hobie PA17t; the one with the very bright light at the top. LOL

It works and it is an eye catcher I guess you could say.

He has not had a crash yet but it is only a matter of time, I have totaled out 3 so far my self, one because I took a corner too fast and the other two because motorist where not paying attention.

These things will cruise at about 70 KMH if you are fit, we use mostly bike routes unless in the city then we use normal roads. Bike routes are of course the safest way to go and you do not really have to watch out for much, but when you hit the street you need to really make sure that you are high viz and turn off the stereo so you can pay attention that much more to those who are not paying attention.

Its just like riding a motor bike, people do not care, they figure they are bigger and that you need to move for them.

We also use cameras too, they come in handy for those legal issues. Normally when someone causes you to crash they do not have the integrity to inform the police of the truth. Camera says it all.

I know the same from daily city cycling, the most annoying for me is people in 30kmh zones where I'm easily fast enough trying everything they can to get past me, then at the next mini-jam I pass them again.

The Surly Bill looks like a step back if you ask me, I would never consider a two-wheeled bicycle / velomobile trailer again, so sluggish in comparision and that Bill looks awefully heavy. Give him a gps device and send him camping if he likes I say, that is probably the best compromise, he seems to know his way around the world more than most his age do already.

Very interesting setup, I am tinkering with vehicle choices myself right now but I think I will spring for a combination of medium sized car and somehow fit detecting gear, a small mattress and my bicycle in there, that sounds like a good combination.